The Old House

The Old House occupies a three-storey heritage building on Durbar Marg, Kathmandu's main boulevard. The ground floor is a bar; the first floor is the main dining room; the second floor holds a private room that scales to sixteen. The chef trained in Lyon and Paris and the kitchen's French fundamentals are immaculate — butter sauces, pan-seared proteins, a pastry programme that would hold its own in any European capital.

The menu also runs sideways into Asia: a Thai green curry, a Japanese-style tuna tataki, a Nepali set menu for non-vegetarians and vegetarians both. Portions are European. The wine list is Kathmandu's most serious, with real bottles available at real — if not low — prices.

Birthdays at The Old House go exactly the way a birthday should. The staff bring a dessert with a candle, the chef will send a short amuse-bouche to the table, and the private room upstairs lets a group of twelve run its own evening without any interruption.

Why it fits Birthday

Birthday belongs here because the room is built for marking occasions. The French fundamentals make a birthday cake course genuinely memorable, the private room upstairs scales for a family dinner, and the staff are warm without being intrusive.