A Food & Drink Guide to Huế, Vietnam
a foodie guide!
Helloooo, foodie friends! I hope this post finds you reveling in both the chaos & joy that is the festive season! I am late to stop by this afternoon, but better late than never! The post I’m sharing today - A Food & Drink Guide to Huế, Vietnam(!) - is the companion piece of sorts to my last travel guide, 5 Things to See in Huế! If you’re looking for information on the must-see attractions in the imperial city, that post is the one you’re looking for. However! If you’re looking for a list of the very best places to eat in the city, you’ve come to the right place 😉 Shall we get into it?
You know the drill; all of our thoughts and recommendations are listed below, divided into the usual categories: where we had coffee & pastries / where we ate / where we drank.
Enjoy!
where we had coffee & pastries
Cà Phê Muối // OG home of the city’s famous salt coffee! Right about now, I know you’re probably thinking something along the lines of how positively disgusting salt coffee sounds — that was our initial reaction too. But no! Huế’s salty beverage is actually so! delicious! It comes to the table in a traditional Vietnamese phin - filter/drip - set over a glass cup containing a mixture of condensed milk, fermented milk, and salt, with a small bowl of ice on the side. I’d read online that when the coffee is finished dripping you’re meant to stir it up and add the ice, and oh my lord it was addictive! Kind of like an extra creamy salted caramel latte, but without the fake sweetness? Divine! A must visit. Address: 142 Đặng Thái Thân, Thuận Hoà, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
HÚE BOOKS & CAFE // the cutest little spot! Ideally located around the corner from our hotel, we were surprised to be the only non-locals in sight - this place was so busy we barely got a seat! I went for an iced salt coffee and Husband went for a hot black coffee; both were punchy strong and delicious! As you can see from the photo above, the place itself was also very adorable — definitely giving off hidden gem vibes. Would warmly recommend. Address: 12 Lương Thế Vinh, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
Lò Bánh Lê Lợi // home to the best pastries we had in all of Vietnam! We stopped in here on one horrifically wet day and shared one pain au chocolat and one danish-slash-cinnamon-swirl-slash-sugar-crusted-pastry-of-dreams between us and omg — both were amazing! Delightfully buttery and flakey and flavourful! We didn’t have any coffee so I can’t recommend that either way, but would 100% go back here for pastries! Would recommend. Address: 45 Lê Lợi, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
Katinat Cafe // I believe this is a cafe chain, but it’s good to have a solid chain in your back pocket! I went for an iced white coffee and Husband went for a hot black coffee - both were good, but mine was better. Strong, delicious, not too sweet, and generously portioned! Added bonus: the interior of the cafe is so lovely! We, along with every other patron, were forced to take shelter inside because of the ridiculous rainstorm pictured above, but it was very aesthetically pleasing! Would recommend. Address: 112 Lê Lợi, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
where we ate
Everywhere we ate in Huế is listed below, divided into the following three categories: bánh mì / breakfast & lunch / dinner. The only place I’ve left off this list is Húe Imperial Cafe, one of the restaurants in our hotel. We hadn’t planned on eating there, but succumbed to it one night out of sheer desperation caused by the severe flooding outside. We ordered pizza, and, despite the fact that it was pretty good, there are far better places listed below, hence the exclusion.
bánh mì
Bánh Mì Trường Tiền O Tho // this place kept popping up online for as I searched for the best bánh mì in the city; and after going there I don’t really understand why? We shared a broiled pork bánh mì between us, and while yes, the combination of pork and crusty baguette will never not be tasty, and sure, it only cost ₫10,000/€0.30 — it was easily the worst bánh mì we ate in Vietnam. Harsh, maybe, but true. Address: 14 Trần Cao Vân, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
breakfast & lunch
Nina's Cafe-Vietnamese Restaurant // so good, we visited twice! Once for breakfast - two generous portions of crispy French toast with honey, jam, fried pineapple, and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream(!) -, and once for lunch - fried pork spring rolls for me & BBQ pork noodles for Husband; everything was delicious! The French toast was delightfully crispy on the outside + gooey on the inside, the pork spring rolls were so good I wouldn’t share, and Husband’s noodles were wonderful! Added bonus: the staff are so friendly! Moon, the waitress who looked after us on both visits, was so sweet & helpful! A must visit. Address: 16 34 Nguyễn Tri Phương, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
Madam Thu 2 // delicious! Sister restaurant to Madam Thu below, we stopped in here for lunch just to try out the second location. The menu is literally the exact same, but maybe the space is slightly nicer, more spacious and modern? We both ordered the exact same thing, beef stir fry with noodles, and it really hit the spot! Very generously portioned with lots of tender beef and gorgeous strips of bok choy and the like; delicious, and perfect with a Huda beer! 😉 Would warmly recommend. Address: 04 Võ Thị Sáu, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
dinner
Madam Thu Restaurant - Taste of Hue // we ate here on our first night in town and loved it! Starved after our journey from Hội An, we feasted on: wet rice paper rolls stuffed with BBQ pork, Huế’s speciality dish of minced pork grilled on lemongrass skewers served with rice paper and peanut sauce for a spring roll adjacent main, Huế chicken rice with lemongrass/bell peppers/onion, and stir fry beef with sticky rice and pineapple; washed down, of course, with a local Huda beer or two. Honestly, it was a lot of food — and yet somehow we managed to devour every morsel! Delicious, flavourful, and surprisingly light? So good! A must visit. Address: 45 Võ Thị Sáu, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
Nook Eatery - Breakfast to Burgers // not exactly traditional Vietnamese, but delicious nonetheless! We shared an order of onion rings, and had a cheeseburger with fries each; everything was surprisingly delicious! The fries were skinny and salty, and the burger was juicy and flavourful! We also went off-piste by ordering two frozen lime margaritas, and they were so fun and boozy! Fair warning: literally everyone eating here was a tourist. If you’re looking for a more authentic meal, go elsewhere! If not: would recommend! Address: Kiệt 33 Kiệt 42 Nguyễn Công Trứ, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
Nhà Hàng Bánh Gánh // this place was hopping on the night we ate here, and the food was wonderful! We shared crispy fried pork spring rolls - because I am powerless and cannot resist them on a menu! - to start, Husband had a beef noddle stir fry for mains, while I went for a twist on the local dish, a pork/lemongrass/chili rice stir fry. Everything was good, but the spring rolls stole the show! Address: 51A Võ Thị Sáu, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
where we drank
beer
Why Not? Bar & Restaurant // we stopped in here on our first night for a local Huda beer and then proceeded to go back every night after! We miraculously managed to nab a table at the front window every evening and it is the perfect people watching spot! The staff were lovely, the prices were great, and one time we even branched out and ordered some tortilla chips with our Huda and they were a. homemade & b. delicious! Would recommend. Address: 19 Phạm Ngũ Lão, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
DMZ Bar & Restaurant // a buzzy bar with a fun military theme. In all honesty, we only stopped in here because we got caught in a thunderous absolute opening-of-the-heavens downpour, but still. We both opted for Huda on draft while we waited out the storm, and, although the beer was nice & the place was pretty cool, neither of us loved the vibe. It felt slightly too geared towards tourists, and it was also the only place in the city that added 8% vat and service charge? I mean, it obviously wasn’t much, but that’s not the point. Address: 60 Lê Lợi, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
cocktails
Méw Secret // we stopped in here for a nightcap one night; Husband had an old fashioned, I had an espresso martini, and while I rather enjoyed mine, Husband’s left more than a little to be desired. Despite that, we thought the bar itself was nice - right in the centre of town, overlooking night walking street - and the staff were friendly, but we’d maybe stick to beer next time! Address: 35 Võ Thị Sáu, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
AURA Mixology & Karaoke // determined the find the best cocktails in the city, Husband sniffed out this place one night for drinks and it did not disappoint! We sampled a handful of cocktails between us — whiskey sour, old fashioned, cosmopolitan, and a dry martini — and every single one was divine! Expertly made, boozy but not overtly so, flavoursome, and delicious! We’re pretty basic when it comes to our cocktail orders, but they had some very inventive looking drinks on their menu if you were so inclined! Would recommend. Address: 30A Chu Văn An, Phú Hội, Huế, Thừa Thiên Huế
And there we have it friends: A Food & Drink Guide to Huế, Vietnam! Have you visited the historic city? If so, did we miss any really popular hot spots? If you have any of your own recommendations to add to this list, hit me up using the chat function or comment below; I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Hội An guide coming before the end of the year!
Vicki xo
*Date of trip: 15th - 19th September, 2024*
related posts
5 Things to See in Huế, Vietnam
A Food & Drink Guide to Hanoi, Vietnam
Two Weeks in Vietnam | Our Top Tips & Itinerary