A place to idly sip on a good cup of coffee while looking at the Narayanhiti museum
Coffee Pasal certainly lives up to its name of serving the best coffee in Nepal with strong, aromatic brews made from locally sourced beans.
Though the coffee menu boasts of strong cuppas like a ristretto (Rs 85) and piccolo latte (Rs 115), my dining partner and I chose to go with milder options such as cafe latte (Rs 210) and flat white (Rs 210) instead. The latte had a slight hint of sweetness which I personally liked, while the flat white was robust and retained an impressive finish.
Equally impressive was Coffee Pasal’s all-day breakfast menu which included classic English breakfast dishes like Eggs Benedict (Rs 395) and French Toast (Rs 375). Because we wanted to try something commonly not found in cafes here we opted for the Eggs Benedict and Narayanhiti breakfast (Rs 525).
The Narayanhiti breakfast — named after the Narayanhiti palace just a stone’s throw away from the café — was a breakfast fit for a king. Akin to a Nepali-Mediterranean style big breakfast, it had halloumi (a type of cheese) on rosti, black eyed beans, chicken sausage and two eggs cooked according to preference with the usual sides of grilled tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, spinach and buttery toast. Everything on the plate tasted absolutely divine and ticked all boxes for the perfect savoury first meal.
I wasn’t sure about the Eggs Benedict when it first arrived on the table. The hollandaise sauce looked a little too thick but it was surprisingly decadent. A good hollandaise should not be oily nor should it taste like an “almost-there” mayonnaise.
And, Coffee Pasal’s hollandaise nailed the balance. Neither greasy nor overly creamy and perfectly seasoned, it was an ideal companion to the crunchy toasted English muffin and mouthwatering bacon and elevated the dish beautifully. I specially loved the unusual addition of diced tomatoes to the rich dish which brought a hint of freshness to the dish. The eggs were also perfectly poached.
Adding to the whole dining experience is the warm wooden décor. The cafe is surrounded by vintage wooden shelves filled with books, magazines and specialty ingredients like red wine vinaigrette and organic pasta transforming the humble café into a bookstore, grocer and a coffee house, all in one place.
In addition, the free wifi at Coffee Pasal also makes it an ultimate place for an afternoon to work, study or just idly sip on a good cup of coffee while looking at the Narayanhiti museum.
How to get there: Coffee Pasal is located in Darbar Marg, above Arrow store.