Pentoc Tibetan Restaurant

Delightful homely place with lovely authentic food

Food

Service

Atmosphere

To enter this tucked-away restaurant you have to go through what, at first glance, could easily be someone’s living room. Locals sit around sipping butter tea and chatting casually in a place where smiles seem to be the order of the day.  You are led up the stairs to the quiet and cosy dining area, with windows overlooking the alleyway below and a bookshelf full of interesting books and maps. 

The food is not only authentic and cheap but tastes fantastic. On our first visit I had a wonderful traditional Vegetable Thukpa (Tibetan noodle soup) while my partner loved his Yak and Vegetable noodle stir-fry. He loved it so much in fact that he had the same dish again on our next visit. That time I chose one of my favourite dishes, Vegetable Momos (dumplings), and they didn’t disappoint. On ordering my meal I was surprised and very grateful when the chef/waitress/owner (all three I think!) told me that the Momos came with soup but it was made from animals and she didn’t think that I would want that. It was very perceptive of her and I found it quite touching. Vegetarianism isn’t commonplace in Tibet but she clearly understood and respected it, which was lovely.

The Pentoc is a great place to go for an inexpensive and tasty meal with an authentic Tibetan feel. The homely atmosphere and warm service made this one of my favourite places to eat during my stay in Lhasa.