Nepali food is warm, filling and full of flavour, from a steaming plate of dal bhat to a basket of momo. Here is what to try, where to eat, and how to keep your stomach happy.
The essentials
Dal bhat (rice, lentil soup and vegetable curry) is the everyday meal, and it is often vegetarian.
Please don't drink tap water; freshly boiled tea, treated water or sealed bottles are better choices.
On teahouse treks you are expected to eat where you sleep, and meals cost more the higher you go.
Eat, pass food and give things with your right hand.
Drug laws are strict: even a little cannabis can mean years in prison.
What people eat
Dal bhat tarkari is lentil soup with rice, vegetable curry and pickle (achar), eaten twice a day in many homes and teahouses.
Many places top up your rice and dal, but not all do, so it's fine to ask.
Momo (dumplings with meat or vegetables) are everywhere, and thukpa, a Tibetan-style noodle soup, warms up the mountains.
Thakali food, from old trade-route inns, is a hearty dal bhat platter with several curries.
In the Kathmandu Valley, try Newari food: bara (fried lentil cake), chatamari (rice-flour crepe) and juju dhau, Bhaktapur's yoghurt.
Festivals mean feasting: at Dashain, meat from animal offerings is cooked at home as prasad, and at Tihar families fry sel roti, a sweet ring-shaped rice bread.
Vegetarian, vegan and Indian food
Vegetarians eat well: dal bhat is often meat-free and momo come in vegetable versions. Beef isn't traditional, as many Hindus revere cows.
Vegans may like to ask about ghee (clarified butter), curd and milk in tea.
Indian visitors will find familiar food: Terai cooking is much like that of neighbouring India, and Indian dishes are easy to find in Thamel.
Where to eat
Small local eateries (bhojanalaya, or bhatti for Newari food) cost much less than tourist restaurants.
Thamel in Kathmandu and Lakeside in Pokhara have dozens of restaurants with food from around the world.
For street snacks like samosa and pakora, choose food that is freshly cooked and kept away from flies.
On teahouse treks, rooms are cheap because lodges earn their living from meals, so you are expected to eat where you sleep. Prices are set by altitude, so please don't bargain.
Wikivoyage gives about NPR 150–250 for a dozen momo in Kathmandu, but we couldn't confirm this is current.
Since January 2023, bills shouldn't carry a service charge; see our money guide.
Water and a happy stomach
Tap water isn't safe to drink. Wikivoyage advises against ice and salads unless made with boiled, filtered water.
The US CDC says food cooked and served hot is safest, along with fruit you peel yourself and freshly boiled tea.
Check that bottled water has an unbroken seal; big water jugs in local restaurants may have been refilled.
On treks, please bring a reusable bottle and purification tablets or a filter instead of buying plastic bottles. Some routes have safe drinking water stations for a small fee.
Wash your hands before eating, or use a sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol.
Eating customs
Please use your right hand to eat, pass food and give or receive things; the left can steady a plate.
Food or drink touched by someone's lips is jutho (impure) for others, so please don't offer a bitten snack or share a bottle.
Invited into a home? Take off your shoes if others have, wait to be asked into the kitchen, and take a little less at first so you can accept a second helping.
Beer, local drinks and the law
Everest and Gorkha are the main local beers. Raksi is a clear spirit of about 45% alcohol, chhyang a cloudy rice or millet beer, and tongba fermented millet sipped through a bamboo straw.
The UK Foreign Office warns that methanol in drinks can't be tasted or smelt, and advises not leaving drinks unattended.
Sources disagree on the legal age: a 2017 national alcohol policy says under-21s may not buy alcohol, while a 2019 health survey summary gives 18.
On treks, the CDC suggests avoiding alcohol for your first 48 hours at high altitude.
Alcohol can be banned around elections, as it was nationwide for about a week before the 5 March 2026 vote.
The UK Foreign Office says even a small amount of cannabis can mean over five years in prison, and CBD products, including some skincare, are illegal.
General guidance from the sources listed, not a guarantee. Rules, fees and trail conditions change; confirm with the official source or a registered trekking agency before you go.