A laid-back spot for a cocktail or a post-trek beer, with good bar food, international tunes on the sound system and a calm courtyard location. You can sit indoors or out in the patio, surrounded by twinkling lights.

This is a favourite with the locals and the relaxed atmosphere is a great place to meet new people. With a great range of alcohol at reasonable prices, rustic furniture and smiling staff, you'll feel right at home here. Drawing on the wall is encouraged at this bar, so you can leave your mark after a fun evening with friends. 

A backpacker favourite – small, cosy, noisy and a perfect place to sink a cold Everest beer after weeks trekking in the mountains. There are pool tables, and a dance floor that gets going when big trekking groups are in town and feel like celebrating.

Those in the know gather at this old-school beer house and music venue on Friday and Wednesday evenings for decent rock, reggae and R’n’B. Most of the music is targeted at a Nepali audience, which makes a nice change from the stuck-in-a-time-warp covers bands playing elsewhere in Thamel.

By far the most sophisticated night out in Thamel, Tamas Spa Lounge offers Buddha Bar ambiance, ground-breaking cocktails and deeply cool sounds, from live music to DJ sets. Candles, flowing drapes, divans and Buddha statues create the perfect chill-out space.

A Kathmandu institution, the courtyard at New Orleans is decked out with large pub tables and bands play well-above-average blues and rock covers most evenings. The food is well-above-average too, but arrive early to nab a table.

The stylish bar at the Hyatt Regency often hosts live jazz, appealing to the tastes of well-heeled international drinkers, diplomats and aid organisation heads who all seem to congregate here.

The only serious jazz venue in Kathmandu, this cosy bar hosts the best musicians in the valley on Wednesday and Saturday. It’s a welcome change from the noisy covers bands shaking the rafters in Thamel.