Kathmandu is a great place to bulk up before — and certainly after — your Everest Base Camp trek. Prices are reasonable and the fare, ranging from food stands to gourmet, is varied. What you’re unlikely to find in Nepal’s capital city, however, is adequate service; almost every restaurant wait staff seems to operate in slow motion.

Over the course of about a week, we managed to dine at many of Kathmandu’s TripAdvisor-recommended establishments. Here, in alphabetical order, are our notes on the good, the bad and the painfully slow:

Chick N Falafel, Thamel Chowk: We highly recommend this cheap, alleyway eatery offering delicious falafel sandwiches – perhaps the best we’ve had outside of Israel. The barstool seating is limited, but most diners seem to eat standing up.

Fire and Ice, 219 Sanchaya Kosh: Great pizza. Lousy service. Noisy environs. Try the Fire and Ice pizza with potatoes and rosemary.

Green Organic Cafe and Farmers Bar, across from the Roadhouse Café in Thamel: Venture here for your veggie-fix. The eatery grows its own vegetables and is known for its salads and delicious “Health Bowl” soup. The second-floor balcony seating offers an entertaining view of the hectic Thamel traffic.

Himalayan Café, overlooking the Boudhanath Stupa: Nothing fancy here – just typical, filling continental fare like burgers, fries and pizza. Diners come here for the view of the Boudhanath Stupa from the restaurant’s third (or is it fourth?) floor balcony.

Hi Peace Garden Restaurant, narsingchok Thamel: Small, outdoor but covered eatery serving typical Nepali food you’ll find at lodges on the Everest Base Camp trail. Scary bathroom shared with the connected hostel.

Hot Bread, in front of Hotel Access Nepal in Thamel: Their scrumptious baked goods are great for a breakfast on the go – or a cheap dessert. The chocolate croissants are decadent. After 9:30 pm, everything is 50% off, and there’s generally a free-for-all.

Hotel Access Nepal, Chaksibari Marga, Thamel: While not strictly a restaurant, this hotel offers one of the best, heartiest breakfast buffets we had on our entire World Trip. Plus, the rooms are very clean and comfortable.

Kilroy’s of Kathmandu, Thamel: Indoor and outdoor seating. The candle-lit upper terrace is romantic (albeit quite dark). Small, fancy desserts at high prices.

Northfield Café and Jesse James Bar, Thamel: Large outdoor eating scene with plenty of seating for groups. Filling, good continental fare.

OR2K, Thamel: The service at this otherwise charming vegetarian restaurant is quite poor, so don’t bother if you’re starving or in a hurry. It took our waiter about 20 minutes to even acknowledge our presence. We (eventually) ordered the zucchini pie, veggie burger and a very green mint lemonade – all yummy.

Roadhouse Café, Thamel: You’ll love the wood-fired pizza served at this large, noisy, higher-end establishment – if you can find your waiter, that is. We had to order our drinks three times to finally receive them. Our (over-priced) pizzas arrived well before the drinks, and we didn’t have utensils until we found some ourselves. The automatic VAT and service charges merely add insult to injury.

Weizen Bakery, Thamel: Ordering Italian at a German bakery? Sounds crazy, right? Actually, the pasta served at this eatery is so good we dined there twice. The portions are generous. Outdoor seating available on a pleasant terrace framed by smiling pansy flowers. NOTE: The Weizen Restaurant is located behind the Weizen Bakery.