In 2023 Michelin came for the first time to Vietnam. At the moment 164 restaurants are listed on their website (Vietnam MICHELIN Restaurants – The MICHELIN Guide). Listed options range from low-priced but delicious street food to more expensive French, contemporary or fusion restaurants.
Given the language barrier, booking a street food tour is the easiest and least intimidating way to get to know Vietnamese street food. However, just approaching a food stall and pointing at what you want will also do the trick. Classics include banh mi pate (baguette with paté), pho (noodle soup with beef or chicken), bun cha (noodle soup with little hamburgers and bacon) and nem (fried spring rolls).
Hanoi
A few recommendations in the neighborhood of the selected hotels:
- Nem Nướng Nha Trang Quế Hoa: street food joint popular both with tourists and Vietnamese where you have to assemble your own fresh spring rolls
- Bún chả Bà Thanh: popular street food place for bun cha. Ordering some nem (fried springs rolls) to go with the bun cha completes the experience
- Etesia: cosy modern European restaurant
- Pizza Belga: Belgian owned restaurant serving the best pizza’s in Hanoi (according to Italians)
- Luk Lak: pleasant Vietnamese restaurant
- La Table Hanoia (Press Club): more formal Western restaurant
- Capos: tapas prepared by a Spanish chef, seating around the open kitchen
- Caffè Italia: excellent Italian food
- Blue Butterfly: high-quality Vietnamese food in a charming old building
- Café Runam: Vietnamese food in a pleasant setting
- Pasteur Street Brewing Company: craft beer, hamburgers and sausages
- Poke Hanoi: Japanese poké bowls in a pleasant setting
- Pizza 4P’s Trang Tien: luxurious Japanese pizza chain with high-quality ingredients
Hai Phong
A few recommendations in the city center:
- Pistolet: Belgian owned business selling bread, sandwiches, waffles, quiche…
- Mad Cow: western cuisine on the top floor of the Pullman hotel
- Toscana: Italian cuisine
- Nam Giao: Vietnamese cuisine
- Suối Restaurant: Vietnamese cuisine
Ho Chi Minh City
A few recommendations in the city center:
- The Cocoa Project: Belgian owned chocolate café, also selling sandwiches and quiche
- Belgo: Stunning Belgian restaurants with Belgian food and beers (there are 4 branches in HCMC)
- Quince: modern Europese keuken
- Esta: Aziatische fusion keuken
- Opera: uitstekend Italiaans restaurant in het Park Hyatt hotel