Pumpernickel Bakery

Pumpernickel Bakery is one of the oldest bakeries in Thamel and a fixture of the Kathmandu breakfast routine for travellers. Nepal Traveller describes it as the best-known survivor of the German-style bakeries that appeared in the mid-1970s to serve European travellers, and Onlinekhabar dates its opening to the early 1980s. It was founded by Norbu Tsering Shrestha, who learned more about baking in Europe, and has been run with the help of his wife and son.

The baking is the point. Croissants and buns are made in-house, and the bakery told Onlinekhabar that it does not sell the previous day's produce and uses only organic ghee. Brown bread, chocolate croissants, cakes, pastries, cookies and rolls fill the counter, so it is also a useful place to stock up on bread before heading out of the city.

For breakfast, the Onlinekhabar reviewer recommended fruit yoghurt with muesli or an American breakfast set of brown bread, bacon, sausage, hash browns and eggs, with an Americano. The signature dish is the yak cheese sandwich, which has been on the menu since the bakery opened and is often paired with an organic salad with boiled eggs. Sandwiches and burgers cover lunch.

The garden courtyard is what makes it more than a bakery. Nepali Times wrote in 2010 of tables under the bhogote trees, and the bakery has since added indoor seating. Nepal Traveller noted in 2026 that the garden fills each morning with trekkers and office workers, and that seats can be hard to find after 9am, so come early if you want a table outside.

Pumpernickel suits solo travellers, couples and anyone preparing for a trek who wants a simple, filling start to the day. It is inexpensive and informal, and Nepali Times called it a perennial favourite with backpackers as long ago as 2010. It is in the heart of Thamel, opposite Mandala Street, so it is within a few minutes' walk of most guesthouses in the district. From here you can walk to the Garden of Dreams at the entrance to Thamel, or head south through the old bazaars to Kathmandu Durbar Square, about 1.4 km away.