Kava provides an exceedingly enjoyable fine dining experience at reasonably affordable rates.

You know that feeling you get in great restaurants when you know instinctively that you are in capable hands? That’s what Kava Grill and Lounge feels like. Fairfield by Marriott Kathmandu’s in-house restaurant serves you from breakfast to dinner. The food is as creative as it is tasty, so much so that we were legitimately sad to get to the end of one plate, only to get just as excited about what would show up on our table next. 

Traditional international restaurants are, at their core, similar. Most of them have menus where every dish is sourced from a different time zone. In general, white tablecloths, exorbitant prices and clientele in blazers sipping premium wines mark this category. However, Kava is an exception. This restaurant in Thamel both looks better and costs less than the vast majority of Kathmandu’s fine dining options.

Opened in 2017, the restaurant welcomes both hotel and walk-in guests. Indoor and outdoor seating combined, Kava has seating arrangements for 120 people. Our meal at Kava was absolutely incredible. It lived up to all expectations and even exceeded some. To start, the service was perfect, friendly and attentive stewardship from people who know what you want better than you do goes a long way towards enhancing the dining experience.

The food is classic, but it is also inventive and insanely satisfying. We sampled a range of dishes, and not one thing let us down. The menu is long with varieties from Indian, Continental, Chinese and Nepali cuisines and not a single dish will disappoint you. For starters, vegetarian dishes like Chonking Mushroom (Crisp spicy shiitake mushrooms deep fried and tossed in Chinese BBQ sauce) and Crispy Honey Chili Potato (Deep fried potato coated with honey and chili) is a must try. Non-vegetarian appetisers like Chicken Satay (Grilled chicken skewers served with peanut sauce), Gosht ki Seekh (Grilled skewers of lamb mince marinated with mace and green cardamom) and Malai Murgh ki Boti (Boneless pieces of Chicken marinated with cheese and Indian spices cooked in tandoor) should not be missed.

Asian staples like Thai Green Curry and Red Curry (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) are an absolute delight. Along with that, Indian main course dishes like Murgh Makhani (Tandoori chicken cooked in rich velvety-spiced tomato gravy and finished with butter) will leave you asking for more. Continental main course dishes like Grilled Lamb Chops (Served with red wine and mashed potato) are very palatable. Courtesy of the long bar menu, one can indulge for quite a while in the premium alcohol selection in the bar area of the restaurant.

This restaurant has gained popularity among the local walk-in guests for its amazing breakfast buffet served from 6 AM to 10 AM. Chef Pranjal Gogoi, who is from Assam, India has years of experience in this field and is best known for his Indian and continental cooking style. 

Kava hosts four yearly large-scale food events where locals, expats and walk-in guests are welcome. Along with this, the restaurant can also hold small events like birthday parties, engagements and corporate functions.