ALL PICS: KIRAN PANDAY

The humble pizza may have started life in Napoli but it has ended up in Nepal. The pizzerias of Kathmandu have heated up their ovens and we're giving you a sneak peek at the amazing toppings coming out of ovens all over town.

Hyatt Regency, Boudha

Mondays and Tuesdays are pizza and pasta days at the Hyatt. Covered with organic herbs and vegetables straight from the hotel's garden, each slice is loaded with flavour. For those who didn't know that a pizza could be folded up like a pie, the calzone is a unique experience. The smoked chicken pizza is also a speciality.
Price range: Rs 600-800

Roadhouse Caf?, Thamel,
Pulchok and Bhatbhateni

One of the first places to offer pizzas baked in wood-fired ovens, Roadhouse Caf? has traditional ovens that add a rich, smoky taste to the pizza. The quiet and quaint Nepaliness of the restaurants make them popular with both Nepali families and tourists. A major selling point is the speed with which the pizza arrives at your table. Try the grilled vegetable pizza or the four cheese version.
Price range: Rs 250-415

Ciao Ciao, Thamel

Previously known as Marco Polo restaurant, this place is a bit of Italy in Kathmandu. The crispy, thin-crusted pizza, straight out of a wood-fired oven, is simply delicious. Ciao Ciao's 13 varieties of pizza include not just the regulars, but a few less common varieties like the pizza capricciosa, an eccentric mix of mozzarella cheese, eggs, ham, olives and artichokes.
Price range: Rs 120-295

Fire and Ice, Thamel

Fire and Ice offers genuine Napolitana pizza. Established in 1995, this was one of the first pizzerias in Kathmandu. So good is its reputation that the name is now synonymous with pizza, and the tables are usually packed. There are dozens of pizzas to choose from, but we recommend the paesane?a combination of mozzarella, spinach, courgette and bacon.
Price range: Rs 260-370

Himalayan Java, Thamel

While it may be better known as Kathmandu's most happening coffee place, Java's 12-inch Italian-style thin-crust pizzas are quite something too. Among the varieties on offer is the local topping of chicken sadheko pizza.
Price range: Rs 225-455

Alfresco, Soaltee Crowne Plaza

One of Kathmandu's most famous Italian restaurants, Alfresco wouldn't be complete without its rich pizzas. With more than 20 years in the business, Alfresco long ago mastered the art. You don't need to stick to the menu: customers can choose their own toppings and watch the pizza being made in front of them. The chicken tikka topping has a real kick.
Price: Rs 395

New York Pizza, Kupondole

One of the few to offer a home delivery service, New York Pizza specialises in huge thick crust American pizzas which would appeal to those with hearty appetites. There's even a monster 22-inch version. Customers can choose from a variety of 12 toppings and the bronzed and bubbling results show up in traditional nanglos.
Price range: Rs 180-1,500. Home delivery: Rs 50 extra.

Moksh, Pulchok

The music never stops at Moksh and the fire in the pizza oven rarely goes out either. The Italian-style pizzas are the favoured item on the menu, and Moksh regulars rate the salami pizza best of all. If you're too lazy to go to them, they will come to you?for a charge.
Price range: Rs 110-450 plus delivery charge.