Entering a Bhutanese restaurant is like entering a person's home. Chillies and cheese greet your nose first, followed by the comfort of yak butter tea steaming in old cups. They are not white-tablecloth restaurants - they are genuine ones where locals sit down and eat.
You'll find most restaurants in Bhutan squeezed between prayer wheel shops and handicraft stores in towns like Thimphu and Paro. The menus are handwritten, sometimes in three languages, and the owners usually come over to explain what's good that day. Don't be surprised if they recommend their grandmother's recipe or warn you about how spicy the ema datshi is.
The best part? You're eating the same food that monks in nearby monasteries enjoy. Red rice that grows on terraced hillsides, vegetables picked that morning, and meat from yaks grazing at high altitudes. It's simple, honest food that tastes like the mountains themselves.
Trying local restaurants ranks high among things to do in Bhutan because it connects you with everyday life here. Our Bhutan Tour Packages include these authentic dining experiences that tourists usually miss. Come, let's dive into it.
