20 Best Restaurants in Laos

The international team in the kitchen of the River Resort's elegant restaurant prepares fine Asian and Western dishes—the best food you will find in all southern Laos—with equal skill and panache. Highly recommended is the local Mekong fish, which can either be grilled and served with tamarind sauce and lime, or steamed in a banana leaf Lao-style.

Contrary to popular belief, fine Lao coffee doesn't only come from southern Laos, it's also grown here in the northern part of the country. This charming café, started over a decade ago, has helped change the lives of highland farmers in the surrounding rural areas. There are great sandwiches and pastries, but the absolute highlight is the artisanal coffee and the amazing views of the Mekong from their riverside terrace. Many an afternoon has been lost to gazing at boat traffic plying these waters. Cherry to Cup tours are also available for true coffee lovers. The upstairs is air-conditioned if you need a break from the tropical heat.

A wonderful place to experience Lao cuisine and culture, the latter in the form of classical dances performed nightly, this restaurant provides a blissful retreat from the downtown tourist frenzy. You can dine either in the teakwood interior space or outside in the garden. The specialty here is the cuisine of Luang Prabang, such as the pla larb (minced fish with herbs). Dinner service doesn't begin until 6.

A Pakse mainstay, this restaurant serves vegetarian and nonvegetarian Indian and Malay food, including excellent dosas and curries. Western-style breakfasts are prepared starting at 6:30 am—perfect for the early-morning minivan crowd heading to the 4,000 Islands.

Canadians founded this inexpensive self-service restaurant, where the in-house bakery turns out delicious pastries, bagels, sandwiches, and salads. The homemade soups are excellent, as are the breakfast burritos and wraps, and there are all the typical coffee and espresso drinks. A second Joma branch is available on Sisavangvong Road, about halfway down the peninsula.

A training restaurant for marginalized youths, Khaiphaen's menu might include anything from tofu with Khaiphaen crispy river weed and green mango dip to fusion Lao staples such as grilled buffalo steak with pickled daikon. The food is great and you'll also be helping young Lao people build their hospitality skills.

This beautifully situated resort restaurant right on the river serves an impressive mix of Thai, Lao, French, and Western dishes. The penang curry is aromatic and full of flavor, as is the spaghetti pad kee mao (drunken noodles, with basil and chili sauce).

The owner of this popular joint cooks up tasty soups, stir-fries, and even Western breakfasts. Sometimes, you might even find some local ethnic specialties, depending on the season.

This restaurant near the market serves the best authentic Chinese food in Phongsaly, though ordering is a bit unusual as there is no menu and the owner speaks no English nor Lao, so she invites you into the kitchen, opens the refrigerators, and you simply point to what vegetables and meats you want. The rest is up to her culinary magic. 

This bistro occupies a 1930s historical building in the corner of Talat Yen Square and has a wide menu of Western-inspired comfort foods, including salads, pasta, rice dishes, and coffees. The good milkshakes, selection of beer, good coffee, and strong Wi-Fi make it popular with travelers.

Local families mix with tourists in the night market to eat grilled meats and fish served alongside papaya salad, noodle dishes, and other local specialties. For about 100,000 kip you can score an entire chicken, dip it in hot sauce along with a handful of sticky rice, and accompany it with a cold beer.

With a central location and the most enticing atmosphere of several outdoor-seating restaurants in its part of town, the bakery is an ideal stop for people-watching and a cool drink or coffee and pastries. You can also sample some of the nearly two dozen Laotian dishes, such as jo mart len pak lae kout noi (steamed fresh vegetables with a spicy grilled-tomato sauce) served here, or satisfy a craving for Western food with a hamburger, a pizza, some pasta, or even a steak.

Here's a double surprise: some of the best food in Laos can be found in remote Phonsavan, and it's Indian to boot. Hole-in-the-wall Nisha, presided over by its amiable owners from Tamil Nadu, serves fantastic Indian cuisine, including delicious chicken tikka or tandoori. The owners' family operates branches in Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng.

The family that runs this cute little café prepares various breakfasts and gourmet sandwiches with fresh local ingredients. They also whip up just about any tropical fruit smoothie you can imagine. The colorful spot, which also sells local handicrafts, is a good place to watch the world go by and meet other travelers. 

This rickety restaurant on wooden planks just above the Mekong may not look like much, but its cooks consistently deliver tasty and authentic Lao food. The setting is intimate and romantic, though the place can get busy with tour groups staying at the family's decent guesthouse.

Despite its humble appearance, this small thatched-roof eatery serves the best food in Oudomxay and is itself a reason to slip into this otherwise colorless town. The owner, Mrs. Souphailin, specializes in northern Lao cuisine. It's well worth the effort to come in early and preorder any of the first 15 dishes on the menu, all authentic local specialties that require several hours of prep time.

A nondescript eatery tucked behind the Lao National Culture Hall, Taj Mahal serves Indian food at ridiculously cheap prices. Excellent tandoori naan bread, a good selection of dal, meat and fish curries, and other northern Indian favorites are among the many menu choices.

The set menu is the way to sample a wide cross-selection of Lao dishes at this noted restaurant, cooking school, and (just for good measure) book exchange. Alternatively, you can order à la carte from a lengthy menu that includes kaipan, a crispy dried Mekong River plant covered with sesame seeds (it's the local equivalent of chips and salsa), and a local favorite, orlam, an eggplant "casserole" that can be compared to an exotic gaeng kiew waan (Thai green curry). Lao and Western options are available for breakfast.