Entertainment in Nepal
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A
Full Moon
Full Moon is a tiny chill-out bar and den of iniquity that draws a mixed Nepali-foreign clientele.
reviewed
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Sam’s Bar
Sam’s Bar is a long-timer and a cosy place with reggae every Saturday.
reviewed
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C
Kalpana Cinema Hall
The Kalpana Cinema Hall screens Nepali films and Bollywood imports, plus the occasional Western blockbuster.
reviewed
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D
Casino Royale
Kathmandu’s casinos are all attached to upmarket hotels and open 24 hours. Pull your tuxedo out of your backpack, polish up your best Sean Connery impersonation (‘ Aaah, Mish Moneypenny …’) and make a beeline for the Casino Royale, set in a former Rana palace at the Yak & Yeti Hotel. Hang around the tables (not the slots) long enough and staff will ply you with free drinks and a dinner buffet, though sadly the Russian dancing girls have gone back to Moscow.
reviewed
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E
Tamas Lounge
Sex and the City fans will enjoy this glam lounge bar, decked out with plush, velvety sofas and a lush palette of cool creams. Take a seat in the courtyard or the old Rana house and indulge your inner princess with a sparkling Bellini or espresso martini. Live music livens things up on Saturday and Wednesday and a basement spa is on the way. The entrance is suitably low-key, hidden down an alleyway just south of Yin Yang Restaurant.
reviewed
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F
Gandharba Culture and Art Organisation
This is an organisation for the city's musician caste. There are informal music jams between 17:00 and 19:00 at their offices on the 3rd floor above Equator Expeditions (tourists are welcome), but they also play in local restaurants such as the Northfield Cafe. Individual musicians offer music lessons for around Rs 200 per hour and they also sell their own CDs.
reviewed
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G
New Himalchuli Cultural Group
The New Himalchuli Cultural Group is a dance troupe that performs nightly at a crummy restaurant in Lazimpat. The hour-long show costs Rs 350 and starts at 19:00 in summer (October to April) and 18:30 in winter (May to September). Ring in advance to check that a performance is planned.
reviewed
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H
J-Bar
At the back of Himalayan Java, the J-Bar is more like a New York club than a Nepal bar, with cream leather interiors and pricey drinks; it’s a place to rub shoulders with Nepal’s beautiful set. Expect a cover charge on Fridays. After 10pm access is via the side alley.
reviewed
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I
Kalamandapa Institute of Classical Nepalese Performing Arts
Nepali dances (and occasional theatre) are performed here at the Hotel Vajra most Tuesdays at 19:00. Phone ahead to check schedules. There are authentic Newari music concerts on Sunday, and sometimes Friday evenings.
reviewed
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J
Latin Quarter
This place has hot and sweaty salsa dance nights on Friday and Wednesday and you can even arrange salsa dance tuition here. It's owned by a famous Nepali singer/actor and is in the Babar Mahal Revisited complex.
reviewed
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K
Busy Bee Café
Down an alley opposite the Maya Restaurant, Busy Bee is a relatively new arrival on the Pokhara scene. Live bands play on a cramped stage inside, but most drinkers hang out by the fire in the cosy courtyard.
reviewed
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L
Just Juice 'n' Shakes
Little more than a hole in the wall, hidden down a side alley, with just four cramped seats, but the juices, espresso and fruit/yogurt smoothies are just great. Try a carrot juice with lemon and ginger.
reviewed
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M
All That Jazz
Dark, smoky and intimate, it’s everything a jazz bar should be. Live jazz musicians swing to an appreciative audience who sit at small tables below the stage. It’s located above Punjabi Restaurant.
reviewed
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N
Moksh Bar
Across from La Soon, Moksh has some of the best live rock, funk and folk music in town (not just the standard cover bands) on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Other nights, it can be pretty quiet.
reviewed
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O
Upstairs Jazz Bar
It’s worth schlepping out to Lazimpat on a Wednesday and Saturday night (from 8pm) to catch the live jazz in this tiny upstairs bar. The clientele is an interesting mix of locals and expats.
reviewed
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P
Kumari Cinema
This cinema has the same owners and prices as the Jai Nepal and shows more foreign films in English, while elsewhere Bollywood-style Hindi an Nepali films are the usual cinematic fare.
reviewed
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Q
Maya Cocktail Bar
A long-running favourite; the two-for-one cocktails between 4pm and 7pm are a guaranteed jump-start to a good evening. The associated and nearby Pub Maya is somewhat more boisterous.
reviewed
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R
Club Paradiso
Loud and brash may be just what you are looking for after weeks in the hills. Club Paradiso has a pool table and deafening pop and it pulls in as many local teenagers as foreigners.
reviewed
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S
Jai Nepal Cinema
Jai Nepal Cinema, on the south side of the New Royal Palace, and its branch the Kumari Cinema show some foreign films in English and are the best in town.
reviewed
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Didi’s Tibetan Tea Shop
If you need a break, you can grab a reviving cup of chiya (milk tea) at the hole-in-the-wall Didi’s Tibetan Tea Shop
reviewed
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Black Cup
Staffed by enthusiastic local students, this small coffeehouse serves decent espressos, lattes etc. It’s a handy retreat from Tachupal Tole.
reviewed
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T
Club Amsterdam
An old favourite on the strip, Club Amsterdam is lively and loud. Head out to the firepit in the garden if you want a quiet conversation.
reviewed
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Old Blues Bar
A relaxed option, the Blues Bar is popular with stoners, and large banners of Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon add to its appeal.
reviewed
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U
7-Eleven Bar
This is a dark bar with loud Hindi pop. It's popular with Indian visitors, less so with Westerners.
reviewed
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V
Casino Anna
Casino Anna at the Hotel de l’Annapurna, attracts a mainly Indian crowd.
reviewed