112 Best Restaurants in Vietnam

The centerpiece of this stylish, immensely popular Japanese-owned restaurant is not a sushi bar but a brick oven, and the focus here is Japanese-Italian fusion, targeted at the Vietnamese palate but equally loved by out-of-towners. You can opt for classic creations such as prosciutto margarita or something a little more experimental, like flower pizza (with edible blooms such as pumpkin, leek, and daylily), teriyaki chicken with seaweed or salmon miso cream. Italian-style appetizers and pasta dishes are also available, as is a cheese platter featuring handmade cheeses from the 4Ps' cheese factory near Dalat. Customers who can't get a seat will stand by the bar just for a slice of the mouthwatering pizza. Reservations for this location should be made in advance. This location is the original, with a growing number of restaurants in some of Vietnam's biggest cities.

Bancong means "balcony" in Vietnamese (from the French balcon), and this multistory 1940s Art Deco mansion has plenty of them. The outdoor spaces overflow with flowers and pot plants, and make good spots to watch scenes of the Old Quarter unfold below. The menu is rather muddled, but the Vietnamese dishes, including bun cha, are reliably good. So is the ca phe cot dua (iced coconut coffee), a Hanoi specialty.

More of a café than a bar, this tiny place serves great, healthy breakfasts as well as Western sandwiches, salads, and pizzas, all by the beach. Bar200 makes their own pizza dough, sandwich bread, and burger buns in house. There's covered seating as well as outdoor tables on the deck.

Awarded a Bib Gourmand in 2023, this cute little eatery can be found down a small alleyway near Ben Thanh Market, past a row of nail salons. Known for serving cheap and cheerful Vietnamese food at its finest, the restaurant's staff are friendly, the food is tasty, and there's a range of interesting and refreshing drinks and desserts.

What began as a modest seafood restaurant is now a bustling three-story eating emporium that's jam-packed on weekends with tourists from Ho Chi Minh City who come to Mui Ne to feast on fresh seafood. To order, head out front to the buckets of prawn, fish, clams, and other sea critters and make your selection (price is by weight), then choose how you want it cooked (steamed, grilled, stir-fry, hotpot). There is also an à la carte English menu.

This delightful and delicious fast-casual Italian shop has ready-to-go focaccia pizza slices and panini, as well as heartier hot dishes that come out quick. This is a great place for aperitivo, where you can sip an Aperol spritz or a Peroni while nibbling arancini rice balls.

There’s nothing fancy about this charity-run diner, just good Western food at cheap prices and heartwarming service. Repurposed from an English center, this café employs minority and deaf workers, and is a favorite among expats and visitors. Most come for the cause, but return for the vegetarian chili, English breakfast, or burgers and pizzas.

More of a restaurant than a bar but still good for evening drinks, this stylish spot specializes in Vietnamese rice wine, which is sometimes used in traditional medicines. Bring your game face and try the insect dishes and creative rice wine cocktails. The liquor, sold under the restaurant's own Son Tinh brand, is quite strong, so avoid drinking it on an empty stomach. 

Now back at the Temple of Literature (it moved during the pandemic), this place can get packed with tour groups. The flavors here—from baked fish in banana leaf to bamboo beef—are bold and brilliant, and the menu is a mix of creative dishes. The fact that Koto (an acronym for "know one, teach one") is a charity restaurant that benefits street youth, is just the icing on the lemon cheesecake.

The flagship location of this well-loved café chain offers a chic Old Saigon vibe to go along with reliably good, contemporary café fusion fare including salads, sandwiches, pastas, and other Western and Asian favorites. The all-day breakfast menu is also popular as are the gorgeous desserts. Head upstairs for a trendy retail space featuring Vietnam-inspired clothing and gifts from local designers and more seating.

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.

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.

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.

The climb all the way to the rooftop of a residential apartment building is worth the effort for a rustic, home-cooked meal. A Saigon favorite, the extensive menu here features tapas-sized dishes that are great for sharing. The eclectic plates and bowls, faded walls, and heavy wood tables just add to the charming atmosphere. The restaurant is especially pretty at night with lanterns and fairy lights. The space is fan-cooled only, so lunch can be a somewhat sweaty affair. There is a second, slightly less atmospheric location at 131 Calmette.

The most social spot on the beach, Soul Kitchen attracts a year-round mix of expats and local visitors, with frequent live music and open mike events. During the day the shady grass frontage, pool table, and board games keep kids entertained, leaving parents free to relax in raised cabanas with a Vietnamese-French menu, wine list, and cold draft beer. Friday through Sunday, rain or shine, Soul Kitchen hosts live music events.

A visit to Con Son isn't complete without a seafood-focused meal at Thu Ba. Chef Thu Ba works her magic in the kitchen while her daughter Thuy works the guests in the homey front section, recommending dishes from the extensive menu full of Vietnamese seafood, pork, and beef, plus hot pot dishes (the slipper lobster is highly recommended).

Vegans and vegetarians descend on this hole-in-the-wall ramen joint for their tofu, tempeh, and other meat alternatives, but the rich broth will likely tickle omnivores' taste buds, too. The new location is bigger than before, but you can still watch the Japanese ramen chef meticulously prepare your meal before slurping it up.

As the first fully interactive street food experience in Vietnam, this buzzy, upscale food hall, owned by local-celebrity chef Ms. Vy, attracts a steady stream of enthusiastic foodies keen to take a culinary tour of Hoi An’s gastronomic classics. The menu here is visual, and diners are invited to wander among the various food stations where traditional dishes like cau lao noodles, banh mi, and savory country pancakes are made to order, to be devoured on simple bench seating arranged in the central courtyard.

With meat as the staple fare of the Northwest, it comes as some surprise to find that Dien Bien Phu's top restaurant is a wholly vegetarian affair—a delicious one at that. The owner is an English tutor, which ensures that service is much less spotty than it tends to be elsewhere in the more remote regions of Vietnam. Despite Dien Bien's Phu's mythical status in the country's history, there's nothing revolutionary about the food here, but it is tasty, including vegetarian spring rolls.

An assortment of antiques and a jungle of potted-plants add panache to this humble family-run restaurant, which has been in business for a decade. It's no wonder, because the home-style Vietnamese dishes of meat, seafood, or vegetable stir-fry served with rice are delicious and filling.

A centrally located café-restaurant, Alpaca's quirky, creative atmosphere pairs nicely with its versatile menu of coffee, alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, brunch bites, pastas, and burritos, all prepared with great care.

Midway between the Reunification Palace and Notre Dame cathedral, overlooking the tall trees of April 30 Park, this is a great place to linger, whether for a meal or just a smoothie or coffee. The flavors are Mediterranean and Middle Eastern, the staff is attentive, and the location is prime. The appeal of Au Parc, in a restored colonial-era shopfront, is further enhanced by the children's playroom upstairs, which is supervised by a nanny on weekends from 11 am to 4 pm while brunch is served.

Slap-bang in the heart of the backpacker district, this long-standing and much loved Indian restaurant serves a great selection of curries, tandoori, tikka, vegetarian dishes, breads, and Southern Indian specialties. It's an unassuming, clean, and friendly little place, but if you don't feel like venturing out, they deliver throughout Ho Chi Minh City.

This two-story restaurant made of bamboo is one of the first spots to stop for a bite once you enter Tam Coc Village. The goat and pork dishes get rave reviews and the service helps Bamboo stand out as a tourist favorite. You will almost certainly be offered a free fruit dessert or a shot of rice wine. Head up the stairs for a nice view of the limestone-filled rice paddies.

Located only a few meters away from Tam Coc Harbor, The Banana Tree Hostel-Kitchen-Bar is a large social hub and outdoor restaurant that offers Italian coffee and a range of comfortable seating options. Their menu is small but expertly executed. The Vietnamese salad and snacks are a delicious choice, and the Western food hits the spot. It's a very youth-oriented spot these days, so expect a rambunctious atmosphere.

A no-frills, family-run institution, Banh Xeo 46A is the go-to place for one of southern Vietnam's most cherished culinary creations: banh xeo (literally, "sizzling crepe")—a crispy pancake made with rice flour, coconut milk, and a smidgen of turmeric, and filled with bean sprouts, onion, shrimp, and pork. Break off a piece and wrap it up in a giant mustard leaf along with a handful of herbs and greens, and dunk it in a fish sauce-based dip laced with chilies. The menu has been expanded to include a nice range of Vietnamese dishes but the banh xeo is still the star. Popular with tour groups and food tours, there's a room with air-conditioning, but sitting outside and watching the food being made is more fun.

This inspired little beach club 15 km (10 miles) from Hue has shady beach cabanas, hammocks, and a large cobalt-blue fishing boat that serves as the bar. It's a laid-back place, with a simple Vietnamese seafood menu, where you feel a world away from the annoyances of the city. They make it easy to stay with a few huts housing dorm-style accommodations. Its sister accommodation Villa Louise with tastefully designed ocean view villas and a swimming pool is a gem in the crown of this stretch of pristine beach. The Beach Bar is on private land, and you pay 100,000d on weekdays and 150,000d during weekends and on holidays to enter (which is refundable against food and drink orders).

One of a number of large and popular bia hoi (fresh beer) halls named Hai Xom that serves all the Vietnamese favorites, including stir-fried meet dishes, deep-fried tofu dishes, and plenty of fresh green vegetables.

This Thai eatery was opened by Daniel Takianchan, a native of Bangkok, in 2006. With a big menu and wine on display from around the world, the open wooden dining area welcomes many expats and tourists. The tom yam koong is delicious and the chicken pandanus—chicken wrapped in pandan leaves and deep-fried— is not to be missed.