Buy time for lunch at Black Olives courtyard cafe in Kathmandu

Savor a slow hour at Black Olives, an eatery in Kathmandu’s tourist-friendly Thamel district.

Black Olives makes a great place to savor the atmosphere, enjoy a hearty meal when hiking near Kathmandu. Courtyard dining is the way to go in Kathmandu, and Black Olives does it right. (Joseph Ditzler/Stars and Stripes) The tourist-friendly district of Thamel in Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu, is the likely choice for visitors to stay, not least because of the dining options throughout the quarter. Black Olives is a landmark on any frequent visitor’s list of favorites and to stop there is to slow the clock and savor a slow hour in one of the world’s most intriguing cities. The Black Olive menu is tight but expansive — selections range from spicy curries to a BLT — and the price is right.

I found Black Olives conveniently located directly across the street from my hotel, and stopped in for lunch after a weeklong, appetite-inducing trek into the Himalayas. The courtyard ambiance, typical of Kathamandu, separates diners from the hustle of the street nearby, which lends enough of its visual and auditory energy to reinforce the aura. Diners have a choice of eating inside, on the rooftop, on the porch or in the courtyard, where I took a table for two. The chicken curry with rice and a side of fresh greens as it arrives at Black Olives in Kathmandu. (Joseph