Almost all Vientiane hotels have restaurants, and some guesthouses offer simple meals as well. Venture outside and you will find Vientiane has the widest selection of restaurants, bars, bakeries and cafes in Laos, offering French, Italian, Indian, Japanese, even Scandinavian fare and numerous stalls and small restaurants serving noodle soups, Vietnamese and Chinese food and, of course, Lao snacks and meals.

Dining out is one of the main pleasures of a trip to Vientiane!

This Vientiane Restaurant Guide offers a short list of the multitude of restaurants which can be found in Vientiane. See the Laos Restaurants page for more details about Lao food and our Dos and Don'ts List for Eating and Drinking in Laos. Vientiane also has some of the best shopping in Laos. Get more information on what and where to buy things by checking out our Vientiane Shopping Guide.

Vientiane Restaurants

Restaurants List

Tamnak Lao Restaurant

Tamnak Lao Restaurant is located on That Luang road and offers a charming Lao ambience in a natural, exclusive setting. Tamnak Lao Restaurant specializes in excellent Lao cuisine and offers entertainment with traditional Lao music and dance. All dishes are served with sticky rice or plain rice.

Main dishes:
Lao sausage - features minced pork in pepper and onion.
Or-larm - Luang Prabang style - features grilled beef, Sakarn (special Lao herb that gives a pleasant aroma), spring onion, coriander leaves (optional), mushroom, chilies and fish sauce.
Kangsome Fish - sour fish soup starts with minced fish in coconut juice, coriander roots, lemon grass, root of kha, fresh lime juice, red chilis and coconut milk.
Lap Chicken - fried minced-chicken, spring onion, lemon grass, coriander, red chili, fresh lime juice and hard-sticky rice fried brown.
Mokepha - steamed fish in banana leaves; features fish mixed with onion, garlic, pepper and coconut milk.

Restaurant Facilities: Garden setting for Basi ceremony, Beer garden, Wedding hall and dancing yard, Conference hall and VIP room, Lao handicraft souvenir shop.

Address :100 That Luang Road, Ban Phonxay, Thatluang Road
Vientiane, P.O. Box 3655 Vientiane Lao P.D.R.

Phone :(856-21) 413562, 020-5511905

Fax :(856-21) 451854

Scandinavian Restaurant

Scandinavian Restaurant is a 70-seat bakery serving tasty, high quality Scandinavian bread and other main dishes like sandwiches, hot croissants, meat pies, quiches and much more.

Open from 7 am to 7 pm everyday and situated in the Nam Phou fountain area, the bakery is a favourite rendezvous location.

Main dishes: Sandwiches, Hot croissants, Meat pies, Quiches.

Address :Nam Phou, 74/1 Pangkham Rd., P.O. Box 6310, Vientiane Lao P.D.R.

Phone :(856-21) 215199

Fax :(85-21) 215231

Email :sacandi@laopdr.com

L'Opera Italian Restaurant

L'Opera Italian Restaurant opened its doors in July 1992 and was the first Italian restaurant to open in Vientiane. It is an elegant Italian restaurant located in the Nam phou fountain square in the heart of bustling city center Vientiane.

Try authentic Italian cuisine and a mixture of Roman and Sicilian cooking styles served with excellent wines and liqueurs from Italy and France. Ingredients are mainly from Italy except the meat which comes from New Zealand.

Most of the pastas are homemade as well as the desserts and the wonderful Italian Gelati. There is a private room for up to 35 guests and a newly designed Terrasse with about 30 seats for al fresco dining during the cool season.

Main dishes: Spaghetti al Nero, Squid Ink Spaghetti, Scaloppine Corallo, Pan-fried Escallops with sea Scallops, sage in white wine Ossobucod' Agnello, Stewed New Zealand Lamb Shank with Garden Vegetables, Tiramisu - Venetian Dream Dessert.

Address :Namphou Square, P.O. Box 5775, Vientiane Lao P.D.R.

Phone :(856-21) 215099

Email :pinup@laotel.com

Dao Vieng Restaurant

Dao Vieng Restaurant is located in the central business district of Heng Boune Road, Vientiane. The restaurant has been established since after the revolution in 1975 and boasts over 20 years of experience in Cantonese and Szechuan style cuisine. With dining areas in a two storey-restaurant, they can accommodate large banquets as well as family dining.

Main dishes: Dried Beijing Roasted Duck with sweet and sour sauce Cold Salad (Chinese Style); features lettuce, tomato, cucumber, sliced chicken and pork with mayonnaise sauce, Soft Grilled Pork with a sweet sauce.

Address :40 Rue du Heng Boune, P.O. Box 3185, Vientiane Lao P.D.R.

Phone :(856-21) 212373; 213945; 214873

Hanahan Makphet

Makphet Restaurant (part of the Peuan Mit Street Children's Project) is our newly-opened vocational training restaurant, run by the instructors and the students. We uphold the highest standards of hygiene, use only naturally-grown ingredients and no MSG.

The décor, food and the music are purely Laotian and profits help fund our activities for street children. Once training is completed, Peuan Mit helps the students find other full time employment .

Address :Settathirath Road,Vientiane

Phone :020 78 21 949

Email :laos@friends-international.org

Website :http://www.friends-international.org

Nadao Restaurant

Situated next to patuxai Monument, Nadao's offers fantastic Frech cuisine at very reasonable prices.

Address :30 Sibounheuang Road, Patuxai
Vientiane

Phone :(856-21) 213174

Fax :(856-21) 213174

Email :nadao@laopdr.com

Saovaly Restaurant

Address :1/7 Manthatourath Road, Sikhottabong,
Vientiane

Phone :(856-21) 214940

Fax :(856-21) 214940

That Dam Restaurant

Situated next to That Dam Stupa.

Address :That Dam Square, Bartholorie Street
Vientiane

Phone :(856-21) 222647

Fax :(856-21) 241628

The Spirit House

The Spirit House is ideally located on the banks of the Mekong. Its beer garden offers a great location for a cold beer lao whil watching the sunset over the river. Its restaurant serves a variety of western, Lao, Japanese and Thai cuisine.

By far the best cocktail bar in town, you can be assured of a great night out or the dryist martini in town. The 100 inch screen is also a great place to watch all the main sporting events from around the world.

The Spirit House is also an active supporter of the Lao 'Rugby in Schools' programmes. For more information about this please ask at the bar.

Address :Next to Hotel Beau Rivage Mekong Hotel

Website :http://www.thespirithouselaos.com

Restaurants in Vientiane