We stumbled upon Kathmandu when we were in Berkeley to see the Bone Room and the East Bay Vivarium. We were looking for a place to eat lunch, looked at a few menus, and decided on Kathmandu. And what a pleasant surprise it was! To describe the deliciousness of their momos (I had the vegetarian ones) would be...impossible. They came with a sauce and we tried them along with the lentil soup and -- holy moly were they good. Next time we're in Berkeley, it's Kathmandu for lunch for momos and lentil soup. Interestingly, when we were there, the same individual seated us, took our orders, cooked and served the food and then bused the tables! read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. The quality of the food and the friendly service make me feel at home. I always start with momos for an appetizer and then order a few dishes to share with my friends. One of their specialties is a dish made with many kinds of pulses. It's like a very complex and flavorful dhal. They sometimes run out of it late in the day. Prices are a bit high, but it is well worth it (especially since they often bring out free side dishes). I always leave feeling satisfied. read more

I've been to Kathmandu a couple times and I really like the place. I still haven't figured out which menu items I like the most, but there's one appetizer that I particularly enjoy; unfortunately, I don't know how to pronounce its name -- actually, i can barely pronounce any of the menu items. Pronunciation aside, most of the food is pretty good. The place is small and cozy and the service quite good. It's one of the gems on Solano that people should check out... especially if you haven't tried nepalese/tibetan food. read more

I have been going to the laundramat next to this place for a couple of years and somehow didn't eat here. I didn't know what I was missing. The food here was great. The vegetarian momos appetizers were so delicious with a nice size portion, enough for two or one greedy monkey (who could be me if tempted). I ate here with my great friend, "Super Vegan" Bontastic M. and it was a quiet night. We got to speak with the owner who was very sweet. The atmosphere was cozy and quaint. I will definately bring friends here. It is just nice to find an ethnic restaurant that just make good simple dishes without going overboard. The foods tempting subtleness will bring you back. read more

This is the best place to enjoy yourself cause you should know i did. Good environment good service good food good people hey what more u need. And yeah the food is absolutely DELICIOUS read more

Its a nice cozy little place but was disappointed with the food. The mo:mo's kima (ground meat) fillings we ate was probably stale. I could taste the sourness in the momo. The Thukpa is supposed to be a noodle soup but this one was a bowl of curry with only a few strands of noodle. I could almost count the strands of noodle it had in it. Didnt have the courage to try any more items on the menu. Disappointed. read more

To start with - I'd suggest calling for take-out. These people are very nice, but they are very, very sloooowwwwwww. Everything is housemade, including the dough for the momo, so the waitstaff will occasionally disappear for long periods of time, to be found working in the kitchen. The lamb momos here are unique. No ground, chopped lamb - these are hand-shredded, juicy pieces of real lamb. The dough is very sturdy and thus very filling. Nine momos will easily feed 3 or 4 people as a substantial appetizer. Skip the 'thukpa' soup, which is uninteresting. The Kukhara Ko Pakheta Poleko is a tiny order of chicken wings - not even the whole wing, just three drummettes - but the spice mixture is amazing and it's grilled to a perfect crispy skin. They should charge more and make it a bigger order, it's one of the finest things on the menu. The Luksha Shamdeh Tibetan-style lamb curry has a tomato-based sauce, very tasty. The Kaju Alu Kwa Ghasha, vegetarian curry, was a dry curry which desperately needed raita, or something similar. The roti are inferior to most Indian restaurants. The brown rice they serve is pearl short-grain, which we prefer. This is a unique restaurant, and deserves your patronage - but we're getting takeout next time, to save us from 2 hrs of sitting on those colorful but incredibly uncomfortable chairs! read more

Very nice atmosphere. Good service. Above average food. I thought it was good and will likely bring friends there, but wasn't blown away by the food. I'll mainly be going back because of the good service, cozy atmosphere and the uniqueness of the restaurant. I found the food a little bland for my taste, and felt the texture of most of my dishes could have been a bit more inspiring. Although I love spicey food and when I asked for it spicey they made it spicey! Portions are generous. read more

For me, the best thing about this eatery is the room itself: a cozy space festooned with Tibetan prayer flags and paintings of Tibetan(?) characters on the walls and ceiling. I love small spaces that have been converted into multi-level establishments. In the back of the room you can step up a couple of stairs into another little dining nook. A friendly hostess with a kind face made us feel at home. I liked the vegetable momos (a soft, chewy dumpling offered in a variety of fillings), and loved the mild green sauce that came with them. Their tangy green yogurt sauce is also a winner. The Tibetan chicken was much too salty for my taste, but the chicken was very tender and the Basmati rice was perfectly cooked. When I return, it will be to sample the strawberry lassi, down another round of momos and savor the peaceful space and the Himalayan vibe. read more

This is how all restaraunts should be. Cozy, cool decorations, delicious food, and a waiter who I could hang out with for hours. Ordered the momos for an appetizer, was just gonna get a half order but decided to get a full one so we could share it. I was thinking a half order would be like 2, and a full maybe 4. The full was like 15 momos! As delicious as it was I managed to not eat it all and fill up before my main course. I had the 19 (or whatever) bean curry, and it was great. I really love beans and the curry didn't drown out their natural flavors; really delicous. Had a banana lassi also which was perfection. I am always scared when I order a lassi that it will be over sweetened, but this one wasn't at all. We also got several freebies from the host/waiter (owner?). Brought us the fermented rice drink and some mustard green salad. The drink was very unique and cool, can't say I've ever tried anything like it before. 2 appetizers and 4 main courses for 4 people and we didn't even come close to finishing, which in my book is a good thing! Oh, and the spicy here is really really spicy, so be warned! Hiiiighly recommend this place. read more

I really wanted to like this place since it is family run but I wasn't too impressed by the service and the food. In essence the food reminded all of us of Indian dishes but with less flavor. Not bad. Not great. Somewhere around 3 stars. The service was friendly but definitely lacked polish. The ambience is definitely intriguing as every square inch is decorated. After looking up at the ceiling in disbelief for the 20th time in 60 seconds I got kicked in the shin. Anyhow, if you're a neat freak or grew up in a palace you may have some issues with visual and physical density of the space. On another note: I can't believe someone gave them 1 star because incorrect delivery information on Yelp. Because of that ridiculousness I'm giving them 4 stars. read more

I really like the food here. Its like walking into someone's house (maybe its the two doors - wooden door and screen door). And, once inside it feels like the person is actually making food from their kitchen. I ordered the Kaju Alu Kwa Gasha and Lhasa Shamed. Both wonderful and full of flavor. It came with a lentil soup (healthy size) which was also tasty. The vegetarian dish had lots of flavors, was caramelized, and wasn't rushed in its cooking. Same with the chicken dish. There was that nice separation of oil that comes from something sitting just a bit so that the flavors can infuse. The service is polite and professional. read more

The waitress here was nice and helpful food was great yumm. nice area to walk around and explore.

Get the Haku Chewela and thank me later!!! My husband and I have found a new go-to spot for us!!! Highly recommended for the fantastic and authentic food (family recipes) and amazing service (all run by the family!). We will be coming back :) read more

The host is so wonderful! In these covid times, we placed a takeout order. The host gave us excellent recommendations and guidance about the spice levels (tip: heed the guidance!). When we opened the food containers we found the presentation to be respectable. The food itself was scrumptious. We ordered the vegetable Momos and the 19 bean Kathmandu specialty. We will definitely be ordering from here a lot more. read more

Mmmm- It was the delicious smell that first attracted us inside the restaurant, even though we were planning on heading out of the area to eat. And sure enough - we weren't disappointed. Met with friendly staff who was very attentive to us, we enjoyed authentic food and sampled dishes I've never had before. I was happy to support this family-owned business, appreciated the kindness of the staff and would come again to try the other delightful tastes of Nepal! read more

This is probably my best dining spot little cozy but all.right I consistently visited here every time I have recieved warm welcome food is amazing Specially Rice beer with Aunthentic Newari dish love it I would reccomend to.everyone who want to enjoy food with Cool environment. read more

The food was excellent with nice size portions. I had Karashi Kadhi Taredo (lamb). It was very good and had the extra spiciness that I asked for. Service was outstanding. I've been to Nepal and India and eaten at almost every Nepalese and Indian restaurant in the Berkeley area. Kathmandu is right at the top of list. read more

Awesome! Food and service excellent. You have to try this place. You won't be disappointed:)

This place motivated me to write my first ever Yelp review.I've been to atleast 10 different Nepalese restaurants in the area, every one serves Indian food as Nepali dish, but this place has got some real authentic Nepalese dishes. This gets well deserves 5 stars. read more

Great customer service. Food is awesome. So far best Nepalese Restaurant. Very authentic taste. Highly recommended. Decoration is very pleasing. You get to learn about different cultures of Nepal. CHEERS!!! read more

This place is HOT. And I'm not just talking about the spice level of the food, but about the temperature inside the place.We sat down as close to the door as we could to try to catch a breeze. While the breeze wasn't forthcoming, a cool and frosty banana lassi did the trick. Other favorite items on the menu were the vegetarian momos--- just the right ratio of dough to filling, and the bharta tarkari- a spicy delicately seasoned eggplant dish. I wasn't so happy with the roti- I found it a bit too dry, so we asked for some dahi and acchar (pickle), which did the trick nicely. read more

I can't rate less than 5 starts..food..decorations.. Waiters... Everything is perfect... Everything is handmade.. Excellent service

Thanks for the Yelp's reviews. We ordered bean curry dish that people recommended and it was so good. Between 2 women, we ordered pancake dish and a half order of momo in addition to the bean dish and had a plenty of left over. Surprisingly, on Friday night around 7, there were nobody there for the entire time!! read more

Walked by with my Bae and immediately was drawn to this empty restaurant smelling so lovely. Wondering how such an adorable establishment could only have one person eating. WE TOOKA CHANCE. Didn't even use Yelp. I wanted to give this place business. Food was great, service awesome, and we felt like we were back in a foreign kitchen again. Legit authenticity. Why for get the crowds, eat here :) read more

As an Albany local I'm always looking to find new spots and I recently stumbled upon Kathmandu. You can't tell from the outside but the interior is very inviting and vibrant I loved it! The staff was friendly and very helpful when I asked for suggestions, I ordered the "lamb chwella" it was full of flavor and did not disappoint. If your in Albany and want to try some authentic Nepali cuisine i would definitely suggest stopping by. read more

While waiting at the bus stop my girlfriend and I decided we were hungry so we popped into Kathmandu. I haven't had momos this good since I was in the Himalayas! Small family run restaurant and homey vibe. Love it. read more

Delicious food and friendly service. Warm and colorful atmosphere. Would definitely eat here again.

I've recently eaten @ Kathmandu again after many years absence -- (live 30 mils away.) Wow -- those little kids who did their homework at side tables while their parents ran the restaurant are grown up and running the show -- and with so much gracious warmth and attention. The food is as delicious as ever, truly prepared with love, and very reasonably priced. Everything is cooked from scratch -- so it takes time -- so if you're in a hurry -- save this for another slower evening -- don't try to run in before the movie. It's a lovely environment to relax and chat with friends -- have some appetizers and enjoy a leisurely meal and evening. read more

Great services me and my gf came here twice already and was able to meet both brothers who does excellent customer services... Food was outstanding, flavors were great, I took my gf for the first time last week cause we wanted to try a new and different Nepali Restaurant other than mt.everest where we always go. The momo were the best here and if you love spicy they can make it as to your taste... 5 star for great service, great food, and also great cultural environment. Looking forward to come here again read more

Great little restaurant with tasty dishes! It was my first time trying this type of cuisine and I'm now a fan! We started with the soup that had veggies, garlic and ginger and it was delicious. We ordered chicken and lamb dishes and both were very flavorful and the portions were very good, as well. If you like spicy food this place doesn't disappoint, but I'm sure not all of their dishes are spicy so there really is something for everyone. It's a small little restaurant so it's good for smaller groups or for dates and the menu prices were very reasonable. We will be back again! read more

So I don't usually like weird food, but this place was awesome! We started with the Chatamari (the best food of the evening) and then eached ordered a shamdeh (I ordered chicken, he ordered lamb). I also indulged with the banana lassi (the other best item of the night!). I can't take spicey food well, but the hot sauce adds tons of flavor and the yogurt side cooled it off well. We left the seasoned pickle to the side. The service was super fast and curteous. The waiter even offered to bring a new beer when the one he brought very slightly bubbled over. Not necessary, but it was still nice to offer. The place is quiet and cozy - we'll be going back soon! read more

How some folks can give this place two or three stars is beyond me. I have been there a dozen times, and have never been disappointed. Even beans, which I normally find to be boring, really come to life in the nineteen bean soup. Yes, nineteen *different* kinds of beans! Some of the dishes come with an orange hot sauce that I swear could cure any medicinal ill. Okay, maybe it is not for everybody; if you want fast, go to McDonalds, if you want seating for twenty, go to Chuck E. Cheese, but if you want a culinary delight in a relaxed, cozy atmosphere with wonderful staff, check out the Kathmandu Restaurant. read more

Food was was great. Try the momos to start. Service and recommendations will bring me back, soon! Worth a trip to Solano Ave.

OMFG eating food from this restaurant was better than sex! I ordered the momo, aka steamed dumplings that were filled with delicious chicken for an appetizer and also the chai iced tea which was rated best in the bay according to the SF Chronicle, and it lived up its billing. Then, for my main course, i ordered the chicken #6 and the Kathmandu Specialty which has 19 wonderful types of beans. I was in heaven for the hour i spend there and plan on going back soon. I would recommend everyone to go try it. Also, a nice surprise was the fact that it was a family owned business with a very nice and funny waiter, who i think was named Daryn. Very good service i gave him a very large tip although i really wanted "something else" from him. The food was without a doubt 5 stars and the best authentic food in the bay and perhaps all of California. read more

Went here on Valentine's Day with my husband. The service and atmosphere were great. He got a banana lassi and it was delicious. But we got the veggie momos and they were a bit gritty, as if not all the dirt had been washed off the vegetables. For my main dish I got the veggie dal baat. The rice was fine and the lentil soup was super yummy (I love lentils!) but the veggie curry was too salty (and I generally like things pretty salty!). My roti was burned to a crisp. And the mustard greens were just ridiculous. They were so salty they were completely inedible. I seriously almost spit them out. As soon as I put them in my mouth I was reminded of swimming in the ocean and swallowing the ocean water. Yuck! We got some rice pudding to go. It was good except there were some chopped cloves or cardomom or something in it that should have been filtered out but were not. It's pretty easy to pick out a whole clove, but when they're chopped into the size of pinheads, the task becomes nearly impossible. Then you end up eating it, biting down on it, and it ruins the whole bite. : ( read more

I'm puzzled at the rave reviews and popularity of this place on Yelp. We went for the the first time, for dinner yesterday, and it was incredibly disappointing. We've had Nepalese food, elsewhere in the past and it was amazing. However we arrived just after they opened for dinner, and we were the only customers in the place the entire time. The service was good (friendly, attentive), but the food was such a let down. We ordered a soup, and two lamb dishes. Everything was bland, bordering on tasteless. We didn't ask for mild food. We didn't ask for "not spicy". We didn't ask for anything special. Just ordered directly off the menu, and everything was just flavorless. Did we go on an off night? Are some items just not that good on their menu? I'm not sure, but I don't think I want to chance this place again when there are other options. read more

That place is really quite and cozy. Above all, server is very nice and kind. I visited there twice. Every time he explained menus kindly. Especially, I like momo(it's dumpling, appetizer) read more

Kathmandu has CINNAMON LASSI. Forget mango--too sweet and done to death--cinammon is the way to go. Cooling, only slightly sweet, it's an excellent compliment to the food. It is, in fact, my most favorite thing on the menu. read more

What a cute nice family place. As many have said, the momos are super-tasty and they also have excellent lamb dishes. This is a great place for a tasty meal that is a little bit out of the ordinary. read more