The Old House spells nostalgia for Delhi-based mixologist Yangdup. Back in 1993, as a younger industrial trainee at Hotel Annapurna in Kathmandu (then a part of the Taj group), he would usually go by this previous house. Decades later, he has tried to revive its reminiscence, by reimagining it as his and his enterprise associate Minakshi’s first worldwide bar. The bar took a 12 months and a few months to form up. When it did, it felt like a vibrant and welcoming area that reminds guests of Kathmandu’s Newari-style houses. Developed by the indigenous Newar individuals of Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley, Newari structure is characterised by elaborate wooden carvings and pagoda-style temples.
Yangdup Lama at The Old House | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Minakshi explains, “The structure is such that it breathes life into the bar, harking back to the fantastic artwork, people tradition, design and the times passed by. This bar will transport you to the Kathmandu of the Nineteen Seventies and Nineteen Eighties, decked with woodwork, tapestry, and ground work attribute of Newari structure, that includes intently spaced joists (dhalin) supporting a subfloor of terracotta tiles and wood planks, adorned with a layer of fantastic yellow clay. The place additionally incorporates a central water function within the courtyard, including a sensory dimension — sound, mild, reflection, and calm”.
Why? Why? | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Old House can seat 80 individuals and it isn’t only a title; it’s a sentiment. Yangdup explains, in Kathmandu, all ancestral houses over 100 years previous had been colloquially known as ‘previous homes’. The Old House too, he recollects, has been by many modifications; “But, the banyan tree nonetheless stands,” he shares. That lone reminder, and the emotional imprint of the place, was cause sufficient to protect the title and spirit of it of their new enterprise. Their Nepalese enterprise companions, although not from the hospitality world, instantly linked with the imaginative and prescient. Desal Lama, who owned The Old House, has been roped in as one of many co-founders of the bar.
Cocktails with a narrative | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
“When Desal Lama reached out to me for a enterprise partnership, I believed it was a superb time to reconnect to my reminiscences as a trainee. Once I visited the place , I knew what needed to be executed,” says Yangdup.
This new bar is rooted in Kathmandu Valley’s Newar tradition — wealthy in each craftsmanship and culinary heritage. Yangdup and Minakshi labored intently with an area Newari architect to design the area, leaning into the feel and storytelling of conventional houses. Think in depth wooden carvings, asymmetry, and delicate echoes of pagoda structure. The result’s a spot the place design and drink communicate the identical language.
The cocktail menu journeys by the mountains and plains of Nepal, utilizing native components and layered narratives to form its 12 signature choices. From Himalayan juniper and sea buckthorn sourced from Mustang Valley to apple orchard notes and cardamom from Makalu, every cocktail evokes a particular geography and emotion. Yangdup’s consideration to element is exacting — each component has intent.
Oven Roasted Salmon | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
One drink, Why? Why?, is a whimsical tribute to Wai Wai, Nepal’s beloved on the spot noodle. Another, Sindhuli Gadhi, is a nod to a Nineteen Seventies people music and the historic battle during which the Gorkha military triumphed over British forces. There can be Syangja ko Suntala, impressed by the famed oranges of Syangja, and Jau Jau Jau, a smoky, roasted-barley and whisky quantity that channels the fertile essence of the Terai lowlands. Even Nepal’s iconic Bhadgaule Topi will get a toast within the type of a namesake cocktail.
The staff at The Old House | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Food, too, performs a central function, with a meat-forward menu that displays Kathmandu’s strong palate. Guests can count on Sekuwa, the beloved Nepali-style barbecue, alongside Momocha — a Nepali twist on momo dumplings made with pink meat and served with a spicy, tangy peanut sauce. It is flavourful, sincere fare, meant to enrich the drinks and spark dialog.
For Yangdup and Minakshi, this isn’t simply one other addition to their acclaimed portfolio of bars — it’s a return, a remembrance, and a celebration. In The Old House, they’ve captured a second from the previous and poured it into the current, creating an area that’s as evocative as it’s creative.
In doing so, they’ve not solely raised the bar — they’ve instructed a narrative. And that, in mixology as in life, is what makes all of the distinction.
The Old House at Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal, is open on all days from 12pm to 1am
Published – June 05, 2025 04:31 pm IST
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