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Vientiane Restaurants,
Cafes and Markets

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Last updated on Dec 16, 2013
All information below is subject to change

Looking for restaurants in Vientiane?

There are so many restaurants, cafes and markets to choose from in town. Vientiane has gone a long way to cater tourists and backpackers.

Prices range from dirt cheap (1,000 kip) to luxury meals!

My advice to you: Head for the Mekong River in the evening!

Eating right next to Mekong was my favorite experience, and worth while :-)

You should try the food at the riverside restaurants, or buy food from food vendors walking along the river.

Enjoy!

Riverside Restaurants
in Vientiane

The riverside restaurants have all the right ingredients:

• Facing the river, they've set up lots of red sitting pillows and low tables on dozens of carpets. It gives you that local atmosphere, like you're actually in Laos!

• You should definitely try the grilled Mekong fish with some sticky rice to fill your hands with. Or the barbequed chicken, called Ping Kai.

• And let's not forget... the good old Lao beer!

• Ah...then you have the nice breeze from the Mekong River!

...Yeah. Now we're talking!

Remember to wear long pants and a sweater or a hoody! You can't avoid annoying mosquitoes, and the fresh breeze from the river might give you goosebumps.

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Vieng Sawan Restaurant

A popular restaurant among locals, Vieng Sawan had great spring rolls and tender BBQ pork meatballs.

I love good food, so nothing stopped me from buying even more the following day. It was nice to have something hot, cheap and yummy for the trip to Pakse.

Where: Th Heng Boun

Ban Anou Night Market

If there's one place in Vientiane where you MUST try the food (at least once), is Ban Anou!

There's noodle dishes, scampi dishes, whole Mekong fish, fresh green vegetable salads, beef curries, barbeque chicken and so much more for you to collect and try! It will keep your mouth running!

Dozens of food stalls are ready to sell when sunset hits Vientiane. For 5,000 kip I got the beef curry and sticky rice! Cheap cheap!

...What are you waiting for…??

Where and when: Th Chao Anou every afternoon

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Scandinavian Bakery

This one was slightly bigger than the Scandinavian Bakery in Luang Prabang. They sold the same types of cakes, pastries, bread, cookies, juices and sandwiches. But of course more of them.

I was actually a little disappointed about their brownies (it was some how better in Luang Prabang), but I still liked the taste of their cheese croissants.

The best part was their outdoor eatery (and their Swedish tobacco "snus". One lazy morning I just sat down and enjoyed their cappuccino out in the sun.

But have in mind that the Scandinavian Bakery is too popular, so you probably have to share a table with some other people or wait.

Where: Near Nam Phou Fountain

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PVO Restaurant

Want a quick bite?

PVO is the perfect place to grab some crispy spring rolls for the bus trip, or some Vietnamese rice noodles for lunch.

I particularly enjoyed the noodles with pork, chilli and bean sprouts! I love bean sprouts and meat together, so the food was just awesome. Think the dish is called Nam Neuang.

But PVO is famous for its Vietnamese twist of baguettes. I tried one baguette - but the bread was hard. So I ended up just eating the vegetables and threw the bread.

Where: Th Fa Ngum

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Just For Fun

Want vegetarian food?

It's not exactly easy to find vegetarian restaurants in Vientiane. Just for Fun is known for serving 100% vegetarian meals with a Laotian twist for $2-3.

Their excellent selection of herbal teas is worth a shot. And if you have sweet tooth, they have a good selection of pastries. Think their chocolate cake is popular ;-)

Where: Pangkham road

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Further reading: My sightseeing trip in Vientiane Reviews of rooms in Vientiane What are the Laos visa requirements?

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