Tibet Xizang

Fine Dining at Restaurants in Lhasa

Lhasa  sometimes spelled Lasa, is the capital of the Tibet(xizang)Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China. Lhasa is located at the foot of Mount Gephel.

In Lhasa, One of the best places to eat is Dunya - it’s run by a Dutch guy and has European/Asian food and wine that can’t be compared to anything else in Tibet . They also do momos and some Chinese dishes, but you’ll be going there for the vege burger or the yak burgers, which are fantastic, or the meze plate, sizzler trays, lasagna, Thai dishes, pizza and the very drinkable house wine. They also do a delicious house salad for those of you craving some fresh greens - the dressing is fantastic. And the bread is all made in-house, best bread in Lhasa . It’s not cheap by Tibetean standards (or backpacking standards but if you’re thinking in US or UK money everything in Tibet is cheap) but it has a great atmosphere and after trekking in the mountains and eating rice and tsampa, it’s nice to come back to Lhasa and have delicious food. It’s on Beijing Dong road, next to the Yak Hotel. They also sell cigars.

Across the road is the Music Bar, a small but friendly place to relax and have a few drinks. Staff are helpful and it’s easy to meet people from all over the world there.

The Yak Hotel has a restaurant on the top floor which has amazing views of the Potala.  You’ll get some great photos, especially in the evening, but the service is rubbish. The food is OK, they do good momos, but you’ll be waiting a long time for them and trying to get change means a staff member has to run all the way downstairs to the reception. Still it is a nice place to chill out looking out over the fabulous mountains.

The New Mandalais a great place in the Barkhor to eat, with views out over the Jokhang. It’s an open air rooftop with awnings over the tables so you don’t get too hot in the summer. It’s a good refuge from the crowded pilgrim trail below and lets you observe all the goings on with a cold drink in your hand and some good Indian food on its way to you. Service is not the best but hey you’re there to relax and soak in the atmosphere so you’ve got all the time in the world.

Snowlandsis another very popular restaurant just off the Barkhor, it can get very busy sometimes in the middle of summer. Food is good, hence all the people, but you can feel that you are eating in a ‘tourist restaurant’.