Located on the top floor of the X building in Pulchowk, The Village Café immediately dazzles its patrons with picturesque views of the valley. If one chooses to dine in the outdoor area, the ambience would be quite remarkable dining underneath the warm glow of the sun, with visible mountain ranges on either side. 

That being said, The Village Café is a lot more than a mere sightseeing spot. One of the things that set the restaurant apart is that it is operated by SABAH (SAARC Business Association of Home-Based Workers), a social business organisation that dedicated to strengthening the livelihoods of financially deprived and marginalized women home-based workers in Nepal. As such, all of the staff at the restaurant are women. It’s a great initiative. 

The atmosphere at The Village Café is distinctly rustic. The colours are bathed in a shade of beige – warm and inviting. The décor echoes Nepali tradition – everything from the seating arrangements to the curtain drapes has been carefully curated to evoke a sense of homely and unsophisticated familiarity. 

After taking in the ambience and enjoying a warm cup of coffee, our team was ready to begin our culinary journey at The Village Café. As a starter, we were served Buff Haako Choila and Chicken Choila. Both the dishes emanated the distinct aroma that comes from mustard oil; it provided an added bit of flavour to the dishes. 

The Chicken Choila was perfectly seasoned; just the right amount of that tangy sensation that is associated with the dish. The Buff Haako Choila was similarly delicious. Our team chomped both the dishes down in a manner of minutes. With our appetites whetted, we were prepared to take on a slightly larger culinary endeavour. 

And that endeavour arrived on our table in the form of the Veg Platter Kaula Set. Firstly, from a purely visual standpoint, the dish looked resplendent – it was an inviting mixture of vibrant colours and textures. 

It was a sizeable dish, comprising of beaten rice, spinach, potato and bamboo shoot curry, kidney beans, gundruk (fermented leafy greens), soybeans, hog plum pickle and an assortment of authentic Newari items such as Bara, Chatamari and Yomari. 

A sizeable dish, indeed. Every single item listed above brought something unique to the dish – the various flavours and textures worked seamlessly with each other to create an all-around excellent dish. The Yomari, which is a Newari dessert, was the perfect way to cap off the meal. It was utterly delicious. 

However, we were not done yet. Up next, we were served a diverse meat platter that included everything from fried chicken gizzards to fried mutton lungs. It was a unique delicacy that we greatly enjoyed.  

Suffice to say then, that our culinary journey at The Village Café was a greatly enjoyable one.

There is a palpable sense of warmth at The Village Café, which includes the gracious service and the comforting decor; it’s almost a homely feeling. It’s a wonderful place to have a meal, and given our experience at the restaurant, that meal itself is bound to be a delight for your taste buds.