Sample the Taste – Eat in Lhasa

In Lhasa, you can also find other kinds of food besides Tibet food, including
Beijing cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Mongolian and even
western-style cuisine. Deji Road is the most popular dining place
among locals. Western and Tibetan style restaurants in Beijing Road and
the Barkhor Street are always crowded with visitors. Some big hotels
also serve Nepalese and Indian food.
All restaurants of various classes are decorated and furnished in the
traditional Tibetan style. Diners can enjoy delicious Tibetan dishes while
admiring paintings and murals symbolizing happiness and good luck in the
restaurants. High on the menu are such flavors as sausages, barley wine,
butter oil tea, beef and mutton eaten with the hands, yak tongue, steamed
buns, Tsampa made from highland barley, pastries, minced mutton and beef.

Local Restaurants
The best places for breakfast are probably the Dunya and Nam-tso
restaurants. All the eateries listed serve lunch and dinner, but you will struggle
to find a meal after about 9.30pm.
Most individual travellers eat in the Tibetan quarter around the Barkhor
Square area and there are plenty of great restaurants to try.

How to Exchanging Money in Tibet

In  Tibet,  the  only  place  to  change  foreign  currency  and  travellers
cheques  is  the  Bank  of  China.  Top-end  hotels  in  Lhasa  have
exchange services but only for guests. Outside of Lhasa, the only other
locations  to  change  money  are  in  Shigatse,  Zhangmu,  Purang  (cash
only) and Ali, and at the airport on arrival. If you are travelling upcountry,
try  to  get  your  cash  in  small  denominations:  Y100  and  Y50  bills  are
sometimes difficult to get rid of in rural Tibet.
The  currencies  of  Australia,  Canada,  the  US,  the  UK,  Hong
Kong, Japan, the euro zone and most of the rest of Western
Europe  are acceptable at the Lhasa Bank of China. The official rate  is
given at all banks and most hotels, so there is little need to shop around
for the best deal. The standard commission is 0.75%.
The  only  place  in  Tibet  to  officially  change  RMB  back  into  foreign
currency is the central Lhasa branch of the Bank of China. You will need
your original exchange receipts. You cannot change RMB into dollars at
Gongkar airport.
Moneychangers at Zhangmu (by the Nepal border) will change yuan into
Nepali  rupees  and  vice  versa.  Yuan  can  also  easily  be  reconverted  in
Hong Kong and, increasingly, in many Southeast Asian countries.