As the evening ends, the streets of Durbarmarg begin to shift gears. The shops close up, street lights come on, and the ambience shifts from the streets to the top. As you take the stairs to the top of Mercantile Plaza, expect a warm welcome as you walk through the doors of Mezze by Roadhouse. Unlike any other rooftop restaurant in Kathmandu, the former Royal Palace of Nepal sits just alongside Mezze. However, the sight of this grand venue is only part of how Mezze has presented itself as a premium restaurant in the heart of Kathmandu. These are the stories of Mezze.
Durbarmarg is not like the rest of Kathmandu; it is Kathmandu's most formal commercial corridor.
Back in 2013, rooftop dining in Kathmandu was still unheard of. Mezze was one of the first few influencers of the idea. And, for a hospitality group that had been reading Kathmandu's appetite since 1992, choosing this location was a statement.
Roadhouse had already proven its range by then: Roadhouse Cafes, expansion into Boudha, Bhatbhateni, and Jhamsikhel. Mezze was the flagship move. The crown jewel with a mission to set an international benchmark in Nepal's restaurant industry, and become undoubtedly the best restaurant in Durbarmarg, Kathmandu.
A rooftop doesn't just give you a view of a city. Over time, it accumulates one.
Before 2013, the dining scene in Kathmandu was not figured out. The existing cuisines at that time focused on tourists for tourists. The idea that Kathmandu's very own would build a habit around rooftop dining, wine cellars, grilled meats, and Mediterranean platters was not yet obvious. Mezze made a bet on that future.
Then came April 2015. The earthquake changed Kathmandu. Buildings came down. Businesses closed. Tourism paused. The city entered a long, uneven recovery. Mezze stayed on.
In the years that followed, Kathmandu's restaurants began finding a new rhythm. A younger, more food-literate local crowd started treating restaurants as a regular part of their week. A night out in Kathmandu seemed common. New rooftop venues opened. Competition grew.
And through all of it, Mezze too, found its way to grow, while the view from Mezze stayed. The Narayanhiti Palace alongside. The city spread out. The same sky shifting from afternoon light to evening to the kind of dark that makes fairy lights matter.
You can read Mezze's history through what it has put on the table.
In the early years, the menu centered on what Roadhouse did best. Its pizzas, pasta, and grilled meats were well known in Kathmandu. Roadhouse had spent over two decades building trust through consistent, quality cooking. Mezze inherited that reputation and built on it. The mezze platter, the dish that gave the restaurant its name, became a signature.
Over time, the menu expanded to what Kathmandu's diners were asking for. The bar also evolved. A wine bar in Kathmandu was just an afterthought. Now, the in-house wine cellar alone invites guests looking for more than just good food.
By the time the kitchen added outdoor BBQ and sushi stations, the menu had become a map of twelve years of conversation between a restaurant and its city.
For most of 2025, Mezze had closed and undergone renovations. In November 2025, a single Facebook post stopped many scrolls: Mezze Is Back.
The redesigned Mezze accommodates up to 148 guests across spaces that move from the open rooftop deck to leafy garden pockets to a rooftop bar that sets the tone for the evenings past golden hour in Kathmandu.
The walk-in wine cellar lets you choose your own bottle. The outdoor BBQ and sushi stations bring live cooking energy. And the pool table lounge keeps the vibe from tipping into formality.
Beyond the wine and dine, the new Mezze runs table bookings as well as decorations. There are also tasting nights that cover wine, cocktails, and whiskey. Other additions are the private event spaces, meeting facilities, and valet parking.
What the new Mezze kept is just as telling as what it changed. The warmth in how guests are attended to is standard. This isn't chapter one. It's the same story, told with everything learned from telling it.
Mezze now serves as a platform for Nepal-based art organisations and artists, with its walls functioning as a living gallery where culture, craftsmanship, and contemporary work come together.
The opening collaboration is with Danfe Arts, an independent Kathmandu arts space founded in 2019 and named after the Himalayan Monal, Nepal's national bird. Their exhibition, titled Palette & Palate, features "Bhoye: The Feast" by artist Sagar Manandhar: a visual response to the Newa tradition of bhoye, the communal feast rooted in culture and togetherness.
There's a place to present your art at Mezze.
As you walk into the redesigned Mezze by Roadhouse, you'll notice them. We call them the Echoes of Mezze.
A wall of dark wooden panels that runs the length of the interior. What you're looking at is Mezze's history, in the physical.
Every panel was once a table at this restaurant. Tables that held first dates and family celebrations, late-night confessions and quiet meals eaten alone. Tables that were there for the early years, through the growth, through every version of the city outside the window.
For celebrations and ordinary Tuesdays. For first dates and long-standing friendships. For the kind of meal where the food is good, and the view does the rest of the work. Kathmandu has changed considerably since 2013.
Mezze by Roadhouse has grown along with it all. As we've reopened, we move to prove that this rooftop is not done with the city. The city, it turns out, is not done with it either.
Experience Mezze by Roadhouse at Mercantile Plaza, Durbarmarg, Kathmandu. Open daily from 12 PM to 10:00 PM. To reserve a table, call 9843737736 or +01-5323087.
For more details, visit roadhousenepal.com/restaurants/durbarmarg.
