36 Best Restaurants in Vietnam

The city's only Michelin-starred restaurant, Anan Saigon puts a whimsically modern twist on Vietnamese street food. Talented Vietnamese-American chef-owner Peter Cuong Franklin is credited for pioneering Vietnamese fusion cuisine, often elevating Vietnamese flavors with French cooking techniques. The main restaurant is on the ground floor but also explore the upper floors to Nhau Nhau for cocktails with an Old Saigon vibe, Pot Au Pho noodle bar serving innovative variations of Vietnam's de facto national dish, and the rooftop bar for views of the neighboring wet market backed by one of Saigon's tallest buildings.

The old-world charm of the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel extends to its in-house restaurant, which serves Vietnamese and Western cuisine overlooking a busy junction of the Chau Doc and Hau River. Take a seat on the terrace to enjoy sunset (and happy hour) at the river and the attentive but discreet service. This is the priciest place in town, but the food, the staff, and the river views make it worthwhile. Reservations are recommended because sometimes the restaurant hosts bus tours.

Even if you're not staying at Azerai Can Tho, a boutique resort on a lush islet in the middle of the river, it's worth making a reservation and taking their boat over for an elegant lunch or dinner. The casual lunch menu and more extensive dinner menu both feature delicious Vietnamese specialties and fine international dishes, paired with a comprehensive wine list and a slew of creative cocktails. The menu changes weekly at The Grill, their other restaurant, opened on weekends.

A stylish lounge and restaurant on the banks of the slow-flowing Saigon River, The Deck is a place to spoil yourself with sublime seafood-focused pan-Asian cuisine, fine wines, and professional service. The beauty of the entry courtyard, with its tall trees, black marble pond, and potted lotus plants, is almost forgotten once you enter the restaurant, where the river views take center stage. The weekend Champagne brunches are sophisticated yet casual and the executive set lunches are perfectly suited to the business crowd.

Serving French fare with a Vietnamese touch, Fashionista Café is the place to see and be seen, enclosed in a lovely glass "winter garden" in the heart of the city. Owned by a fashion magnate, the space is intimate and stylish with a retail space (mainly women's fashion) upstairs. The set menus are especially good value considering the high quality and beautiful presentation of the food. Check the Facebook page for events, including acoustic nights, wine and dine, and Sunday picnic brunches. The afternoon tea is superbly priced and very popular with the Instagram crowd.

If you're craving quality sushi at reasonable prices, this family-owned eatery can't be beat. Grab a seat at the sushi bar on the ground floor and watch Vietnamese-American Chef Van at work or take one of the tables upstairs in a stylish space and order to your heart's content. The restaurant offers three tiers of omakase sushi buffet where diners have two hours to eat their fill of sushi, sashimi, salads, and hot dishes. Upgrade to the higher tiers for progressively premium ingredients including wagyu and otoro.

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.

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.

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. 

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 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.

Staffed by alumni of Jimmy Pham's KOTO (Know One, Teach One) not-for-profit social enterprise helping at-risk and disadvantaged Vietnamese youth, this collaboration with Sofitel Saigon Plaza offers exciting contemporary cuisine in a stylish setting. Expect innovative Vietnamese fusion fare that blends imported ingredients with local flavors and techniques. The menu revolves around elevated versions of Vietnamese favorites and includes smaller plates designed for sharing as well as hearty mains.

For tasty, sophisticated cuisine, there's no better place in Phong Nha than The Villas, the main restaurant at Victory Road Villas. An immaculate setting close to the Son River is an important string to the venue's bow. But equally enchanting is a small but perfectly formed menu that encompasses international and Vietnamese cuisine with highlights including duck confit and a salmon filet with caper mash potatoes, asparagus, and orange sauce. 

Nonguests are welcome at the luxury Six Senses Con Dao's main restaurant, which is the perfect venue for a romantic meal of freshly caught local seafood and fine wine overlooking Dat Doc Beach. It's just as stunning by moonlight as it is during the day. The menu is Asian fusion with a hint of French influence.

At Duyen Anh Restaurant you can pick up your own live fish, shrimp, or lobsters from the tanks, and vegetables are homegrown in the 4-acre garden viewable from your dining table. All dishes are designed to share. Crab salad is a delicate combination of crabmeat, crab roe, and baked rice paper with fresh banana blossom, bean sprouts, and herbs. The best seats are on the second floor or in the private pavilions on a waterlily pond. Although it has a beautiful setting and a playground for kids, it's far from the city's center.

Another standout in Danang is the innovative fusion cuisine at Fat Fish—a marriage of culinary sensibilities engendered by local restaurateur Duc Tran, whose empire of venues in Hoi An has made him one of Vietnam's most recognizable figures. In a smart venue with seats overlooking the Han River, diners can sample signature dishes like five-spice, pan-fried duck breast with soba noodles, and seabass with ginger jam with glasses of Pasteur Street Jasmine IPA, a tasty Vietnamese brew. 

Almost exclusively using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, Lang Viet's menu highlights Vietnam’s regional culinary diversity with the best dishes from three regions, North, Central, and South. It's a journey through Vietnam via your palate.

Opened in 1901 and nestled in the Metropole, Le Beaulieu was possibly the first-ever French restaurant in Hanoi. The spacious dining room doesn't lend itself particularly well to intimacy, but an extensive wine list and expert sommelier service heighten the allure.

Inside the historical Azerai La Residence Hue, this pricey brasserie rivals anything you might find in Paris. The French fusion degustation menu (which must be requested eight hours in advance) features six exquisite courses, ranging from smoked duck carpaccio to beef tenderloin with rosemary. International wines are paired with each course, including an impressive dessert of molten chocolate with red hibiscus coulis served under a crystallized sugar dome.

Argentinian steak, French lamb, and other carnivorous treats are cooked to perfection and served in bucolic surroundings in a quiet and atmospheric corner of West Lake. There's also a back room with air-conditioning for when Hanoi heats up, making this a popular (and pricey) spot for both high-salaried foreigners and well-heeled locals.

An upmarket brewery, bar, and restaurant situated in huge beachfront premises, Lousiane Brewhouse even has its own pool and sun loungers. A good selection of well-priced European-style craft beer is on offer, as well as an extensive menu of international and Vietnamese cuisine. Louisiane Brewhouse has a bit of something for everyone, including live music in the evenings, and is one of the best places in town for a sundown drink.

Brewery tours with tastings are available.

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.

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.

American businessman Scott, who hails from Louisiana, decided to get into restaurants with his Vietnamese partner Olivia, and the result is a steak house devoted to Southern-style hospitality. Overlooking Han River, this brick-and-bamboo establishment caters to families and groups and has the best steaks in town, along with killer sides. After dinner, don’t be surprised when you are offered a shot of locally made chocolate vodka. The prices are high for Vietnam, but you get what you pay for.

Mango Bay Resort's in-house restaurant serves an ambitious menu of Pan-Asian and Western cuisine on their wooden deck perched on rocks that jut out over the water. The views of the sunset over the Gulf of Thailand are unparalleled, the cocktails delicious, the staff attentive, making it a popular spot with people coming from all over the island; reservations are essential.