Nepal, a country known for its love of tea, is slowly starting to embrace coffee.

 Kathmandu, July 27 — Coffee hasn’t always been popular in Nepal, a country long known for its strong tea culture. Tea is a daily ritual here — when Nepalis greet each other in the morning, they often ask, “Have you had your tea?” rather than “How are you?” Served hot, milky, and sweet in a glass tumbler, tea is deeply woven into daily life — from homes to offices to social gatherings.

But that’s starting to change. In recent years, more and more Nepalis have begun turning to coffee, with stylish cafes popping up on street corners in cities and towns across the country.

Nepalis first began exploring coffee in the 1990s. One of the pioneers was Gagan Pradhan, who opened Himalayan Java — now a major chain with 84 outlets across Nepal. He estimates there are now around 7,000 cafes nationwide, though global brands like Starbucks haven’t arrived yet.

Pradhan says part of coffee’s growing appeal is the more modern atmosphere of coffee shops, compared to traditional tea stalls, which often remain simple and old-fashioned. Coffee shops, he explains, pay attention to lighting, interior design, furniture, and overall experience — not just the drinks.

While tea shops typically offer just milk tea or black tea, coffee shops have a much wider selection — often 10 to 15 hot and cold beverages each. Plus, starting a cafe doesn’t require a huge investment, and many are family-run.

Though Nepal is a major tea producer, some of its eastern hill regions are now growing coffee as well. In 2021–22, Nepal produced around 400 tons of coffee — still a small figure compared to the 26,000 tons of tea — but the numbers are expected to rise quickly.

Coffee remains a luxury here. A single cup at a place like Himalayan Java can cost about $2 — roughly the price of a full meal at a local eatery, or five cups of tea. Yet cafes are busy, filled with office workers on breaks and students looking for a cozy place to study.

Social worker Deep Singh Bandari, a regular at coffee shops, says the trend began with people seeing coffee as a sign of a modern lifestyle. “At first, people thought coffee made them seem more sophisticated,” he says. “But once they tried it, many simply enjoyed the taste and kept coming back.”

With interest rising among both younger and older generations, coffee culture in Nepal seems to be just getting started.