Colourful, fresh and creative, loaded with flavours of lemongrass, ginger, soy and chilli, Vietnamese food has slowly but surely gotten under Londoners’ skin. Vietnamese restaurants only started popping up 15 years ago, but today, you can find them everywhere.
We made your search easier by narrowing down the best Vietnamese restaurants in London. Take a look.
Best Vietnamese Restaurants in London
Cay Tre
- Location: 42-43 Dean St, London W1D 4PZ
- Known For: fresh ingredients and unbeatable prices
When out and about Soho, don’t miss the chance to dine in Cay Tre, one of the best Vietnamese restaurants London has to offer. What is so good about Cay Tre? From the moment you set your food in the elegant restaurant to when you sit at your table, you are greeted by smart, warm and welcoming staff, happy to be of service.
Serving authentic Vietnamese pho and classic seasonal dishes to perfection kept Cay Tre popular over the years. From Devon crab wrap with crisp lettuce and Clay Pot Mekong Catfish to Saigon egg noodles and veggie dishes such as okra and aubergine curry. Prices are too good to be true given the location, so grab a window seat and watch the Soho crowd go by.
If you pass by Shoreditch, you will find their other branch there.
Viet Food
- Location: 34-36 Wardour St, London W1D 6QT
- Known For: innovative Vietnamese street food
Near Chinatown, you will find Viet Food, a trendy Vietnamese restaurant in London, boasting a chic industrial interior and stellar food made by the hands of ex-Hakkasan Michelin-starred chef Jeff Tan.
Look for sticky beef with stir-fried French beans, slow-boiled beef-bone-marrow, and chicken pho cooked to perfection.
Viet Grill
- Location: 58 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DP
- Known For: relaxed atmosphere and generous sharing plates
Shoreditch is not short of restaurants when it comes to Vietnamese food. Located on the famous Pho Mile in the heart of Shoreditch, you will find Viet Grill boasting a laid-back ambience, much needed to escape the hustle and bustle of the streets.
Viet Grill is run by Vietnamese Kitchen, the company behind Cay Tre and a few other Vietnamese restaurants in London, and they are the best of the best. These guys serve up traditional Vietnamese food using fresh and seasonal locally sourced ingredients. The trendy “pho bar” with an extensive list of cocktails is just the icing on the cake.
One must-try on the menu is the monkfish fillet or anchovy chicken wings, or grab their famous and generous sharing plates for a variety of small bites.
Banh Banh
- Location: 46 Peckham Rye, London SE15 4JR
- Known for: Ban Khot pancakes
Many successful restaurants started small, and so did Banh Banh. From a street food outfit to now two Vietnamese restaurants with permanent locations, one in Peckham and one in Brixton, both known for the best Vietnamese food in South London.
Five siblings run the restaurant in Peckham following the steps of their grandmother, who was also a chef in Vietnam during the 1940s. Their love for Vietnamese food is reflected in the flavorful recipes passed down from generation to generation. From fresh steaming pho and Banh Khot pancakes to summer rolls and noodles salads, these tasty dishes will make you return for more.
Every Monday, they offer a meat-free menu. Despite being a fast-casual restaurant, the atmosphere is relaxed, with a modest interior barely resembling a Vietnamese restaurant.
House of Ho
- Location: 1 Percy St, London W1T 1DB
- Known For: sharing plates
House of Ho is an upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Fitzrovia, serving tasty Pan Asian cuisine and Vietnamese food in a luxurious colonial setting. Set in a Grade II listed townhouse, House of Ho is spread across four floors with dining rooms decorated to match the modern, lux style.
Celebrity chef Ian Ian Pengelley puts a modern twist on authentic Vietnamese dishes. Expect to pay a little more than the typical Vietnamese restaurant, but it is to be expected given the lux setting of the venue.
Small bites not to miss are the crispy squid and popcorn shrimp, but their bowls of flavorful pho are sure to satisfy any appetite.
Green Papaya
- Location: 191 Mare St, London E8 3QE
- Known for: Vietnamese and Xianese street food
A family-run restaurant serving some of the best Vietnamese food London has to offer, with Xian Chinese influences -the Green Papaya.
This rather quaint and traditional venue set in the heart of Hackney will surprise you with its eclectic mix of Vietnamese and Xianese street food. From grilled belly pork and soft shell crab to rice vermicelli, banh tom and spicy prawn crackers. If you like lamb, don’t miss out on the grilled spicy lamb with cumin, it’s hard to find it in other Vietnamese restaurants.
Sông Quê Cafe
- Location: 134 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DY
- Known for: excellent authentic pho
The corner of Falkirk and Kingsland Road is almost always packed thanks to the buzzy family-run restaurant Sông Quê. The authentic flavour of Vietnam served on your table in the heart of Shoreditch since 2002. Expect only first-class food and over 150 dishes on the menu at affordable prices.
From crispy fried egg noodles and chargrilled quail to sesame prawn toast and their full and rich firm favourite pho, you won’t go wrong with any of the choices at Sông Quê. Mrs Pham makes sure all of their chefs get the best training and follow her recipes.
Mien Tay Kingsland
- Location: 122 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8DP
- Known for: BYO and tasty SW Vietnamese dishes
Mien Tay is a small group of four family-run restaurants scattered across London. You can find one in Shoreditch, Battersea, Fulham and Wood Green. They specialize in traditional South West Vietnamese recipes cooked to perfection. The best thing about Mien Tay is that it’s a BYO venue, meaning you can bring your own alcoholic beverages of choice.
As for the food: the menu is loaded with dishes local to the Mien Tay region such as fresh rolls with prawn, Vietnamese chicken clay-pot curry, a goat with galangal, and crispy squid with garlic. They also offer plenty of vegan and vegetarian choices.
The sharing plates are your best choice if you are visiting with a big group. Expect to pay around £50 for dinner for two, drinks and service included.
Saigon Saigon
- Location: 313-317 King St, London W6 9NH
- Known for: friendly service and spot-on Vietnamese recipes
Set on Kings Street in Hammersmith West London, Saigon Saigon is not your typical Vietnamese restaurant you get to see on “pho mile”. Instead, the bright and spacious space boasts lavish decor elements typical of Vietnam. From the iconic Vietnamese conical hats, traditional carvings and paintings of Saigon, and bamboo screens, Saigon Saigon makes you feel like you are in Saigon.
The dishes are on a par with the “pho mile” Vietnamese restaurants, with the crispy soft shell crab with minced garlic, chilli and sea salt being the firm favourite.
Cafe East
- Location: 100 Redriff Rd, London SE16 7LH
- Known For: good prices, top quality food and excellent service
Located in Surrey Quays Shopping centre car park, Cafe East is a family-run Vietnamese restaurant with a long history. Dedicated chefs ensure each dish is packed with authentic flavours of Vietnam cuisine, while friendly staff welcomes and chats with the customers. Prices are reasonable given the quality of food and excellent service.
Over 30 dishes fill the menu, from Banh Cuon pastry, with minced pork and Chinese mushrooms and a bowl of steaming pho to sweet stir-fry beef served with vermicelli and an interesting selection of soft drinks. If you are new to Vietnamese food, it will help that all items on the menu are represented with a photo.
Com Viet
- Location: 2-4 Garrick St, London WC2E 9BH
- Known For: laid-back atmosphere and authentic cuisine
When out and about Covent Garden, stop by Com Viet for some of the best Vietnamese food London has to offer. Boasting glamour, dark wood, leather and gilt frame mirrors, the decor is carefully selected to match the neighbourhood lined with theatres.
As for the food, Com Viet’s chefs take recipes passed through generations and give them a modern twist. Simple Vietnamese home cooking at its best. Go for the Mien Kho, the Chef’s special or some of the mains like the Saigon stewed pork belly – you won’t go wrong with any of the choices!
Prices are excellent given the central location. In addition, com Viet offers sharing plates full of Vietnamese street food and snacks, ideal for friends and families get-togethers.
Banh Mi Bay
- Locations: Holborn, Fitzrovia, St. Paul’s and Surrey Quays.
- Known For: Banh mi (Vietnamese baguettes)
Banh Mi Bay is a small family-run mini-chain of Vietnamese restaurants specializing in authentic Vietnamese food in the heart of London. They are also the pioneers of Banh Mi Baguette Sandwiches in the UK.
Their menu is extensive, and the food is freshly prepared every day. From chargrilled beef or prawn, pho or spicy pork to summer rolls and bun vermicelli noodle salads, Banh mi Bay vast selection will make it hard for you to choose. Factor in the unbeatable price, and you will definitely return for more.
City Caphe
- Location: 17 Ironmonger Lane and 84 Fetter Lane, London
- Known For: spiced soups and great prices
City Caphe has been serving traditional Vietnamese food in the heart of London for 22 years. When they first started in 2010, their customers were busy City workers. As they gained reputation, the clientele turned into families, friends and people of all ages and lifestyles. The prices are reasonable given the central location of the venue.
Recipes passed on from generations are prepared from scratch, from long-simmered pho to pickled veggies and marinated meats. Must try – Classic spring rolls and a bowl of spicy lemongrass noodle soup is a healthy way to start your day.
Come lunchtime, City Caphe is packed, so expect long queues to order. Seating is limited, but you can either order to takeaway or have a quick bite before work.
Pho
- Location: 163-165 Wardour St, London W1F 8WN
- Known For: vegan-friendly food
Walking up Wardour Street near Soho Square Gardens, the aromatic flavours from Pho attract curious, hungry passers-by straight into the restaurant. The owners are Stephen and Juliette Wall, who fell in love with Vietnamese food on their trip to Vietnam in 2005, and shortly after opened Pho.
Today Pho is a small group of modern restaurants in the UK, priding themselves in excellent service and healthy Vietnamese food for reasonable prices. Their menu includes kids’ specials, gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options, and of course, traditional Vietnamese recipes loaded with meat. Their speciality is, of course, pho which you can find in all versions possible.
Read More:
Vietnamese Restaurants in London: FAQs
What is traditional Vietnamese food?
Traditional Vietnamese food is packed with flavours of lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, mint, and basil, and besides being low in sugar and oil, most dishes are gluten and dairy free. Over the years, Vietnamese cuisine has been influenced by China, France (the baguette), Malaysia, Cambodia and other nearby countries.
What is the most popular Vietnamese food?
The most popular Vietnamese dishes are pho (chicken or beef soup with rice noodles), banh mi ( baguette filled with meat, pickled vegetables, fresh spicy chillies, and liver pate), and spring rolls.
How to order Vietnamese food?
If you are new to Vietnamese food, you won’t go wrong with ordering a bowl of pho, which is tasty and customizable. Another gateway dish is their popular banh mi, and spring rolls are always a good choice. But, ultimately, you can try the restaurant’s signature dish.
If you don’t understand the menu, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Vietnamese people are proud of their cuisine and are always happy to explain.