Bitters & Co

Bitters & Co is a cocktail bar on Lazimpat Road and one of the bars behind the rapid growth of Kathmandu's drinks scene. It has appeared on the extended list of Asia's 50 Best Bars, and The World's 50 Best Discovery guide describes it as bringing the best of international cocktail culture to the city.

Its co-founder, Rabin Gurung, returned to Nepal from Hong Kong, and in an AFP report on the city's cocktail scene in 2025 he explained how the team had to adapt to local supply. When lemons were hard to find, they searched Nepal's own citrus and found a substitute, and the bar makes its own bitters rather than relying on imported brands. AFP found the same resourcefulness across the city's new bars, where clear ice, house bitters and syrups infused with local botanicals such as rhododendron are made in-house because imported products are scarce or expensive. That spirit of improvisation runs through the menu at Bitters & Co, which pairs classic technique with ingredients that can be sourced locally.

The drinks most often mentioned are an Old Fashioned presented in a decorated, smoke-filled box and a clarified milk punch, both of which show off the bar's attention to detail. The staff are smartly dressed and the service is polished, but the atmosphere is cool and laid-back rather than formal. The room is airy, with high ceilings, light colours, exposed brickwork and a large tree growing in the centre of the space, which gives it a feel quite different from the dim speakeasies elsewhere in town.

The bar suits couples, small groups and anyone who takes cocktails seriously. The World's 50 Best guide lists the bar as open every day of the week. Lazimpat, home to the French Embassy and several hotels such as the Hotel Shanker, lies north of Thamel, so Bitters & Co is easy to combine with dinner nearby. Jazz Upstairs, the city's long-running jazz bar, is also in Lazimpat if you want live music later.

For a night exploring Kathmandu's new bar scene, Bitters & Co pairs well with Barc in Tripureshwor and The Old House on Durbar Marg. Call ahead for a table at busy times, and check the bar's Instagram page, bittersandconepal, for any events.