Restaurant
Krishnarpan at The Dwarika’s
The Dwarika's Nepali fine-dining room, serving a seasonal multi-course tasting menu that travels across the country's regions with produce from the hotel's own farms.
Honacha
A family-run Newari eatery in a narrow alley behind the Krishna Mandir in Patan, known for its baras cooked on an iron griddle and spicy chhoila.
At a glance
- Type
- Traditional Newari eatery
- Area
- Patan, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Price
- $ · Budget
Good to know
- Family-run
- Local drinks
Why we recommend it
Honacha is a small, long-established Newari eatery tucked into a narrow alley right behind the Krishna Mandir on Patan Durbar Square. You enter through a low doorway into a room with old brick walls and well-worn floors, and the feel is closer to a traditional bhatti than a restaurant. Nepali Times described it in 2013 as having operated without interruption for many decades, with a menu that had barely changed, and Buddha Air's tour company describes the family business as being in its sixth or seventh generation.
The signature dish is bara, a savoury lentil pancake made from black lentils and cooked on a large iron tawa in front of customers. It is often topped with a fried egg or minced meat. Order it with chhoila, buffalo meat marinated in mustard oil, ginger, garlic and spices, which Onlinekhabar recommends either on its own or with its spicy jhol. Other dishes include alu tarkari, a potato curry served on small steel plates, sukuti (dried, smoked meat), kachila, sapu mhicha and wo, with beaten rice (chiura) to balance the heat. Aila, the local spirit, is the traditional drink.
The atmosphere is part of the experience. The family runs the room themselves, cooking and serving in a space that has changed little over the years, and early customers were farmers coming to sell their produce in Patan. It suits travellers who want to taste everyday Newari food in its own setting, and it is very good value. From the outside it looks plain, but Onlinekhabar's 2021 round-up of chhoila spots still described the food as authentic.
Spice levels can be high, so ask for milder dishes if you are unused to chilli, and remember that the menu leans heavily on buffalo meat. Vegetarians can still eat well with bara and alu. Because it is so close to the square, Honacha makes an easy stop during a morning of sightseeing in Patan.
To find it, walk around the back of the Krishna Mandir and look for the low doorway in the alley. The Patan Museum and the palace courtyards are a few steps away, and Buddha Holidays' Patan Eat Street food tour includes Honacha as a stop.
Honacha FAQs
Where is Honacha?
In a narrow alley right behind the Krishna Mandir on Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur.
What should I order?
Bara, the lentil pancake cooked on an iron griddle, and chhoila, spiced buffalo meat.
Is it family-run?
Yes. The family business is described as being in its sixth or seventh generation.
Is Honacha expensive?
No. It is a simple, inexpensive Newari eatery.
Can vegetarians eat here?
Yes. Plain bara and alu tarkari are vegetarian, though much of the menu uses buffalo meat.
Is the food spicy?
Dishes such as chhoila can be very spicy, so ask for milder options and eat with beaten rice.
What drinks are served?
Aila, a traditional Newari spirit, is served alongside soft drinks.
Is it near other sights?
Yes. The Patan Museum and the palace courtyards are a few steps away.