For a long time, Busy Bee has held the crown for being the ‘hippest’ joint in Pokhara’s lakeside. From European backpackers to Indian honeymooners, the place sees itself packed to capacity, most nights of the week. An evening of drunken reveling here will explain why the café cum bar cum lounge continues to reign over host of other establishments that line the Lakeside’s dining district.
The two-storey café is spread across a wide area, and offers both indoor and outdoor seating. The ambience which is definitely the bar’s USP gets a facelift after sun-down when live music fills the air. A blazing hearth in the centre, and colourful paper lanterns strewn all along the rafters add to the laid back feel of Busy Bee that has made it such a hotspot.
PICS: HARIZ BAHARUDIN
As the in-house band belts out one old-school hits after another, and young travelers begin to trickle in after 9, it is easy to forget you are in Nepal. While Busy Bee’s live music experience is unbeatable, its menu however drew mixed reactions at the table.
The only ‘special’ thing about our first main Busy Bee Special Chicken (Rs 495) was the creamy sauce it was drizzled in. After the initial let-down, our order of grilled fish (Rs 535) brought our appetites back. Grilled to a mouth-watering hue of red, the fillet was cooked tenderly, and the fish crumbled perfectly in my mouth. The smoky flavour from the grill cut down the sweetness perfectly. Furthermore, the meat tasted fresh and being the optimist that I am, I would like to believe that the fish was caught that very day from the lake.
Ordering steaks has been a risky venture in the capital so while a bit nervous, I decided to sample the Busy Bee Special Steak (Rs 530) which turned out to be surprisingly good. Moist and soft, and filled with flavours, it was a joy just watching my knife cut into the steak so smoothly. The piping hot cheese laden on top of the thin crust and oregano garnish makes the cheese tomato pizza (Rs 300) at Busy Bee’s one of the better pizzas I have tried.
The portions served at Busy Bee are larger than most other restaurants so do go in with an empty tummy and a large appetite. Even though, the place as usual was packed to the brim, our server was quick and attentive and that’s one reason I will be paying another visit soon.
While Busy Bee fails to nail all its food orders with equal consistency and finesse, it is easy to see why the place is so popular. The place has this palpable buzz which is further accented by some of Pokhara’s best live bands that plays here.
So, if you are in town, why not head over for live rock and pop performances in English, Nepali and Hindi.
How to get there: Busy Bee is located next to Bollywood dance bar and base camp trekking shop in Lakeside.