Snowman Cafe

A portal to the 1960s, a space for community from all over the world, surviving through generations. Snowman Cafe is a beautiful space located on the legendary Freak Street at the heart of Kathmandu. I've been living in Kathmandu for a long time, and I frequent this cafe quite often. It's one of the city's best-kept secrets.

From the exterior to the interior. This place is a time capsule. As you approach the shopfront. You notice the old wooden door, layered with stickers from generations ago. The sign above, Snowman Cafe hand painted on a wooden board. A glass window on one side displays varieties of cakes. This place reminds me of my time living in a medieval town in Portugal. A lot of the shopfronts were very similar in style. The place used to be very popular during the 60s, when Kathmandu became a popular destination and starting point of the hippie trail. Immigrants from the Global North frequented these spaces and became part of the local community. You can expeirnce these stories when you enter the cafe. The walls are covered with art, graffiti and doodles from artists all around the world. Every nook and cranny is full of experiences and stories.

The first time I visited Snowman was actually with my mother. I had heard about this cafe and wanted to bring her along to experience the past. We entered and sat down at a table near the entrance. The place is dimly lit, with yellow bulbs glowing through paper lanterns. We spent a lot of time looking around, getting lost in the stories on the walls. I walked up to the counter to place my order. Snowman Cafe is run by two brothers. Based on my initial conversation with one of the owners, I learnt that this place was started by his dad and is now managed by him and his brother, who bakes the cakes. He was very friendly and patient as  I started at the blackboard above, trying to decipher the menu. It seemed quite straightforward. Coffee and cakes. I ordered two black coffees. A coconut cake and a chocolate cake. 

The owner was very upfront and said that the coffee comes out of the machine and might be quite strong. I appreciated his concern but wanted to expeirnce the food the way it was meant to be. I spent about 30 seconds staring at his collection of vintage cassettes under the glass counter. I could not go through the whole collection, but I did notice a lot of classic and psychedelic rock gems in there.

The order was ready in less than a minute. I collected the coffee and the cakes, paid at the counter and headed to the table. The cafe was full of life. People from around the city of all ages gathered here. There was a constant hum of conversation in the air. I absolutely loved it. Most people here were just drinking cold drinks, smoking and engaged in nongkrong throughout the afternoon. I love cafes that are focused on the community and offer a space for people to come together and share ideas. A lot of great art and music comes from collaborative spaces like these, and I bet this cafe has provided this environment for many artists over the years.

I was very excited to try the cake. I finally took a bite of the coconut cake, followed by a sip of coffee. One bite was all it took; I had a ratatouille moment right there. It took me back to my childhood when my dad used to bake cakes for me. My mother had a similar expeirnce. She was almost on the brink of tears. The warm, soft yet crumbly texture of the chocolate cake. Not too sweet, perfect balance of flavour. It was better than any cake I'd ever had in my life. The coconut cake was perfect too. The coffee was not bitter at all. It did not have that burnt taste that you usually get from commercial coffee machines. It was absolutely perfect and complemented the cakes very well. I have also tried their carrot cake and the coffee cake. The carrot cake is my absolute favourite amongst their selections. The coffee cake is a bit on the darker side, which would pair really well with a sweeter cold drink.

My mom kept reminiscing about the past and talking about my grandfather, who was also an artist and frequented spaces like these quite often. I have always looked up to him, and his stories have always fascinated me. I was never able to meet him because he passed before I was born, but his stories have inspired me throughout my life. We spent the rest of our time enjoying our coffee and cake over nostalgic conversation about my childhood and my mother's past. Time seemed to slow down inside these walls. I have been back here many times since then and will keep supporting this place. This is my favourite cafe in Nepal, and I highly recommend you visit the place and expeirnce the history.

The drinks and cakes are extremely affordable and more than value for money. I absolutely love places that focus on the community and manage costs to welcome people from all walks of life. 

I hope this place lives on long enough to inspire even more people from all around the world.

https://share.google/fI0iDCzeP8bh29YkZ

I'd like to thank my friend Adochi for allowing me to use his photos for this blog. We recently visited this cafe together and had a great time.