Dal bhat in Sydney
Dal bhat is the meal Nepal runs on: lentil soup and rice with tarkari, greens, pickles and often a curry on the side. Most Nepali homes eat it twice a day, and every trekker comes home repeating the same line about dal bhat power lasting 24 hours, because it does.
At a restaurant it arrives as a set, and the good ones keep refilling the rice, dal and sides until you surrender. If a Thakali kitchen is doing the set, expect a darker black dal and a longer row of pickles.
We have mapped 14 spots for dal bhat in New South Wales, with the most around Sydney, Rockdale and Harris Park.
What to order
Dal bhat set with meat
Usually a goat or chicken curry alongside the dal, rice and sides.
Veg dal bhat set
Dal, tarkari, greens and pickles. A full meal with nothing missing.
Gundruk
Fermented greens, sour and moreish. Ask for it if it is not on the plate.
The Momos Hub Townhall
4.4(3689)
Falcha Town Hall
4.5(2853)
Chulho - Harris Park
3.5(2448)
Heshela Newa Khaja Ghar Rockdale
4.4(2357)
Maicha - Nepalese Restaurant
4.7(905)
Cafe Talk Kogarah
4.2(888)Tapari Momo
3.4(869)
Falcha Rockdale
4.5(867)
Chulho Town Hall
3.5(743)
Namaste Restaurant - Ashfield
3.9(731)
Heshela Newa Khaja Ghar Hurstville
4.8(655)
Falcha Penshurst
4.3(462)
Laltin Nepalese Cuisine
4.2(367)
Falcha Wollongong
4.3(132)Frequently asked
What is dal bhat?
Nepal's national meal: lentil soup (dal) over rice (bhat) with vegetable curry, greens and pickles. Most restaurants serve it as a set with refills.
What is the difference between dal bhat and Thakali dal bhat?
Thakali is the deluxe version: a darker black dal, gundruk and more sides on the plate. Any dal bhat is a full meal; the Thakali set is the one worth crossing town for.