If you are looking for a place to relax and enjoy a lazy meal, the busy streets of Pulchowk may not be the first place that comes to mind. Unlike the restaurants at nearby Jhamsikhel, which has developed quite the reputation for satisfying the cravings of even the biggest foodies, Pulchowk’s list of eateries is still fairly limited to the everyday restaurants that serve quick meals to office-goers nearby.
So when we headed to BAC Art Café, tucked neatly at the end of a short alleyway beside Hotel Meconopsis, we were pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a lush garden and comfortable open space. The café, although easily accessible from the main road, felt miles away from the noise and dust outside.
The restaurant is situated on the premises of Bikalpa Art Center and, as such, you can choose between sitting outside under the trees or cozying up indoors with the art collection, which features work from in-house artists when it is not hosting other exhibitions. For those who prefer to spend time between pages, the café offers a selected number of titles and for the facebookers and twitteratis there is always free wi-fi.
We chose to sit outside and enjoy the cool Dasain breeze and balmy afternoon. Having heard regulars rave about the trout and crispy-spicy BAC fried chicken we were disappointed when the café staff apologetically informed us that only limited dishes were available due to the fuel crisis.
Not letting the limited menu dampen our spirits, we ordered a Caesar salad (Rs 350) and a Greek salad (Rs 280) for starters. Although the salads’ lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers were fresh, the Greek salad did not strike us as anything special. The Caesar salad came with a generous helping of cheese and the crunchiness of the lettuce mixed with the bacon’s saltiness made every mouthful a treat.
Next, we ordered a margherita pizza (Rs 380) along with a pepperoni pizza (Rs 420). While both pizzas came with generous toppings of cheese, the pepperoni pizza was easily the star of the meal. The smell wafting through the air when the waiter brought it to our table was enough to make us jump at it as soon as it was placed on the table. Its crispy thin crust, flavourful oregano-infused tomato sauce and spicy bits of pepperoni made us wish we had ordered a second one. We probably should have ordered two because, to be honest, we could have done without the margherita pizza. To borrow words from a friend, “whatever was underneath the cheese was really bad”.
Upon the recommendation from the café’s staff, we ordered chicken momos (Rs 240). The leaf shaped dumplings were light but nothing out of the ordinary. We would have liked to sample one of their three desserts -chocolate mousse, carrot cake and apple cake - but like most things on the menu, these were unavailable. Thank you, fuel crisis.
The restaurant’s menu looks promising and caters to a wide clientele as it offers a mixture of Nepali, Continental and Italian dishes, which judging by the recommendations online does not disappoint in taste. To enjoy what the restaurant has to offer to the fullest, we recommend waiting till the current situation gets better. But for those of you who don’t mind the usual fare of momos, sandwiches and pizzas for now and just want to relax with a glass of wine, coffee or cocktail in a creative environment away from the shortages in real life, pop into BAC Art Café.
Even without its full menu, BAC Art Café is the perfect place to unwind and relax with your friends and family while enjoying good food and a cool ambience.
How to get there: BAC Art Café is located at the end of the alley beside Godrej showroom, opposite to Sajha petrol pump.