Introduction
Our latest list of Hoi An's best eating - from street eats to upscale dining to cool cafes - was updated in November 2017. Everything here is handpicked. We list only the places we think you should know about. Eat well!
If restaurants per square metre were a measure of a town’s gourmet credentials, Hoi An’s old town would be a culinary delight. Alas, finding a good meal in Hoi An, like most hardened tourist towns, is a little more tricky. And it's a good idea to get around. Dine in the old town. But head out to the beach too and many places in between. Some great meals are to be had on the fringe of the old town - or completely away from it.
We’ve selected a bunch of places from street stalls and cafes through to more upmarket spaces. Fine dining hasn’t reached Hoi An yet, which probably isn’t such a bad thing as the old town feel at night is relaxed and pretence free.
Photo: Mark BowyerMy Quang is another delicious specialty from central Vietnam
Hoi An has its own culinary heritage so you’ll need to make sure you sample cao lau, a delicious and light noodle dish with pork, croutons and plenty of greens.
Other local dishes not be missed include white rose and Hoi An wontons. Central Vietnam is also famous for another noodle dish, my quang as well as com ga which is rice chicken.
There are lots of places offering these specialties too - from restaurants to street stalls. Nearly every restaurant in the old town offers them.
If you haven't already done so, Hoi An may well be the place to take the street food plunge. There are lots of very good streetside stalls. One famous spot spills out from small lane onto Le Loi St with locals and travellers. By day it serves bun noodles and by night it shifts to com ga - chicken rice. There are lots good little street food stalls in and around the market as well.
The old market at the centre of town (corner of Tran Phu and Nguyen Hue) has been turned into food market focusing on local specialties. It's very popular with tourists, and it's tasty too.
Just out of the old town, Ba Le Well and Com Ga Ba Buoi are the genuine local article with lots of Vietnamese approvingly partaking of their set menu dishes.
Stepping up a notch, Mango Rooms' contemporary Asian menu is tasty and the space is groovy. Mango Mango right across the river, also by chef Tran Duc, is another good spot for a fancy Hoi An feed. Duc's other Hoi An eatery, Mai Fish is also worth a look.
There are plenty of western and mixed options as well - but few standouts. White Marble focuses on wine but serves up Asian food in a cosy space.
Make sure you spend at least an afternoon and evening on An Bang Beach where you can dig into fantastic local seafood. There are other eateries opening around An Bang as well.
