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7 Plus Korean Food
The Korean food here isn't bad but coming here is mainly about having a night out Lao style. The beer-garden style place is huge, and with lots of young Lao and US$1 Beerlao the atmosphere is always 'up'.
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Ban Vilaylac Restaurant
Hidden between Wat Ong Teu Mahawihan and Wat Chanthabuli, this romantic little place serves tasty Lao and Thai food.
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Bunmala Restaurant
It's a little out of town, but this open-sided, timber-floored restaurant is about as archetypal Lao as you can find - and the food is great, too. There are all manner of Lao favourites, including pîng pét (roast duck), pîng pąa (grilled fish), pîng lîn (roast cow tongue) and pîng kai made from particularly plump chickens. For a classic Lao meal, order the (very hot) tąm màa-hung (papaya salad), kąeng naw mâi (soupy bamboo-shoot salad), sticky rice and draught beer. Delicious.
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Croissant d'Or
The coffee, sandwiches and fine pastries make this petit French-run café a long-time favourite.
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Delight House of Fruit Shakes
One of two places here that make incredible fruit shakes. Understandably popular.
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Douang Deuane Restaurant & Wine Bar
The tasty Lao, Thai and Vietnamese favourites here are complemented by an attractive traditional setting and a welcoming French host. We always have a good time when eating here, it's that kind of place. The upstairs balcony has a good table for couples.
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Fathima Restaurant
Indians like this place, and for good reason - the food is cheap and many times better than the décor. Vegetarian dishes are a big draw, and the chicken and meat curries are also delicious. Real ice cream is sold outside.
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Fujiwara Restaurant
Just west of Wat In Paeng, Fujiwara has an epic menu including all the Japanese favourites and several set meals. Sushi is the specialty and it's good, but not cheap.
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Full Moon Café
The relaxed-but-hip look of the Full Moon might lure you in, and once there the Asian fusion food won't disappoint. The tapas and ever-changing set menus are worth considering.
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Guangdong Restaurant
The menu here resembles a small phone book of mainly southern Chinese dishes.
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JoMa Bakery Café
JoMa is the first-choice lunch stop for many expatriate workers in Vientiane, partly because the large and stylish café is a good place for meetings but mainly because it does a brisk trade in delicious pastries, sandwiches, quiche, muesli, fruit, shakes and coffee. Wi-fi is available for around US$3 an hour.
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Khop Chai Deu
In a remodelled colonial-era villa near Nam Phu, Khop Chai Deu has been a traveller's favourite for years because of its range of well-prepared Lao, Thai, Indian and assorted Western fare, and lively ambience. There's live music most days.
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Khouadin Vegetarian
Hidden away behind Talat Sao, this simple restaurant serves precooked but thoroughly recommended vegetarian dishes. Great for a fast, tasty lunch.
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L'Opera Italian Restaurant
L'Opera has become something of a Vientiane institution, but that doesn't make it either overly welcoming or great value. The food, however, is pretty good; with pasta being the standout.
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La Cave des Chateaux
La Cave des Chateaux, specialises in French cheeses (grilled to perfection) and wines.
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La Gondola
Reasonably good Italian fare is served up by the Italian owner in unpretentious surrounds. Warm atmosphere.
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Le Belle Epoque
For a taste of colonial-era luxury it's hard to beat this restaurant in the Settha Palace Hotel. The menu is mainly French but also has a Lao component; dishes include braised lamb shank with organic mash and the delicious flat noodles with grilled eggplant and cream sauce.
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Le Côte D'Azur Restaurant
Long-running Le Côte D'Azur is popular with French expats, and when your food arrives you'll understand why. The delicious provençale cuisine and understated service make this a top choice. Also on offer are pastas, salads and pizzas (order anything with fresh herbs).
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Le Ranch
Oddly, for a place run by a French-Lao couple, this big, breezy restaurant northeast of the centre pays homage to the American southwest. The heavy wooden furniture and buffalo horns set the scene, and the steaks and woodfired pizzas are worth the trip.
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Le Silapa
Le Silapa has been serving some of the best French cuisine in Vientiane for years, complemented by refined surrounds and discreet service. The menu changes frequently and consists of classic as well as improvised dishes. If you order a bottle of wine the restaurant contributes to a medical fund for economically disadvantaged children…what better excuse? The lunch set menu is good value.
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Le Vendôme
Tucked away in an old house in a quiet street behind Wat In Paeng, Le Vendôme's intimate, romantic ambience and mix of salads, French cuisine, wood-fired pizza and pasta make it a good choice.
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Linda Sathaporn Restaurant
Linda Sathaporn's three (yes, three) plastic folders filled with pictures of their varied tasty Thai dishes make it worth the trip. It's very popular with Thais, and with smart service and large portions it's easy to see why. Seating is inside or in the more pleasant shaded courtyard out back.
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Maison du Café
A few metres north of Nam Phu, this welcoming place brews up a dizzying array of coffees and serves them with fresh sandwiches or baguettes, plus great shakes. There's plenty of reading matter around and the owner offers a range of tourist services.
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Makphet
Run by Friends International (www.friends-international.org), this small restaurant trains homeless youths to cook and wait tables. The modern Lao cuisine is both interesting and tasty. A shop upstairs sells handicrafts made by underprivileged families.
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Mekong Riverside Restaurant
On the river, tucked just behind PVO, this comparatively formal riverfront eatery offers a small menu of tasty Lao staples supplemented by snacks you won't find at home; deep-fried underground singer (cricket) with your Beerlao, anyone?
