4 Best Restaurants in Laos

All the usual Italian stalwarts grace the menu at this upbeat spot, along with imported oysters and Wagyu beef. For more casual fare, there is also a wood-fired pizza oven on the verandah. While the flavor is authentically Italian, the contemporary upscale decor reminds you this isn't your grandparents' trattoria. 

One of Luang Prabang's finest restaurants offers traditional French food, with a dash of Lao influence, such as the chevreuil au poivre vert (local venison in a pepper sauce) and several daily specials usually include fish fresh from the Mekong. Seating is available in the bright airy dining room or on the sidewalk, behind a barrier of plants. You can order à la carte or opt for a three-course prix-fixe menu. If you need relief from the heat, head to the air-conditioned section. 

With an unbeatable location over a UNESCO-classified lotus pond, this impressive wooden restaurant only serves traditional Lao food, all based on the owner's family recipes. The dishes, such as fish hor mok steamed in banana leaves or delicious jungle honey-glazed spareribs, are presented with a panache that helps emphasize the venue's authenticity. Signature cocktails feature Lao ingredients combined with modern mixologies. Best visited at dinner when the flicker of light from dozens of lanterns makes it look extremely romantic.

The Lao food at this restaurant inside a fading mansion is among Vientiane's best. Favorites include mok pa fork (steamed fish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked with eggs, onions, and coconut milk), and gaeng panaeng (a thick red curry with chicken, pork, or beef). Servings are small, so most people order several entrées à la carte or set menus featuring seven to nine dishes, plus dessert and coffee.