Vietnamese people love their vegetables, and finding vegetarian food is especially easy in a city like Hanoi. These restaurants are bound to satisfy vegetarians and even meat eaters with their delicious menus.
While most of Hanoi enjoys devouring meaty dishes, Uu Dam caters to the small percentage who follows a solely vegetarian/vegan lifestyle. The space is large, spanning over three floors, where a lot of thought has gone into the design — the aim is to make you feel at home and at ease as you dine. The menu focuses on an all-vegetable take on pan-Asian cuisine, and includes a wide variety of Vietnamese dishes popular throughout the country. Prices are not too hard on your wallet, and you’ll be able to get away with paying about USD$10.00 per person, probably even less.
An Phuc serves fresh vegetarian dishes bursting with so much flavor that the absence of meat will not be felt. The venue offers a warm interior, with a balcony on the second floor that is the perfect spot to people-watch as you dig into your delicious meal. The menu includes tofu and mock meat dishes, such as a vegan and vegetarian take on beefy pho. The staff are warm, with smiles all around, adding to the experience. The portions are also rather large and the prices extremely cheap. You will find yourself returning here time and time again during your stay.
This is one of Hanoi’s best-loved restaurants that specializes in fresh, seasonally inspired vegan meals, offering a variety of healthy dishes suitable for all diets. The menu is extensive, and you will find exciting dishes such as vegan chicken, vegan pork ribs and other meaty favorites with a delicious vegetarian twist. But meat lovers, beware! After dining here you may realize how delicious mock meat can be. There are two floors of seating and from the second floor you are able to watch the chefs create vegetable magic with their hands. A buffet twice a month (on the full moon and new moon days) for just VND$100,000 (USD$5.00) adds the cherry on top. There will be around 25 dishes to choose from.
It only costs VND$99,000 (USD$5.00) to join the vegetarian buffet at An Lac. You will be able to stack up your place with all sorts of healthy vegetarian finger food and even mains. Eat as you please — there are 50 or so dishes that are able to satisfy even the most discerning of customers. The restaurant is spacious and great for a family or a group of friends, but do make a reservation in advance because seats (and food) tend to run out.
The Veg is for a clean and green meal or even just a cup of coffee. It’s one of those places where you can spend the whole day under the cool A/C, away from the Hanoi sun. bring a book or your friends, order from the delicious menu and relax the day away. In addition to Vietnamese favorites, you can find Western must-eats such as vegetarian pizza, pasta, and even Thai curry.
Truc Lam Trai takes you to the Vietnamese countryside with its bamboo interior and wooden furnishings. Every single dish in the menu is worth a mention and if you have a hard time choosing, just make time to visit on the 1st or the 15th day of the Lunar calendar every month (full moon and new moon), and you will be welcomed with a delicious vegetarian buffet feast.
Bo De is a family-owned vegetarian restaurant, great for home-cooked comfort food. The menu features rice, noodle and vegetable dishes that change a little bit daily. Massive portions are served for tiny prices, and the restaurant has plenty of faithful, returning customers as the quality is unwavering. Order the menu of the day, where you get a little bit of 10 or so dishes with rice all served in one plate. End your meal with their special tea made of a favorite Asian spice, the pandan leaf.
There seems to be no shortage of vegetarian buffet options in Hanoi. Tinh Thuc Quan is another, also priced at a mere VND$99,000 (USD$5.00). Make sure you don’t eat prior to heading here as there are so many different treats you can eat to fill yourself up to the brim. If you have a hard time choosing, don’t worry, as the lovely staff are more than happy to recommend dishes based on your preferences. They’ll even help you come round two, three, and even four.
Ha Thanh has an exciting menu that includes dishes such as fried banana flowers, mock fish, sautéed gourds, fried aubergines, lemongrass tofu with tomato sauce, and maize pancakes – all cooked by practicing vegetarians. Buddhist monks also seem to congregate here on occasions, so you’re certainly getting the real deal. Be sure to have a look through their exotic snack counter that features vegan snail chips – something you can’t get your hands on in many places.
Aummee is an elegant, mid-range vegetarian restaurant serving traditional Vietnamese dishes sans meat. Located on a street off Truc Bach lake, the setting is intimate and nourishes the soul. The restaurant has an excellent reputation and is known for being creative with the presentations and preparations of the dishes. Make sure to try the square spring rolls, guaranteed to satisfy even meat lovers, and end your meal with the home-made lemongrass tea. There’s even a souvenir corner selling handicrafts made by local artisans looking to earn an honest buck. Aummee is one of those places that are worth walking hours for, and we really mean it.
