Hoi An guide · Where to eat
Places to eat in Hoi An, with what to order and how comfortable each is for families and older travellers.
Updated
Hoi An's signature dishes are built on pork, shrimp and fish sauce. Cao lau, the town's best-known noodle dish, is traditionally served with sliced pork, and white rose dumplings are shrimp-filled. Fish sauce and shrimp paste go into many dishes that look meat-free, and cooks often use shared woks and oil. Strict vegetarians and Jains should not rely on saying 'no meat' alone.
The reliable route is the town's vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Look for the word 'chay' (vegetarian) on signs; many Buddhist-style kitchens cook without meat, fish or egg, and a good number of Hoi An restaurants are fully plant-based. Several are listed below with sources we opened; on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month more stalls serve vegetarian food. Opening days and hours change, so confirm before you go.
We did not find a verified Jain kitchen in Hoi An, and we could not confirm any Indian restaurant for this guide, so do not plan around either. If you eat no onion or garlic, say so clearly in every kitchen and expect to eat simply; fruit, steamed rice, plain noodles and fresh herb platters are easy fallbacks. If your hotel serves breakfast, ask the day before what it can make without egg, meat or fish.
Menus and kitchens change. If you follow a strict diet or have an allergy, confirm with the restaurant before you order.
71 Phan Chu Trinh Street
A vegetarian restaurant at 71 Phan Chu Trinh Street that Wikivoyage lists for vegetarian Vietnamese food, including vegetarian pho.
2B Phan Chau Trinh Street, near the Old Town
A busy banh mi shop at 2B Phan Chau Trinh Street, known for its signature baguette with pork, ham and pate, and best visited after the lunch queue.
687 Hai Ba Trung Street, Ancient Town (in an alley)
A small eatery at 687 Hai Ba Trung Street, in an Ancient Town alley, known for cao lau with generous roast pork. Listed by Wikivoyage and two food guides; the menu is pork-based.
26 Thai Phien Street
A small noodle restaurant at 26 Thai Phien Street serving cao lau, Hoi An's noodle dish with pork and herbs, listed by Your Vietnam Travel for classic cooking.
86/5 Phan Chau Trinh, a few minutes from the Old Town
A fully plant-based Vietnamese cafe in an alley off Phan Chau Trinh Street, serving local dishes such as noodle salads and Hoi An-style noodles made without animal products.
22 Phan Chu Trinh Street, Ancient Town
A busy com ga restaurant at 22 Phan Chu Trinh Street serving Hoi An-style chicken rice with turmeric rice and herbs. Named by two food guides; chicken-based, not for vegetarians.
42 Phan Chu Trinh Street, Ancient Town
A local-style restaurant at 42 Phan Chu Trinh Street serving cao lau, mi quang, banh xeo and chicken rice. Named by two food guides; the menu is meat-led with no vegetarian option described.
187 Ly Thuong Kiet, Cam Pho, near the Old Town
A 100% vegan restaurant and cafe near the Old Town, serving bowls, smoothie bowls, pasta and desserts. A useful, air-conditioned stop for plant-based breakfast and lunch.
66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Old Town
A restaurant at 66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street serving grilled pork in banana leaf and Hoi An-style wontons, with several meat-free choices on the menu.
115 Tran Cao Van Street
A banh mi shop at 115 Tran Cao Van Street serving a classic pork baguette with chilli sauce, and listed by Wikivoyage as having a vegetarian option.
106 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Old Town
A well-known restaurant at 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street in the Old Town, serving local dishes such as cao lau, white rose dumplings and banh xeo, with several meat-free choices listed.
6A Truong Minh Luong, Cam Chau, just outside the Ancient Town
A noodle restaurant at 6A Truong Minh Luong just outside the Ancient Town that serves only cao lau and mi quang. Named by two food guides; both dishes use pork, shrimp or egg.
533 Hai Ba Trung Street
A restaurant at 533 Hai Ba Trung Street named for white rose dumplings, a Hoi An speciality of shrimp and pork filling in a translucent wrapper.
672 Hai Ba Trung, north of the Old Town
A plant-based cafe on Hai Ba Trung Street with smoothie bowls, Buddha bowls, sandwiches and raw cakes, listed by HappyCow as fully vegan. A quick, affordable stop near the Old Town.
