282 Best Restaurants in Vietnam

Colloquially known as "Chicken Street," this is the place to come for delicious barbecued poultry served right on the sidewalk. The street is lined with vendors working near-identical alchemy with a limited menu of grilled chicken wings, legs, and feet; sweet potatoes; and bread that's been brushed with honey before being toasted. The resulting dish is served with chili sauce and pickled cucumbers in sweet vinegar and washed down with icy bottles of local beer.

Didier Corlou is celebrated as a pioneer of fine dining in Vietnam thanks to his ventures in Hanoi; now, his culinary journey extends to Central Vietnam. Situated in a former spice house, the restaurant offers patrons an exquisite dining experience. A good choice is the tasting menu that showcases an array of dishes such as braised pork, and barracuda cooked in banana leaf, complemented by starters like banana flower salad with chicken, and spring rolls filled with mackerel, pork, and mushrooms.

In the Japanese Quarter, beside the river, is this classic Vietnamese restaurant resembling an upscale residence with its ornate armoires, wooden chairs, and a lantern-lit courtyard where you can listen to soft jazz. Lighter menu items such as baguettes, spring rolls, and salads are offered alongside duck or prawn curry, tofu, rice platters, and seafood dishes. Take note of the antique bar, once a "rice safe" used by families to protect their harvest.

A spinoff of the original Mango Rooms in Old Town, this Vietnamese fusion restaurant is located along the river directly across from the Japanese Covered Bridge. Owner-chef Duc Tran has created an innovative menu of modern-Asian-meets-the-world, inspired from his 20-plus years of travels abroad. Mango Mango's signature cocktails and mouth-watering delicacies look like works of art.

Delicious Italian food is served in this romantic brick eatery in front of the cathedral. Along with exemplary bruschetta (toasted bread with olive oil and various toppings) and homemade pastas, the Italian hosts serve excellent cappuccinos, Napoli-style thin-crust pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven, and interesting grappas—try licorice or peach.

This lodge on the Mekong River proudly sources fresh local ingredients and happily accommodates vegetarians. The riverside location and lovely Mekong views are worth the effort to get here by boat or motorbike (the lodge cannot be reached by car). Mekong Lodge supports charities, including a school and a training center for disadvantaged locals. A meal here gives back to the community.

This modern café has an eclectic menu of Korean and Japanese-influenced dishes, including ramen and bi bim bap, as well as pizza and Thai food.

This all-day café serves up some of West Lake's best coffee, with freshly baked cookies, cakes, and croissants to match. Tuck into overnight oats and fresh juice for brunch or peruse a small but thoughtful selection of sandwiches for lunch.

Miss Ly was one of the first cooks in town to open her humble, market-edge restaurant to the trickle of travelers astute enough to have put Hoi An on their itinerary almost 20 years ago. Two decades later, Ly is still in the kitchen pouring her heart and soul into each dish served. Her Hoi An wontons, crispy rice-flour shells with a pocket of minced pork and shrimp, dressed with a fruity, Chinese-style sweet-and-sour salsa, are some of the best in town.

This Franco-Swiss-owned resto-bar serves great European staples including raclette and Swiss fondue, as well as steak served on a hot stone in a contemporary setting on the main strip. Sip wine and nibble on a cheese or charcuterie platter in the fan-cooled space backed by a jazzy soundtrack.

A couple of kilometers downstream from the Pub With Cold Beer, this rustic jungle hut, formerly called Wild Boar Eco Farm, is run by local tour operator Captain Cuong. The scenery here is awe-inspiring—swinging hammocks overlook the wilderness and Cuong’s prize collection of free-range Euro-Asian wild boar.

Set up in a giant courtyard full of wooden booths, deck furniture, and barrels, the Moose & Roo Smokehouse at the American Center is chock-full of those looking for delicious smoked meats and comfort food. This lively restaurant promises Texas in Hanoi, and it delivers.

One of several ancient houses in the neighborhood, the house of district chief Tran Tuan Kiet was built in 1838, its 108 poles made from the wood of xylia xylocarpa trees. Beautiful carved furniture, some with mother-of-pearl inlays, doors carved with flowers and trees, ceramic pieces, and other antiques fill the house, which was restored in 2003 with financial and technical assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Its on-site restaurant is a popular stop for small group tours and serves a seven-course set menu of Mekong Delta cuisine, including deep-fried elephant ear fish.

This is the place for comfort food, with a fabulous brunch menu, crunchy salads, tasty burgers, and good coffee, all in a relaxed and convivial setting. The restaurant is staffed by youthful locals, many of whom are students with good English and the know-how to deliver natural, personable service.

This garden restaurant with mostly outdoor seating is an expat favorite. Founded by Spanish and Italian natives, My Casa blends the two cuisines together to create a unique array of options. Choose from a selection that encompasses homemade pastas, delicious paella, pizza, classic tapas like tortilla, Iberico ham, and chorizo as well as hearty mains like a slow cooked lamb shank. 

They don't do the coffee here my way or your way—they do it their way, and it's all the better for it. Indeed, the rich and chocolatey brew on offer here has earned this small venue a reputation for doing the finest cup of joe on Cat Ba Island. Try the traditional Vietnamese ca phe or one of the restaurant's iced frappuccinos. The food is not quite as impressive, but it still does a very solid job. Nevertheless, the standard Cat Ba blend of western and Vietnamese favorites seems to keep the customers happy. The thin crust pizza with imaginative toppings especially earns good reports.

In contrast to the same-owned L'Escale French restaurant on the rooftop, this all-day café-restaurant serves a variety of traditional Mekong specialties in a casual bistro setting. The dishes highlight typical Mekong Delta flavors, ingredients, and preparations, including sweet-and-sour soups and braised-in-claypot dishes; the adventurous can try the snake set, while the less adventurous still have a Western menu available. Part of the tourist-targeted empire that also owns Sao Hom and The Lighthouse Restaurants, this one offers the most traditional fare. Reservations are recommended at peak times, as large tour groups can arrive en masse.

Aimed more at tourists than at local clientele, this restaurant within a renovated French villa provides a good introduction to Vietnamese cuisine. Just bear in mind that portions of the tasty and beautifully presented dishes, such as beef in coconut milk, can be disappointingly small. The restaurant's claim to fame is serving Shinto Abe in 2006, and they still offer a menu commemorating the event.

The plush Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai is a fittingly impressive setting for one of Central Vietnam's most exquisite Japanese dining experiences. Utilizing the finest ingredients, including fish and seafood imported from Japan and high-grade beef cuts, the chefs here create unforgettable omakase menus for diners. Wash the food down with premium sakes and wines or Japanese-inspired cocktails.

This basic metal-tables-and-chairs joint serves nem nuong (grilled pork sausage) with platters of rice paper, herbs, pickled vegetables, fried wonton wrappers (for crunch), fresh rice noodle, and other fixings, all to be rolled together and dipped into a pork-and-peanut sauce.

Popular with tourists and native Hanoians alike, this is one of the few restaurants in the Old Quarter that manages to unite the two demographics. There is an à la carte menu as well as set menus, but locals usually prefer to go for the "popular" dishes, which involves pointing at steaming vats containing dishes such as chicken with mushroom, eggplants with spring onion, and fried pork ribs. The food is freshly cooked and regularly replenished, and is reliably delicious whichever way you order.

Qui Nhon's "food street" is short but packed with dozens of stands that come alive in the evening. Join Vietnamese tourists on plastic stools having snacks and desserts.

This burger joint is a hit with worldly locals, who sit in the trendy dining rooms and chomp on artisanal French fries and what are probably Hanoi's best burgers. Ngoam loosely translates as "to open your mouth as wide as possible" and is therefore a fitting name for a place that serves tall burgers packed with delicious add-ons.

For some of the best authentic Vietnamese food around, head 6 km (4 miles) outside the city center to this 300-year-old house surrounded by rice paddies and lotus ponds. The menu features traditional dishes such as fish barbecued in bamboo, banana flower salad, crispy prawn pancakes, and Asian spinach soup with basil-seasoned rice. For a unique dessert, try the white rice and mung beans in coconut sauce.

There are two parts to the night market, one section selling clothes and tourist items and the other serving sweet and savory treats from a variety of carts, with vendors who are well versed in the point-and-nod style of ordering. Most of the food can be munched while strolling and is more of a snack than a meal. Stalls start appearing at around 6 pm each day.

Down a hidden alley in the Old Quarter, this quirky, three-tiered Hanoi hot spot has a rooftop terrace popular with travelers. Choose from a variety of coffees, teas, cocktails, and small bites. Antiques blended with hip decor give this bar plenty of character day and night.

Choose fresh seafood, ribs, chicken, and vegetables from trays out front to be barbecued on sidewalk grills made from 44-gallon drums. The no-frills setting, corrugated metal roof, and chaotic service are part of the fun.

Funky wall art, exposed brick, and black metal gives character to this tucked-away vegetarian cafe where you can find healthy fare such as salads, sourdough toasts, and smoothie bowls.

Though its dining room looks quite plain, Now Restaurant serves delicious home-style Vietnamese cooking, which means ordering a soup, vegetable, and meat dish to be shared family-style and eaten with rice. But if you're solo or a pair, they've recreated the experience with a filling set menu.

With its exposed brick, whitewashed walls and artsy bookcases, this photogenic café wouldn't be out of place on a Greek island. It's popular with the young Instagram crowd, but come anyway for its delicious smoothies and blended drinks. The healthy breakfast and lunch offerings are also crowd-pleasers.