A new establishment in Baneshwor shows that the finer things in life aren’t always boring.
Nir Bahadur Tamang
Continental Chef
The Baneshwor area has a bit of a fine dining dilemma. The spirit of the neighbourhood is too hip to be formal and too alternative to appreciate anything traditional. You’ll find plenty of places with amazing food and fine dining, but they’ll inevitably try and find some way to distance themselves from the stuffiness and pretensions associated with say, a Durbarmarg hotspot. And with this in mind, the newly opened Dining Park has managed to carve out a niche, a true formal, fine dining experience in the heart of Old Baneshwor.
Opened only five months ago, this eatery is getting pretty good business. At one go 158 people can dine here, this restaurant also has a separate banquet hall that can host up to 100 people. Dining Park is spread over an area of 2.5 ropanis and the parking space itself is large,enough for 40 cars. The restaurant staffs 65 people and also offers a valet service to their guests.
Order whatever sounds good, because everything is- there’s simply no wrong way to approach this menu. Portions are big, prices are reasonable, and the flavours pack a punch from start to finish. For starters, the salad and soup served here is delightful and light. La plate de Chef’s, which means Chefs salad (prepared with shredded chicken, ham, bacon, boiled egg, mixed lettuce and green olives) and Hawaiian Chicken Salad (prepared with sliced chicken breast mixed with sliced apple and marinated with mayonnaise sauce) is a must try over here.
The non-vegetarian snacks like Crispy Chicken and Hoi-Sin chicken served here are very delicious. On the vegetarian side, snacks like Crispy Corn and Black mushroom with coriander is an absolute delight to your palate. You cannot afford to miss the Chicken and Fish sizzlers served here. The Chef’s magic with the food doesn’t just stop with the continental menu. The Italian dishes they serve up are also flavoursome. Farfel with Carbonara sauce (butterfly pasta tossed with carbonara sauce) is a must try here. “I have been cooking for ten years and I have always been praised for the continental and Italian food that I cook,” rightly boasts Nir Bahadur Tamang, Continental Chef of the restaurant.
Simple dishes like momo and noodles are equally palatable. The menu is concise but practical with a few appetizers, a couple of salads and sandwiches, and some snacks for good measure. The ambience feels relaxed where you can choose between sitting in a Fine Dine area with an “exclusive” menu or just lie back in the terrace or the garden area. You can even choose to have a regular cup of coffee in the separate area where they serve only coffee and bakeries.
Unlike other restaurants where the crowd is mostly seen on weekends, this restaurant is busy throughout the week. And adding to all this delight, Dining Park has live music with a barbeque every Friday.
Between the atmosphere, plating, and Oh God! That cocktail menu! Dining Park hits all cylinders when it comes to making your night feel like THE NIGHT. The Blue lagoon is the type of cocktail you will immediately head home to try and replicate. Partly in admiration and partly in frustration as it is amazing! And to add an element that will make any meal feel like an event. The food itself ranges from solid to delicious, but it’s the accoutrements that truly elevate the experience. The finer things in life aren’t always boring.
