We have 5 nights in LP. Breakfast and lunch are provided on our day trips out of town, but we are on our own for dinner. Any recommendations?

In a post from over a year ago, E'lephant(?) was recommended, but not Three Elephants. Any comments on these restuarants?

Thanks

The Villa Santi has a couple of places to eat, one is upstairs with a balcony overlooking the street. It's a wonderful place for a long, lingering lunch.

I hope you aren't planning day trips for every day of your stay - you really want some time in town to visit wats, walk throug markets and soak up the atmosphere.

I loved Les 3 Nagas, which serves modern Laotian cuisine in a lovely colonial building. Also, we had a nice lunch at the Apsara. Elephant was very nice, but more European and I was more keen on local flavors.

Have a look at my trip report on LP at
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34988056
I agree with petitpois the 3 nags is excellent - try the tasting menu. Tamarind was good but only open till 6 pm and the Blue Lagoon was also excellent. The indian restaurant on the main street, which on previous visits was great was awful. Finally check out the market for great pho for breakfast

Thanks for the restuarant suggestions. As I was reading your replies my wife was reading a great review of Les 3 Negas in the NY Times, it sounds great as do the others.

If you are not staying at the Pansea its worth a meal - lovely setting and good food.

An hour ago I had some fabulous lemongrass chicken (which isn't on the menu but is on the cooking school menu) at the Tum Tum Cheng Lao Food Restaurant which is near Villa Santi. It's a pleasant place, well priced, and the staff are nice and can answer all of your food questions!

We had good meals at both the Pansea and Maison Souvanaphoum.

I'm currently in LP. what about along the river. any one of those places good? riverview restaurant?

Wanda - the Bousasavanh Restaurant is an open-air place along the Mekong River. Total cost for two with a big beer was $7 when we were there. Try the dried seaweed with sesame seed appetizer - a local specialty.

L'Elephant is considered the best in town, but it is french...

spirit restaurant near the rotary is very good and very cheap

The restaurant at La Residence Phou Vao (formerly the Pansea) is really excellent. They had the best Lao food we ate in LP.

Here's a link to a mini trip report I posted here with some restaurant suggestions (including another vote for 3 Nagas) - there is also a link to our blog which has lots of food pix from LP

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34984371

L'Elephant has a mix of both French AND local food. Very nice atmosphere sitting in the candlelit dining area adjacent to the pool and the service was lovely as well.

I had heard great things about Blue Lagoon, but we were a little disappointed in the food. The Swiss owner/host was quite charming though.

Across from the Maison Souvannaphoum and down a block towards town is a bakery called Joma. Amazing wonderful French pastry, baguettes, quiche, sandwiches etc. We picked up a picnic from there the day we went to the waterfalls.

We ended up at the Cafe Mekong Fish for a late lunch. It was along the river and looked pretty. We had seen people eating early dinner there before so we tried it.

We tried the I thought was fried seaweed with sesame seeds. Oh My GOD! That was such a treat! My husband had chicken with vegetables in a coconut curry and he was very pleased. But this was nice until we hit the 3 Nagas! that was the best so I ate there twice. no sense trying anything else after I found perfection.