Skip to content
  • X

Subscribe

Magazine | Newsletters
  • Food & Drink
  • News
  • Culture
  • Style
  • Home
  • Family
  • Wellness
  • Things to Do
  • Travel
  • Best of NoVA
  • Best Restaurants
  • Top High Schools
  • In This Issue
  • Home
    • Reviews
  • Best Restaurants 2020: Royal Nepal
Royal Nepal Momos
  • Reviews

Best Restaurants 2020: Royal Nepal

Ready for something truly different with a side of great service in Alexandria?

By Alice Levitt October 30, 2020 at 8:00 am

Royal Nepal

Alexandria / Nepalese / $$

The Himalayas may extend into India, but don’t get it twisted: Nepal has a robust cuisine all its own. Yes, you can get chicken tikka masala here, but resist the urge. What you need are momos, and you need them filled with yak meat.

Sound forbiddingly out of your wheelhouse? Don’t be fooled. Royal Nepal deals in comfort food from a different part of the world. Yak is mild, and momos are just juicy dumplings, seared on one side then served with a spicy tomato sauce and a cooling mint one. We should all resolve to explore the world one dish at a time, and Royal Nepal is your ticket to one of the planet’s greatest (culinary) heights.

See This: Nepali music videos play on TVs over the bar, but colorful Nepali textiles will catch your eye, too.

Eat This: Yak momos, Nepali thali, Royal Nepal sikarni

When to Visit: You’re ready for something truly different with a side of great service.


This post originally appeared in our November 2020 issue’s Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

Alice Levitt

Alice Levitt

Contributing Food Critic/Editor

Alice Levitt has been writing for Northern Virginia Magazine since 2020. She began her restaurant critic journey at Seven Days in Vermont in 2007 before moving on to Houstonia Magazine in Texas. Her food, travel, and health innovation stories have appeared in Vox, EatingWell, Simply Recipes, Allrecipes, and many other national publications.

  • Email

Trending in NoVA

The 13 Best Weekend Events in Northern Virginia and DC August 14 to 16

5 Hidden Gems to Visit in Northern Virginia

The Barns at Wolf Trap Reveals Lineup for First 2026-2027 Shows

Shop Under the Stars at One Loudoun’s Moonlight Market 

Northern Virginia Woman’s Videos of ICE Encounter Go Viral

things to do newsletter

Our Top Stories In Your Inbox

Our newsletters delivered weekly.

Subscribe

Feeds

RSS Feed Follow in Feedly

You May Also Like

Whistler's Ice Cream Extraordinaire sundae

First Bite Review: Whistler’s Ice Cream Extraordinaire Serves Up Rich Frozen Custard

Spread of dishes by Pikoteo

Taste the Smoke of San Juan at McLean’s Pikoteo

  • X

Company

  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Writer’s Guidelines
  • Internships
  • Terms of Use

Magazine

  • Magazine
  • Subscription
  • Newsletter
  • Back Issues

Talk to Us

  • Contact Us
  • Submit an Event
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Shopping

  • Subscription
  • Back Issues
  • Plaques
  • Realtor Client Gift Subscriptions

On Newsstands Now

great happy hours, august 2026 cover

Copyright © 2026 Northern Virginia Magazine

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Hey AI.