282 Best Restaurants in Vietnam

As one of Vietnam's leading fine-dining experiences, this restaurant resembles an old French mansion with elaborately decorated themed rooms. The aesthetics have earned La Maison acclaim from the likes of Architectural Digest, and the cuisine of three-Michelin-star chef Pierre Gagnaire only adds to the illustrious status. Special mention to the venue's wine collection, a cellar that is home to one-of-a-kind and prestigious bottles.

An experience rather than a meal, La Villa serves elegant but not pretentious fine French dining on a quiet street in District 2's Thao Dien area. Whether you sit in the garden by the pool, surrounded by fairy lights and greenery, or inside in the airy salon, the attentive service and the cuisine add to the memorable experience. For an extra-special meal try the Menu Villa Gourmet, and for something extra-extra special ask for Chef Thierry's wine pairings from the extensive wine list. Don't miss the homemade Camembert Calvados (apple brandy camembert) from the cheese cart.

This exemplary French bistro with welcoming owners is a popular spot for visitors and expats in Hoi An. Don't expect much in the way of culinary bells and whistles, but the daily-changing menu of classics and other dishes like pizza as well as the fine selection of wine make this a reliably convivial option. 

Like Sapa itself, Le Gecko bears noticeable French influence with a menu that features a host of bistro classics. There's a comfortable bar area that is popular in the evenings, while the outside terrace is a great spot for people-watching. There's nothing particularly fussy about either the restaurant or the home-style cuisine, so don't expect fancy sauces of Parisian haughtiness.

Reminiscent of an elegant colonial mansion, Le Longanier is a lunch-only restaurant set in tropical gardens that's part of the Victoria Hotels group, and is a regular stop for Victoria Cruises, though independent travelers can also enjoy the set menu of Mekong Delta classics (reservation is required). Do take some extra time for a refreshing drink in the downstairs salon and a stroll through the gardens before you leave.

Neighboring the historic Imperial City, this French-Vietnamese restaurant is fashioned after a colonial villa with green shutters, arched doorways, tile floors, antiques dating back to 1915, and artwork depicting pastoral scenes. Slightly pricey by local standards, the enormous menu features green mango salad, fresh spring rolls, beef in banana leaves, and grilled sea bass with a Mediterranean sauce, as well as sandwiches, pasta, and pizza. The goat cheese and prosciutto platter is superb, as is the roasted chicken in a white wine sauce. The Chinese emblem embroidered on staff uniforms and napkins is a wish for prosperity and longevity. The restaurant has a second location renowned for its French-Vietnamese menu in the backpackers' district at 18 Vo Thi Sau Street.

Fusing art, music, history, and cuisine, this 19th-century house in Hoi An's Old Quarter has been beautifully restored and offers silver service at remarkable prices. Slightly overshadowed by the setting, the menu is Vietnamese-meets-modern cuisine with such dishes as bean sprout dumplings, mango and lotus salad, caramelized pork, and wok-fried noodles.

This American-style barbecue restaurant, complete with a smoker and long tables, serves up sweet, delicious barbecue (brisket, ribs, pulled pork) and Vietnamese craft beer in a hip, contemporary space. Outdoor and air-conditioned indoor seating is available.

Loading T won fame in 2017 when CNN featured their egg coffee, a unique cinnamon-infused take on the Hanoi specialty drink. The cafe is notable for its extraordinary architecture; it sits within a grand colonial-era house that was appropriated and partitioned by the government in the 1950s.

Serving countryside dishes with a refreshing modern twist, Luk Lak is a welcome addition to Hanoi's dining scene. Many of the dishes are head chef Madame Binh's take on recipes from a particular part of the country, such as the ga nuong Tu Le (grilled chicken with sticky rice from Yen Bai Province). The minimalist design with flashes of Hanoi's colonial heritage serves to enhance an already exceptional dining experience.

One of Danang's hippest hangouts, this industrial-style, open-fronted warehouse pub-restaurant wouldn't look out of place in New York City. The ever-changing menu of authentic Italian fare includes specials such as risotto alla Milanese, pizza, pasta, and steaks. Come evening, the rustic brick walls and buzzing bar make for a different experience altogether.

Little sister to Hanoi institution The Hanoi Social Club, Ma Xo is the place to go for coffee, cocktails, and quick bites. The menu features home brunch comforts and innovative creations, such as fresh spring rolls with roast pork, a modern take on the neighborhood's favorite dish. A pretty lakeside location only enhances the experience.

Serving contemporary Vietnamese cuisine in an intimate, elegant setting, Madame Lam feels like dining in the home of a well-traveled friend. Dishes showcase flavors from all over Vietnam with an innovative twist and gorgeous presentation. Don't miss the creative cocktails featuring Vietnamese flavors and local ingredients.

The sister restaurant of the Maison de Tet in Hanoi, Maison de Sapa is the place to relax and unwind for a few hours and enjoy some delicious food and drinks. Specializing in fresh, farm-to-table ingredients, the menu is always changing to reflect the finest seasonal options. The bohemian decor is all made in-house and there are plans to create natural herbal baths upstairs, as well as host live-music events.

Authentic Italian cuisine in a dreamy space by the sea is what Mare offers, right in the middle of Sunset Town, which itself looks like it was lifted from the Amalfi Coast. The menu here is Mediterranean-focused with dishes like Iberico pork, homemade pasta, and a wonderfully spicy Spanish-style garlic shrimp. Several dishes are finished tableside like the rich tiramisu and the pasta carbonara, prepared in a wheel of Pecorino Romano. Aim to finish dinner slightly before 9:30 pm and head outside to watch the fireworks.

The best spot in town for an Ionian-style banquet, it pays to arrive hungry at Mix. The venue, a stone's throw from the Japanese Covered Bridge, is reliably rambunctious, and with good reason. Friendly staff do the rounds delivering giant platters of delicious starters and fresh bread or grilled meats and other Greek dishes like lamb souvlaki or moussaka. The house wine is reasonably priced, making this a great place to linger with friends. 

Well established as one of the town’s preeminent dining venues is Morning Glory, where menu highlights include roast duck leg served with a five-spice dressing and crunchy tofu coated in young sticky rice. This is where local food celebrity Miss Vy originally made her name, and standards have barely slipped over the years with tourists and visiting gourmands flocking to the venue for authentic local dishes prepared with passion and skill.

With a terrace overlooking rooftops sloping down the hillside, this sweet bistro has an eclectic menu, from brunch classics, healthy options, and an all-day vegan menu, to heartier pizza, pastas, and burgers, all consistently good.

The concept of dining in pitch blackness, served by vision-impaired waiters, has been a huge hit since Noir opened its doors in mid-2014. The theory is that because sight is our dominant sense, if you take it away other senses are heightened, resulting in a more intense experience of the food's aromas and taste. Diners divest themselves of light-emitting devices such as mobile phones and order three-course Eastern, Western, or vegetarian set menus in a well-lit entry area before entering the blacked-out dining room. Noir's founders and kitchen team have extensive fine dining experience, which is evident once the first morsel is navigated through the darkness to awaiting taste buds. Identifying ingredients in the dark is harder than you'd expect. After the meal, diners learn the specifics of the dishes they've enjoyed.

If Top Chef ever came to Vietnam, it would likely look like Nous. With just eight seats surrounding an open kitchen once per night, this modern minimalist space is all about elevating Vietnamese flavors to fine dining heights. Tasting menus change every few months, but diners can expect familiar flavors and often local ingredients transformed into adventurous modern cuisine incorporating foams, gels, smokes, and cures. One meal might include a deconstructed banh xeo eaten like a taco and a sweet treat of lotus ice cream and longan shaved ice inspired by a humble street food dessert.

This clean, cheap, cheerful joint serves a delicious bun cha Hanoi, rice vermicelli and fresh herbs you plunge into a brothy dipping sauce with little pork meatballs. Be sure to get bun cha nem truyen thong, which comes with a fried spring roll and charcoal grilled pork.

This intimate and refined omakase, under the direction of former Nobu chef Andy Huynh, is a delicate marriage of French and Japanese flavors, of traditional techniques and modern innovation, with each artfully prepared dish outdoing the last. The attention to detail, the sake and wine list, and chic yet unfussy art deco setting makes this gastronomy experience at Regent Phu Quoc's star restaurant worth the splurge. The dining room doubles as a Salon de Boeuf steak house specializing in Wagyu beef and revels in the same French-Japanese flair.

La Veranda's in-house restaurant presents upscale Pacific Rim cuisine and lovely second floor views over the ocean in an elegant French colonial-style setting. One of the pricier options on Phu Quoc, it's a nice splurge for the service, setting, food, wine list, and a predinner sunset cocktail. It's also an ideal location for a quiet romantic dinner in the heart of busy Long Beach.

When it comes to street food, Hanoians don't go in for much ostentation and the eating area here is decidedly prosaic; just a few communal tables under a couple of bare lightbulbs. What matters is the expertly judged broth, the light rice noodles, and the delicious meat, which is peeled in strips from hulking slabs of brisket. Don't worry about identifying the restaurant: you'll recognize it from the long lines of people waiting outside.

This is a great find in Ca Mau, with nostalgic style (the name translates as "ancient street"), including quaint little wooden pavilions, a courtyard bonsai garden, and fish ponds. Serving Chinese-influenced dishes as well as Vietnamese cuisine, Pho Xua has a menu that contains English subtitles, although not much English is spoken by the staff. With its proximity to the ocean, it's no wonder that seafood is the house specialty, but there's also a range of chicken, beef, buffalo, and pork dishes.

True to its motto of “Eat, drink, relax, be happy,” this is the place to eat and hang out in Mui Ne. Order from any of the eateries, from seafood hotpot and sausage platters, to Hungarian goulash and fish tacos, underneath swaying palms with sweeping views of the water. The open-air space is family-friendly during the day, before the on-site Nirvana Beach Club cranks up the tunes at night.

At the midway point of one of the most incredible (and strenuous) 22-km (13½-mile) bicycle loops in the Bong Lai Valley, with views over rice fields and the river, the Pub With Cold Beer has hammocks, a pool table, and, in season, tubes for floating down the river. It’s a beautiful spot to unwind and regain energy for a few hours, which is how long your chicken lunch is going to take to prepare once you've chosen your live bird.

This American barbecue joint is wildly popular among locals, who love the tasty ribs, the craft beer, the cheeky menu, and the laid-back vibe. It was set up by an American, Australian, and French trio, who charm the local dining scene with shared plates, communal picnic-style tables, stripped-back surroundings, and reasonable prices. The most popular menu items are the ribs and the big, spicy Italian sausage, each including three sides. You can choose whether to eat with a knife and fork or chopsticks. A second outlet is at 47 Xuan Thuy in District 2.

One of the hippest eateries in town, the Racha Room serves up Asian-inspired fusion food with bold flavors as well as artisanal cocktails in a small but groovy space, with graffiti art and funky music. The place has proved a hit with locals, expats, and travelers alike for its bold flavors and overall trendy vibe, so reservations are recommended.

This Italian-style Gelateria Artigianale is well-loved for its authentic gelatos and sorbets, all made by hand and fresh from scratch daily with no preservatives or additives. While traditional flavors such as chocolate, black currant, cinnamon, and rum raisin are always available, if you happen to see Vietnamese-inspired flavors available like fish sauce or lekima fruit, don't hesitate to try them. Outside covered seating area available.