Budget
Nazim Indian Restaurant
On the mekong river road: decent indian food. their toilet is not the cleanest in the country, perhaps because the patrons of some of the eateries on the river bank are directed here for certain needs when they are not simply sent down to the reeds at the water's edge. nazim has opened another branch in thanon pang kham, opposite the offices of lao airlines. there are at least 4 other indian restaurants in the city centre, and all quite similar.
Stay Hungry Burger
Stay Hungry Burger's claim is true, you really do stay hungry after eating there! â The burger you're about to unwrap is the smallest in town.
Ban Anou Night Market
Is only about 1 block long and starts setting up at sundown, but it has some of the best cheap eats in town. there's a wide range of street snacks available, including pho made with handpulled noodles, little lettuce wrapped snacks with peanut filling miang, all types of grilled skewered meats, grilled sticky rice, local beverages made from coconut, chai tea, cornm grass jelly and more. particularly worth trying are the small rice pancakes - two hemispheres of rice-based batter are fried in a tin, filled with minced pork and beansprouts and put together. about the size of a flattened tennis ball, absolutely delicious.
Along the river
Dozens of unpretentious restaurants and beer gardens, from opposite the bcel bank strung along the mekong for approximately 2km upriver those upstream from the main beach promenade are generally cheaper. all are pleasant places for a beer and a snack or a complete meal while the sun goes down over the river. one of these is one-time famous john's restaurant, but since the owner married an australian and left for down under there is nothing to distinguish it from the other places left and right. all serve inexpensive but not really cheap for laos - in fact, the prices for most foods are much like in thailand lao, thai and some western food. among the best is the grilled fish, served by many of them. take care when you're in for boiled eggs: what you get here are incubated duck eggs. when you open them you're in for a surprise but at least the little bird does not chirp. the lao love them, they are hugely popular.in 2005 one of the eateries along the river put lao-style reed mats on the ground with low rattan "tables" ka toke; diners sit cross-legged on the mat around the table. these became so popular that they can now be found at many of these establishments. they are much nicer than the rickety metal tables and plastic chairs that are the standard of all but the better restaurants in laos. the riverside open-air restaurants have been known to use two menus, a cheaper one for locals and an expensive one for foreigners.
A selection of more sophisticated restaurants:
Taj Mahal Restaurant
Just south of the national culture hall, has good indian food at good prices, if you don't mind listening to american pop music.
Midrange
Kua Lao
At thanon samsenthai. authentic lao food with a good selection of vegetarian dishes; traditional lao music and dance performances in the evening. teh food is expensive by lao standards with main dishes from us$6-12 and set meals at us$15.
Café Indochine
Thanon setthathirat. authentic vietnamese food - particularly recommended: the set meals at about us$4-5. when there are more than just a few guests the kitchen staff may loose sight of their priorities.
Khao Nieow
In thanon nokeo kumman, almost next to la terrasse. set three-course meals at us$4.50. steaks in two qualities: lao beef at around 4 or 5 usd; new zealand lamb and beef at about us$8 and above. to be tried on a cool evening: the fondue bourguignonne at us$26 for two and, a surprise in a place whose name means "sticky rice", excellent cheese fondue at us$28 for two - not something for the hottest months of the year, but nice around the year's end when temperatures drop.
Kong View Bar and Restaurant
183 luang prabang road: with the ongoing construction of the flood management levee and river park in vientiane, this restaurant now offers the most optimal dining views of the mekong. thai owned, it features an extensive menu of what is best termed "thai-lao fusion". not incredibly exciting food, but good. portions on the small side, however. also, the staff will invariably mess up your order. keep a close eye on the bill, as well, as items tend to make it on there that you didn't order.
La Terrasse
Thanon nokeo kumman, is popular with expats and tourists alike. it is one of the best french restaurants in vientiane very good pizzas, and excellent tender steaks at about us$5. set three-course lunch is us$5.50, main dishes up to us$10. closed on sundays.
The Spirit House
On that tree-shaded part of the river promenade that has not yet been "upgraded" to lao-style sterile banality like the stretch downriver there are plans for it, but fortunately the money seems to have run out. it is about 0.3 km upstream from the end of the paved portion of the road. an excellent cocktail bar, it also offers a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu with competent and friendly service. every evening there is 25% off all cocktails and a view of the sun setting on the mekong. watch the waiters jump the puddles in the rainy season when you've chosen to sit outside on the terrace across the potholed road.
Le Croissant d'Or
And banneton cafã©, almost next to each other in thanon nokeo kumman running from the river to thanon setthathirat have croissants and pastries and serve simple lunches. banneton sells the best baguettes in town - tasty, not just something to chew. their coffee is among the best in vientiane, on a par with that at joma. the owners of le croissant d'or also run the vista cafã© in thanon franã§ois ngin free wifi internet when you spend 30,000 kip on food and drink.
Le Côte dâAzur
On thanon fa ngum: a favourite of the expat community, serving generous helpings of mainly french food.
Phonethip Coca Suki Restaurant
Thanon sailom opposite the lao telecom service centre. part of a chain that also has restaurants in thailand and indonesia. good lao, thai, chinese and western food. reasonable prices and good, attentive service. very popular at lunch time with office workers and students.
Lao Garden
2km east on tha deua road. for decent lao, thai and western food in a charming environment, this is the place. very popular with locals and with a great view of the mekong. mains cost between 30,000 - 100,000k. the fried fish laap is excellent. often offers live music in the evenings. meena nightclub opposite is a fun place to dance the night away with local lao youth after dinner.
Lotus Restaurant
Next to cultural hall. serves traditional lao and western food, 08:30am - 11:30pm. price range: us$2-4.
JoMa
Thanon setthathirat, and scandinavian bakery in the fountain square, extremely popular air-conditioned cafã©s and bakeries with simple lunches and excellent cakes & coffee. free wifi internet at joma. tv showing cnn upstairs at the scandinavian.
Just For Fun
By the that dam, just off rue samsenthai. bright, cheery, friendly place perfect for a leisurely bite and beer in the shadow of the that dam. wholesome, healthy thai-influenced food and fresh desserts. good selection of vegetarian dishes. mains start at $us2.50.
Moon the Night Restaurant
Another 0.5km farther upstream from the spirit house and somewhat difficult to find: the river promenade ends a few hundred metres before â best to take a tuk-tuk. directions: from the novotel 0.5 km west, direction airport, past the ford showroom, then turn into a soi on the left which after 200 metres takes you to the river. there ask around. a very pleasant spot to eat excellent lao food. a large place, an extensive menu, competent and friendly service. background music not too loud. highly recommended. a meal of 6 to 8 dishes for 4 people costs us$15-20 including drinks.
Khop Chai Deu
Near the fountain. inside 2 floors and outside seating. average lao, thai, indian and western food. friendly service. open until late evening. price range: 1-4 usd. try the âlao discoveryâ menu at us$6.5 but check with the waiter how spicy it all isâ¦. noisy low-quality bands play western popular music some evenings. also a bar see below. buffet at lunchtime.
Via Via
Opposite riverside hotel on thanon nokeo kumman. excellent wood-fired italian style pizza and homemade pastas priced from us$4. good selection of belgian beers.
Evening Dinner Cruises
On the river â two different companies, on boat moored opposite wat chan and one 300 metres upriver. not very impressive, neither the boat trip 1 hour, departure around 7pm: 1 km upstream then 2 downstream and back - only when the water level is high enough nor the food. but very relaxing. this lao maritime experience will cost you only slightly more than the same meal in one of the beer gardens on the river bank.
Kop Kap
Across from tat luang temple. a favourite among ex-pats living nearby, if you crave thai food. packed during lunch time, the restaurant is known for its excellent penang curry. closed sundays.
Salana Corner
(http://www.salanaboutique.com) 2 minutes walk away from the mekong river on chao anou rd. +85621254254 07.30am-10.00pm . this restuarant & cafe is part of salana boutique hotel and offers a good selection of lao western dishes. known for employing lao chefs from famous hotels in laos, the restuarant is situated between wat ong teu and wat inpaeng, quiet but in a very good location. good selection of beers & beverages also avaliable. approx us$3-12 per person.
Hong Kong Restaurant
Opposite lao plaza hotel. lackadaisical cantonese dishes us$2-9 and a small selection of dim sum us$1 per plate. there have been reports of them padding the bill. check the bill carefully before paying! (that, by the way, is something you should do everywhere: in a country where they use a calculator to subtract 7 from 10 it comes as no surprise that their counting of beers consumed is not always accurate, although to be fair the mistakes are not always to the disadvantage of the customer.
Lane Xang Hotel
The restaurant in the Lane Xang Hotel on Thanon Fa Ngum has traditional Lao music and dance performances every evening from about 7PM, which you watch while eating your dinner of recommended Lao food. Get there early to secure a table with a good view of the stage. A meal for four, consisting of 5 or 6 dishes including drinks, will come at about US$30.
Café des Arts
In thanon hengboun, near the cultural hall, (http://www.cafedesartslaos.com). excellent home made pasta and pizzas for around us$6-7, as well as a good selection of wines including by the glass.
Tex-Mex Alexia Restaurant and Bar
On fa ngum road almost directly across from the chinese temple. ostensibly a tex-mex eatery, expat americans uniformly condemn the food. yet the place is almost always packed. the bar does a lively business, serving up very strong margaritas. live music many nights. even if you don't fancy trying the food, it's a fine place to sip a drink and watch the city roll by. caution to males: the pretties coming by your table to chat you up--sure the lao are a friendly people, but tex-mex alexia seems to have become a haven for the city's working girls eyeing some "foreign exchange".
Inter Hotel Restaurant
Quai fa ngum, riverside, well prepared szechuan food, about us$3 per dish. the hotel also runs the inter stone house in the same building round the corner; about the same or a slightly higher price range. western and thai/lao food; their specialty is the sizzling steak on a stone platter, which however is not recommended rather leathery meat with maltreated french fries and tasteless vegs. offers little for vegetarians.
The Pizza Company/Swensen's
Next to the national culture hall on samsenthai road, is the first international fast food chain to open in laos. it features a similar menu to its thai parent operation, though prices are 10-15% higher, since practically everything is imported from thailand. the pizzas are poor in comparison to others available in town.
Up 2 U
Just off of thanon lane xang. call nok for english reservations/directions on +856206711784 11am-11pm . 5 mins walk from the morning market this restuarant offers a good selection of lao 'bbq' dishes and soups as well as the usual rice dishes. the restuarant is situated just off the main road next to a large fishing pond surrounded by colonial houses - a welcome change from the busy riverfront. good selection of beers & beverages also avaliable. approx us$5-8 per person. it's popular with locals.
Top end
L'Adresse de Tinay
Very inventive and especially tasty cuisine cooked up by tinay, a french chef trained in michelin starred restaurants in france. located in a little street behind the temple 'wat ongteu' parallel to setthathirath road. delphine, tinay's wife, will make you feel at home from the moment you step in. mains start at us$10 with set menus for less than us$20. this restaurant is overpriced for what it is. the steaks are expensive and are local meat, not imported. they are tough and chewy. email : [email protected] - mobile phone 02056913434.
L'Opera
At the fountain; good italian food but not quite comparable to what you get in the owner's home country. good pizzas. don't go there if you cannot stand opera - it is played continuously in the background though not, fortunately, so loud that it drowns the conversation.
Le Central
On thanon setthathirat: good western food, main courses at us$8-15. three-course set lunch for 75,000 kip us$9.75.
Le Silapa
On thanon sihom the road leading off the setthathirat/khun bulom intersection, a small atmospheric restaurant with excellent french food and a good wine list. main courses start at about us$15.
La Belle Epoque
In the settha palace hotel - excellent food in an atmosphere of colonial elegance but the service needs improvement. main courses starting at us$8.
La Scala Italian Restaurant
Lak 3, thadeua road: excellent italian food. this restaurant is arguably the best in vientiane by a long way. romantic setting in a beautifully maintained colonial home. offers a lunchtime buffet monday-friday. tasty neapolitan-style pizzas. has an extensive wine list, and pasta mains are priced from us$8.
Nam Phou
The first and arguably the best of the restaurants around the fountain nam phu, with good food and exceptional service. a favourite of ngo types.
Le Nadao
Opposite the patuxai park, excellent classical french fare, main courses starting at us$8. booking is recommended tel: 021-213174.
Balkan House
Traditional Yugoslav and Mediterranean homemade dishes, prepared by Montenegrin chef.
Vegetarian/vegan:
Nirvana
Simuang rd. a small road connecting sethattirat rd. to khou vieng rd. in ban simuang, muang sisattanak - close to the famous tourist site wat simuang. delicious lao traditional vegetarian/vegan food with some western-style options. nice change from the mostly chinese-style offer of other buffets. high diversity and rotation rates. in the evening, ask for the menu they have two - one basic one with pictures and another, much larger. 20,000 kip buffet at lunch hours. open mon - sat. family-managed, very clean. some english spoken. tel: +856 21 217 385. here is a google map link to its location: (http://maps.google.com/ma...)
Fathima
A malaysian-indian restaurant along the mekong on fa ngum rd., just around the corner from mixay guesthouse. numerous vegetarian options for 6-50,000 kip. friendly staff and excellent service. dish quality is extremely variable even for several exact-same dishes ordered on the same day. a bit of a pot-luck option.
Vegan food stall @ Talat Sao food court
at the top level of talat sao shopping mall. all plates at 10 000 kip each. buffet plates, excellent veg spring rolls 7 per plate and noodle soups available.
Vegan restaurant @ Talat Khuadin
Inside the market opposite the talat sao. pass the big basket shop and you will see a wooden sign pointing you down an alley. offers a lunch time buffet serving vegan laotian food. you can also get there from th mahosot: go north past the bus station and watch for the alley on the right. down the alley you'll see a "vegetarian" sign on the left. the buffet os open from 10am to 2:30pm for 20,000 kip per person.
Chinese food in vientiane
Fu Man Lou 福滿樓
tel: 21-262249; mobile: 020-55519185, luang prabang road: this restaurant is so successful it now has two locations. the one on the road to the airport is the best by far. it is the most established of the better chinese restaurants in the city, and the chinese diplomats posted to laos often dine here. food selection is multi-regional, but the sichuan dishes are well done.
Jiu-Jiu Restaurant 久玖酒家
tel: 21-213059; mobile: 020-55333419, luang prabang road almost directly opposite the marina nightclub: an unheralded gem, this restaurant offers fantastic southwestern chinese cuisine. the chef hails from qujing 曲靖 in yunnan province. the food is best described as yunnan-sichuan fusion. helps if you know chinese, but the staff can speak lao as well. menu contains plenty of photographs, so if all else fails, just point.
Restaurant Chengdu 成都食府
Luang prabang road. formerly the 東北美食館 manchuria gourmet, this restaurant opened with new name and management in january 2011. the owner/manager claims the chef is from chengdu, but the heavily manchurian-influenced food from the kitchen clearly puts the lie to that claim. it is obvious they have changed the menu to sichuan fare, but kept a manchurian chef who doesn't know how to properly prepare it.
The massive influx in recent years of Chinese investment into Laos may be controversial, but one area in which it has had an undeniably positive impact is the vastly increased quality of Chinese restaurants in Vientiane. No reason anymore to settle for the ghastly Hong Kong Restaurant or uninspired banquet fare in the big hotels. Vientiane has a growing selection of authentic regional Chinese cuisine, particularly from the southwest.
Dihao Hunan Restaurant 帝豪酒店
tel: 21-262799, on t2 road not far from patuxai. if you are craving spicy hunan fare, dihao serves up some of the best you'll find this side of changsha. hunanese-owned and operated the hunan chamber of commerce is on the 4th floor, dihao is likely the finest and most authentic chinese restaurant in vientiane at the moment. staff speak chinese and lao, and the menu is same, but every dish has its own photo. order anything containing chilies, and you can't go wrong.
Classic Lao Di Fang 經典老地方
mobile：020-54011387, 020-56199938, asean road t2, near the dihao hunan restaurant. chinese vegetarian. the owner is taiwanese, so this place seemed promising, as vegetarian cuisine is very popular in taiwan, and done to an extraordinary standard. unfortunately, that level of quality did not follow this owner into laos. the food is lackluster, and the management of the restaurant appears to suffer from neglect, most likely because the owner is rarely in laos.