Ho Chi Minh City guide · Where to eat
Places to eat in Ho Chi Minh City, with what to order and how comfortable each is for families and older travellers.
Updated
Vietnamese food here is built on rice, noodles, fresh herbs and broth, but fish sauce, shrimp paste and pork stock are used in many dishes, including some that look vegetarian. The safest vegetarian choice is a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant, called chay in Vietnamese; the usual sign is the word "chay" or "com chay". Wikivoyage lists vegetarian-friendly places near Pham Ngu Lao, such as Ngoc Tho (which also serves meat) and Hoa Khai, but we could not confirm any menu well enough to apply a diet label. Halal@Saigon, opposite the Jamia Mosque, is listed as serving halal food, which is relevant for Muslim families. Several fully vegan and Indian vegetarian restaurants are listed in this guide with diet tags from the sources we opened; we found no verified Jain-only kitchen. If strict Jain or no-onion-garlic food matters, ask your hotel to arrange it, carry dry snacks, and treat any restaurant claim as unconfirmed until you have asked in person. Say "khong nuoc mam" (no fish sauce) and "an chay" (I eat vegetarian), and show a translated card.
Menus and kitchens change. If you follow a strict diet or have an allergy, confirm with the restaurant before you order.
245/5 Nguyen Trai, District 1
A Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant with several branches; the Nguyen Trai one in District 1 serves noodle soups, stir-fried noodles, spring rolls and mock roast duck.
242 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien ward, District 2
An Indian restaurant in Thao Dien, District 2, listed by The Smart Local for vegetarian and vegan Indian dishes such as gobi tandoori and navratan korma.
53 Cao Thang, Ward 3, District 3
A banh mi shop at 53 Cao Thang in Ward 3, District 3, named by the Vietnam Airlines street-food guide and Chef Tu's list, which describes it as renowned for breakfast.
26 Le Thi Rieng, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1
A small banh mi shop at 26 Le Thi Rieng, District 1, named by four of the independent guides we opened for its sandwiches filled with cured meats, pate and vegetables.
Tran Hung Dao, near Ben Thanh Market
A vegan banh mi shop near Ben Thanh Market on Tran Hung Dao, open 24 hours, with street-side seating. Spinach says everything on the menu is vegan.
46A Dinh Cong Trang, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1
A banh xeo specialist at 46A Dinh Cong Trang in Tan Dinh, District 1, named by several independent Saigon food guides for its large crisp rice-flour pancakes with outdoor seating.
33-35 Dong Du, Sai Gon Ward, District 1
The Dong Du branch of Benaras, a Vietnam-wide Indian group, serving North Indian curries, tandoori kebabs and South Indian dosas. The kitchen cooks meat too, so it suits mixed groups better than strict vegetarians.
207 Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao ward, District 1
An Indian restaurant on Bui Vien in the Pham Ngu Lao area, noted by Expatolife for paneer butter masala, palak paneer, vegetable pakora and masala tea.
Alley off Ham Nghi, District 1
A quiet, air-conditioned vegan bistro tucked into an alley off Ham Nghi, serving banh mi, rice plates and kombucha. Spinach says everything on the menu is vegan.
31 Dang Tat, Tan Dinh ward, District 1
A vegetarian restaurant at 31 Dang Tat in Tan Dinh, known for mushroom hot pot and crispy rice with mushroom sauce, reported by Expatolife and Mytour.
300 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3
A bun bo Hue specialist at 300 Vo Van Tan in District 3, named by Ideal Magazine and Chef Tu's list for the spicy Hue-style beef noodle soup.
110 Suong Nguyet Anh, Pham Ngu Lao ward, District 1
A small vegetarian restaurant near Pham Ngu Lao serving coconut soup, lotus-leaf rice, Mandala rolls and mushroom hot pot, per Expatolife.
321 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3
A District 3 restaurant at 321 Vo Van Tan serving southern Vietnamese food since 1995, known for charcoal-grilled beef wrapped in betel leaves.
84 Dang Van Ngu, Ward 10, Phu Nhuan
A Phu Nhuan restaurant on Dang Van Ngu serving com tam, Saigon's broken rice with grilled marinated pork chop, said to have started in the 1990s.
23 Dong Du, Ben Nghe, District 1
A two-floor Indian restaurant at 23 Dong Du in District 1, listed as vegetarian friendly with vegan and gluten-free options. Chana masala and dal makhani sit beside tandoori meat dishes.
Pham Ngu Lao, Ben Thanh ward, District 1
A vegetarian Indian restaurant on Pham Ngu Lao serving Gujarati, North Indian and South Indian dishes, open daily from 8am. Vegan dishes are marked on the menu.
31 Dong Du, District 1
A halal restaurant at 31 Dong Du, District 1, that Wikivoyage lists for Vietnamese, Malaysian and vegetarian dishes prepared to halal guidelines.
74/1 Pham Viet Chanh, Ward 19, Binh Thanh District
A higher-end vegetarian restaurant in Binh Thanh District known for hot pots, lotus-leaf fried rice and mushroom spring rolls, described by Expatolife as vegetarian.
124-126 Nguyen Cu Trinh, District 1
A vegetarian restaurant at 124-126 Nguyen Cu Trinh in District 1, praised by Wikivoyage for tasty food but noted for surly service.
391 Vo Van Tan, Ward 5, District 3
A District 3 shop on Vo Van Tan serving hu tieu, the southern noodle soup, said to have been operating since the 1970s and listed with a Michelin Bib Gourmand in a 2023 guide.
32 Vo Van Tan, Ward 6, District 3
A vegetarian cafe and restaurant at 32 Vo Van Tan in District 3, with Southeast Asian-inspired dishes and herb-and-fruit drinks in a garden-style space.
Nguyen Hue walking street, District 1
A small upstairs vegan restaurant on Nguyen Hue, reached through the May Cha tea shop, with a daily-changing menu of noodle soups, fresh rolls and housemade tofu.
189 Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1
An Indian restaurant at 189 Bui Vien with a menu of over 100 dishes, curries and dosa among them. It sits in the loud backpacker quarter, so go by day or early evening.
175/9 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1
A vegetarian restaurant at 175/9 Pham Ngu Lao that Wikivoyage describes as clean and friendly with generous portions, though it also serves meat and chicken.
160 Pasteur, Ben Nghe ward, District 1
A large restaurant at 160 Pasteur in District 1 that gathers dishes from north to south Vietnam in one courtyard setting, so a mixed family can order a little of everything.
212B/D48 Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1
A snail and shellfish restaurant at 212B/D48 Nguyen Trai in District 1, named by two independent guides for grilled snails and stir-fried snails.
260C Pasteur, Ward 8, District 3
A pho shop at 260C Pasteur in District 3 that Vietnam Découverte says opened in 1968 and lists as a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick in 2023.
323 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1
A pho restaurant at 323 Pham Ngu Lao in District 1, listed by Wikivoyage and JetSettingFools, serving beef pho and bo kho and described as open 24 hours.
1st floor, 19 Vo Van Tan, District 3
A first-floor vegetarian bistro at 19 Vo Van Tan in District 3 serving Asian vegetarian dishes, including tempeh and fried noodles, at moderate prices.
1st floor, 39 Ly Tu Trong, District 1
A sit-down restaurant serving traditional Vietnamese dishes with Indochinese touches; one branch is on the first floor at 39 Ly Tu Trong in District 1.
Pho Duc Chinh street, Ben Thanh ward, District 1
A spacious vegan restaurant near Ben Thanh serving pho, bun bo Hue and mushroom hotpot. Spinach says everything on the menu is vegan.
17-19 Trinh Van Can, Cau Ong Lanh ward, District 1
A vegetarian restaurant and tea house at Trinh Van Can in District 1, offering gluten-free vegan Vietnamese dishes such as magenta-leaf fried rice, per The Smart Local.
Ly Tu Trong, Ben Thanh ward, District 1
An Indian vegetarian restaurant on Ly Tu Trong in District 1, serving Gujarati and North Indian thalis, South Indian dosas and chaat. The owner says the food is 100 percent pure vegetarian with no eggs.
23 Hoang Sa, Ho Chi Minh City
A set-lunch noodle stall run by Nguyen Thi Thanh at 23 Hoang Sa, which Wikivoyage lists with one noodle dish a day between 11:00 and 15:00.
Hoang Sa street, Ward 11, District 3
A vegan Vietnamese and Thai restaurant in District 3, known for pho and a cheap, home-style menu. Spinach states everything on the menu is vegan.
Tran Nhat Duat, Tan Dinh ward, District 1
A casual two-floor vegan restaurant in Tan Dinh, District 1, serving Hue-style classics. Spinach says everything on the menu is vegan.
15-17 Dinh Tien Hoang, District 1
A restaurant at 15-17 Dinh Tien Hoang in District 1 serving Vietnamese food family-style in an Indochine-style setting.
93-97 Dong Khoi, District 1
A colonial-style restaurant at 93-97 Dong Khoi with a menu by chef Luke Nguyen, serving duck noodle soup, chicken and a bean curd dessert, per Vietnam Découverte.
De Tham street, District 1
A plain, local vegetarian eatery near Bui Vien in District 1, serving broken rice, noodles, spring rolls and hotpots. Spinach says everything on the menu is vegan, though we could not confirm honey or other ingredients.
