13 Best Restaurants in The Central Coast, 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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

This opulent 40-seat restaurant is inside Ancient Hue Garden Houses. Blending cultural heritage and fine cuisine, it pays tribute to the last carving artists in Hue. The restaurant is famous for vividly recreating the authentic cuisines of Hue's royalty. Each dish is beautifully presented with vegetables sculpted into shapes of plants and animals. Expect an experience more than a meal with the Royal Court Dinner, an eight-course dinner with traditional music.

Reservations should be made at least four hours in advance.

Don't be fooled by the street view. The (red) sky's the limit at this trendy restaurant with some of the best Western food in Vietnam. Start with the salmon tartare followed by homemade spaghetti carbonara. Straight from the grill are perfectly cooked mango chicken and Zurich tenderloin with mushroom and potatoes.