The Penthouse is the magnum opus for restaurants in Kathmandu, setting standards of grandeur, breaking boundaries, meshing art with living. It evokes a sense of grandness and could be considered the first of its kind at this magnitude. The Penthouse has been carefully designed with the finest resources to establish itself at the helm of a luxury experience showcasing local as well as foreign elements in its concept. Located on the top floor of the One Durbar mall, this open rooftop bar is a spectacle to behold, the Royal Durbar and a birds eye view of the Durbar Marg strip is quite a sight. Here, we talk to the people responsible for collectively transforming the space into the Penthouse.

Santosh Shah


A world-renowned chef, Santosh Shah is recognized for his efforts to promote Nepali cuisine internationally and was declared second Runner up in the popular TV program MasterChef: The proessional in 2020. His culinary dishes are highlighted by his ability to incorporate and fuse Nepali elements into his cooking. He is a celebrated chef who recently released his new cookbook, Ayla featuring traditional recipes throughout Nepal.

Describe the process behind creating the menu at the Penthouse?
In the beginning, I sought to source ingredients from abroad assuming I could incorporate foreign elements at the Penthouse, soon coming to realize that it wasn’t feasible and faced several problems with supply. I chose to stick with what was available, coming up with a menu that is unique to the Nepali clientele but ignites familiarity in the same way. The food has been curated to showcase the potential of incorporating Nepali ingredients while preserving the authenticity of original recipes.

How has your food been received by the customers?
The food has been received really well by our customers. They love how Nepali ingredients like Fapar
(Buckwheat), lapsi, homemade pickles and chutney have been paired to produce a flavorful marriage. Never would they have imagined such ingredients being presented at a bar of this scale. I love seeing customers surprised or nostalgic when eating certain dishes. It is wonderful to see my food appreciated.


The pork belly is a succulent dish slow cooked for 12 hours, marinated overnight to mature flavors of the chilly and Szechuan.


The pork ribs are prepared in a similar way as the pork belly, marinating overnight, slow cooked and glazed with a BBQ sauce. Comes along with spicy wedges and a burnt apple chutney.


The watermelon chaat is a fusion dish bringing the freshness of the watermelon paired with tamarind chutney or a coriander green chutney with honey glazed fetta cheese.

Maple


She is an international interior designer working under Coconut Groove interiors based in Phuket, Thailand, accumulating a work experience of over 15 years. Maple has active projects in India and a private island resort in Indonesia traveling the majority of South East Asia in the span of her career. Amongst her work in Nepal, the Pavilions in Pokhara and Moksha in Jomsom might possibly ring a bell. She loves traveling so working while traveling has certainly been a plus point for her.

What was the idea behind the Penthouse?
After the name was finalized, we built upon Penthouse envisioning something grand and worthy of its title. The name sculpted the idea behind creating an elevated experience, remarkably something Nepal had never seen before.

What sets the Penthouse on a league of its own?
The Penthouse has and will be a monument in design. The numerous hours dedicated towards the inception and construction of the Penthouse, set it on a different scale. Our project has been running for almost a year now bringing together professionals to create the Penthouse.


Describe the interior of the Penthouse?
I was given creative freedom to express my visions for the Penthouse and that was exactly what I did. As you enter the lobby, you are welcomed by a jet black marble floor laser cut with a prominent mandala in the center and a glowing green onyx table sitting beautifully on top, natural light emitted from the glass ceiling. The walls are carefully layered by Gold leaf sheet by sheet. The centerpiece is definitely the central bar table which is made entirely out of amethyst, not an easy task when it comes to sourcing a semi-precious stone at such a scale. The central bar has several hanging lights and features opulent baroque style angels laser cut into the ceiling. Lastly, facing towards Durbar Marg, we have the curved bar with high chairs, a solid slab of dark marble and a curved golden cabinet, a personal favorite. The whole ambience surrounds the iconic bar table, rich in purple paired with black marble and gold accents to complement the overall theme.


Any setbacks in successfully completing the Penthouse?
There were certainly many setbacks in sourcing the right components for the bar. For instance, since we couldn’t find the right furniture in Nepal, we had to personally go to a factory in Jaipur to give them our designs. We also faced several issues with transport and finding sizable material for our project. Lastly, finding and delegating work in Nepal was also not an easy feat.

Bishal Neupane


An up-and-coming bartender, a passionate lyricist and rapper, Vishal was formerly an intern at the Le Meridien Dubai. He has completed his Bachelors degree in hotel management and is currently pursuing his masters here in Nepal. Known as @confident beard behind the bar, he has previously worked at Blackbird bar and through years of work there has honed his skills as a skilled bartender.


Could you describe some of the signature cocktails at the Penthouse?
The in-house signature, The Penthouse uses dried laligurans(rhododendron) infused vodka, white rum, walnut puree, passion fruit and milk. The drink can be described as being mellow with a touch of coarseness.
Akash Ganga is another special, it uses butterfly pea tea for its purple tone, green rosemary, gin, lime topped with butterscotch soda in a highball glass. The drink matches with the rich purple of the central bar, I would highly recommend it to our female guests.
City of Gods, is a spin over to the espresso martini. We use whiskey instead of vodka, aquafaba as the firming agent, homemade sweet vermouth and a fresh shot of espresso. The drink is a such fire favorite for people who love coffee and desire a kick of wakefulness.
Lastly the Hornbill, a mixture of carrot, orange, ginger, a touch of honey, earl gray tea, lime and finally whiskey. The glass is rimmed with black pepper that blends well with the natural ingredients bringing out the earthy flavor of the whiskey.


What makes the Penthouse bar unique?
At the Penthouse, there is a lot of creativity going on. We concentrate on making distinctive cocktails that showcase our ingenuity and do our best to integrate local ingredients that are freshly sourced in Nepal. We are driven to redefine the drinking experience by incorporating fresh tastes and innovative techniques as we continue to hone our craft to match the prestige of the Penthouse.