The Chimney

The Chimney is one of the oldest fine-dining restaurants in Nepal and carries the story of the man often credited with opening the country to tourists. Boris Lissanevitch, born in Odessa in 1905, danced with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and ran the 300 Club in Calcutta before he came to Nepal in 1951. There he opened the Hotel Royal, the country's first hotel, in a converted Rana palace. After it closed in 1969 he moved on to Lal Durbar, where the Yak & Yeti name lived on, and ran the Chimney Room, a name he is said to have invented. He died in Kathmandu in 1985. Today the restaurant is part of the Hotel Yak & Yeti on Durbar Marg.

The restaurant occupies an old Rana building and takes its name from its copper chimney. Every year the hotel holds a Chimney Lighting Ceremony to mark the start of winter, a tradition rooted in Boris's legacy that draws long-time regulars as well as diplomats.

The cooking is continental with a modern fusion edge. Russian borscht has long been a winter favourite, and Chicken a la Kiev, a dish Boris's Calcutta club is credited with introducing to that city, still appears on the menu. Recent menus have also featured braised lamb shank, lamb chops, risotto and a flaming baked Alaska named after Sagarmatha, the Nepali name for Everest. Onlinekhabar's review praised the range of wines, and cocktails are also served.

The restaurant reopened after a refurbishment in 2018 with plush seating, carved woodwork on the walls and a menu aimed at a broader audience than the formal dinners of the past. An extended patio with fairy lights and live music is popular with younger diners, while the dining room keeps a more formal feel. The restaurant has also removed plastic, using copper stirrers and straws.

Reservations can be made through the hotel. The Yak & Yeti is about 1 km from Thamel and about 6 km from the international airport, so the Chimney is easy to reach from the main hotel areas, and the hotel's Spice Room offers an alternative if you return for a second meal.