17 Best Restaurants in Laos

The decor of this colorful French-owned restaurant is a throwback to the Asia of 50 years ago, but the constantly changing menu of Asian, Western, and fusion comfort foods is quite modern. The cinnamon pork stew in particular is a crowd favorite with both the Lao and expat clientele and is perfectly accompanied by one of Bouang's signature cocktails. Seats on the porch allow for leisurely people-watching. 

This excellent French and Lao restaurant has a serene garden and wooden decks overlooking the last stretch of the falls. There's also a cocktail bar, La Terrasse, that makes a scenic setting for a quiet drink before or after a visit to Tad Kuang Si Waterfall Park. It's typically open til 5 pm.

This charming restaurant dishes up savory Western comfort foods, delicious cocktails, and the best coffee in town. The well-traveled owner is also a vivacious fountain of knowledge about the area. In the evenings, it's a popular gathering spot for local expat NGO workers and UXO de-miners. There is another smaller branch at the airport.

Founded by two French designers who have designed numerous restaurants and shops in Luang Prabang, this Asian fusion gastropub offers unique cocktails, a groovy playlist, and a variety of fusion cuisine you will never see anywhere else, such as fried tofu and Mekong fish balls or Angus beef with tamarind chili sauce.

This hip restaurant in the heritage home of a former French official serves refreshing Mediterranean fare such as huge salads, excellent wood-fired pizzas, and platters of beef carpaccio. Many dishes also feature savory local buffalo burrata cheese. There's also a full list of French wines and exclusive cocktail creations.

An institution on Vientiane's culinary landscape for several decades, this restaurant serves modern Australian and international comfort foods and a revolving weekly menu of specials showcases the dexterity of the Lao chef. The twice-weekly happy hours are great for meeting local expats.

This riverside restaurant is the place to experience and understand Lao cuisine in Luang Prabang. The various tasting menus feature five traditional types of jeow, or dips, to be eaten with vegetables or sticky rice; there's also a "five-bites" selection that includes dried buffalo, sai oua (flavored local sausage), and other delicacies. The restaurant also runs a popular cooking school worth checking out.

Crispy riverweed with spicy buffalo jam and steamed mushrooms in an herbal mousse are just two of the local specialties served at this atmospheric restaurant on the front terrace of 3 Nagas Luang Prabang hotel. Set menus are available from 300,000 kip, though you can also order à la carte. Across the street, the hotel's trendy cocktail bar Nagini is great for a nightcap.

Hot with the expat NGO and diplomat lunch crowd, Coco&Co. is Vientiane's premier vegan and vegetarian restaurant. The eclectic menu includes tofu laap, hummus and cashew cheese sandwiches, and coconut fried rice. The coffee is also exceptional and roasted next door at their sister coffeehouse, Le Trio.

Inside a thatched hillside bungalow overlooking Huay Xai's main street, Daauw Home is run by an NGO that helps local women and ethnic minorities empower themselves. Cooking over an open fire, the chefs prepare amazing dishes that diners enjoy with "mojitlao" cocktails. There are knockout sunset views, and a bonfire keeps things warm when it's chilly.

A popular downtown restaurant and bar in a French colonial building, this is an excellent stop for happy-hour cocktails or dinner. For a tasty introduction to traditional Lao cuisine, try the Discovery Lao, a set menu including laap (a semi-spicy salad of ground meat), a zesty sour fish soup, khao niaw (Lao sticky rice), and a glass of lao-lao (rice whisky).

An incredibly scenic branch of the Vientiane restaurant mainstay, Khop Chai Deu offers Lao, Thai, and Western food options served on the pool deck of Inthira Vang Vieng hotel. Try the duck laab, a zesty minced duck salad tossed with herbs. The staff are quite well-trained and the bartender keeps the champagne chilled as you watch the sun dip down behind the jagged landscape. 

Sidewalk seating and the retractable brown-striped awning contribute to the atmosphere of a traditional French café at this café on the northern end of town. Freshly made quiche, baguettes, and grandes tartines (large slices of homemade bread with various toppings) are menu highlights for lunch and dinner.

The sixth-floor restaurant at the Pakse Hotel not only has the best view in town, but it also has some of the best food. Start with a sunset cocktail on the rooftop terrace, then move on to a romantic candlelight dinner under the stars. There is a choice of French food and pizzas, but it's the Lao food here that really stands out.

Vang Vieng's haute-cuisine restaurant offers an eclectic choice of Lao, traditional Asian, and French dishes—the Lao degustation menu is the top draw. The indoor and outdoor dining areas command majestic views of the river and towering limestone cliffs. In addition to lunch and dinner, there's also a good buffet breakfast.

With Parisian-style street-facing seating perfect for people-watching, Tangor flips the expectations with a menu full of Western twists on pan-Asian favorites. Enjoy exclusive dishes like black charcoal dumplings, Japanese-style salmon topped with flakes of Mekong riverweed, and ceviche that might be the best in this hemisphere.

Next to the stairs of Wat Chom Kao Manilat, this no-frills bamboo-and-thatch restaurant is a good choice for French and Lao food that's cooked with market-fresh ingredients. The hammocks and beautiful views over the Mekong help stretch meals into lazy spells—a perfect pastime in this sleepy town.