Vientiane guide · Where to eat
Places to eat in Vientiane, with what to order and how comfortable each is for families and older travellers.
Updated
Lao food is built around sticky rice, grilled meats, larb, green papaya salad and herb-heavy soups, with a French legacy of baguettes and coffee. Most savoury dishes use fish sauce or fermented fish paste, which is a challenge for vegetarians. If you eat vegetarian, say so clearly and ask what the stock and sauces contain, because a dish with no visible meat may still be seasoned with fish sauce.
Vientiane does have a small Buddhist-style vegetarian scene. Guides and directories list cafes and buffets such as Vegetarian in the Golden Age, Reunion Cafe and Khouadin Vegetarian, usually serving tofu, mushrooms and mock-meat dishes. The sources we opened describe most dishes as vegan but warn that some items may contain egg or dairy, and listings can be out of date, so we have not given any of them a Pure Veg or Vegan badge. Phone or ask in person before relying on them, especially on Jain, onion-free or strictly vegan diets.
Indian restaurants in the city, such as Nazim and Taj Mahal, appear in vegetarian directories as serving broad vegetarian menus, though they also cook meat and are usually halal-oriented. We could not open a page confirming any Pure Veg or Jain kitchen in Vientiane, so none is badged. Practical tips: carry some packaged snacks, ask your hotel to arrange simple rice, vegetable and egg or tofu dishes if you eat egg, and book Indian meals through your tour operator if you need strict arrangements.
Menus and kitchens change. If you follow a strict diet or have an allergy, confirm with the restaurant before you order.
Ban Anou Road, central Vientiane
A one-block evening street market on Ban Anou that Wikivoyage calls the city's best cheap meals, with noodles, grilled skewers, sticky rice and coconut drinks.
Nokeo Kumman Road, between the river and Setthathirat Road
A bakery cafe on Nokeo Kumman Road offering croissants, pastries, baguettes and simple lunches, with coffee that Wikivoyage calls among Vientiane's best.
Rue Phonesinuan, near the Thai Consulate, Vientiane
An Indian restaurant on Rue Phonesinuan, near the Thai Consulate, serving meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes in a quiet setting with set lunch and dinner hours.
Fa Ngum Road, by the Mekong, near Mixay Guesthouse
A Malaysian-Indian vegetarian restaurant listed on Fa Ngum Road beside the Mekong, around the corner from Mixay Guesthouse. A possible familiar-flavoured stop for vegetarians, though dish quality is described as variable.
Chao Anou Road, near the Mekong riverside
A Chao Anou Road shop near the riverside known as Three Sisters, serving rice noodle soups, pho and nem khao. A simple daytime stop for a bowl of noodles while sightseeing.
97/2 Khounboulom Road, central Vientiane
A family-run restaurant on Khounboulom Road with a short menu of Lao dishes, best known for grilled freshwater fish, sai ua sausage and good sticky rice. A straightforward first meal of Lao home-style cooking.
Setthathirat Road, southwest of Nam Phou Fountain, central Vientiane
A busy bar-restaurant in a colonial-era building on Setthathirat Road, serving Lao and international dishes with vegetarian options, according to local guides.
Inside Khua Din Market, opposite Talat Sao, central Vientiane
A vegetarian lunch buffet inside Khua Din Market, opposite Talat Sao, where Wikivoyage lists a Lao vegan lunch for a low fixed price.
Across from Pha That Luang, about 4 km from the centre
A Thai restaurant opposite Pha That Luang that Wikivoyage lists for its Penang curry, closed on Sundays.
Samsenthai Road, central Vientiane
A long-listed Lao restaurant on Samsenthai Road that Wikivoyage recommends for authentic Lao food and a good vegetarian selection, with evening music and dance.
End of a dead-end lane off Rue Simeuang, Vientiane
A small daytime cafe at the end of a dead-end lane off Rue Simeuang, serving Lao soups, stir-fries and yellow, red and green curries plus fruit-yoghurt juices.
Quiet street behind Wat Ong Teu, old centre
A French restaurant with Asian influences in a quiet street behind Wat Ong Teu, offering set and a la carte menus and a wide wine list, per local guides.
Alley off Wat Chan Lane, near Wat Ong Teu and the Mekong
A Lao and Thai restaurant in an alley near Wat Ong Teu and the river, known for duck laap and fried fish in tamarind sauce. Its menu clearly marks a few vegan dishes, which makes it workable for mixed groups.
Francois Ngin Road, opposite the Tai Pan Hotel, central Vientiane
A Western-menu restaurant on Francois Ngin Road, opposite the Tai Pan Hotel, described by guides as family-friendly with vegetarian options and a few Lao-twist dishes.
23 Singha Road, Vientiane
A Lao restaurant on Singha Road listed for sun-dried beef, Mekong fish in coconut milk and crispy bamboo shoots with vegetables, with milder versions available. A sit-down option for a calmer Lao dinner.
Hatxadi Saylom Road, behind Vientiane Plaza, central Vientiane
A vegetarian restaurant on Hatxadi Saylom Road that Wikivoyage lists for Vietnamese-style vegan dishes, noodles and mock meat, with a weekday lunch buffet.
Pangkham Road, central Vientiane
A small Lao-French creperie on Pangkham Road known, per Wikivoyage, for gluten-free galettes, with a daily menu and affordable set meals.
