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Top 5 Best Local Restaurants in Sapa

Which are the best local restaurants in Sapa, Vietnam, is one of the most asked questions I have as a trip leader, which I do love to answer. I like delicious food, so I want to make sure my travelers find their ways to the best local restaurants in the town. Also, it requires quite an amount of some time to reach the mountains of Sapa, then beside enjoying the mountain hikes we should be rewarded with good local food available there as well. This article, therefore, shows you the best 5 local restaurants in Sapa.

1. Red Dao House

Address: 4B Thac Bac Street, Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam

Opening hours: 7.30 to 22.00

Tel: (+84) 214 3872 927

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This is my number one favorite restaurant in Sapa, and I’ve been eating here with my travelers for the past decade. Whenever I travel to Sapa, we eat here for at least one meal, their foods are appreciated and recommended by all of my travelers.

Located on a street in the north of the town, which is about 3-minute walk from the stone church, Red Dao House is one of the busiest restaurants in Sapa. Yes, Red Dao is also the name of one of the 5 ethnic minority groups living in Sapa (Red Dao, Black H’mong, Giay, Tay and Xa Pho People), so the restaurant is set in a traditional stilt house themed with red color – the identical red outfits of the Red Dao people and their staffs are also wearing their traditional outfits.

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I just love the taste of their food, the attentive services and the ambiance of the restaurant. Food is very reasonably priced, and there are both tables outside to catch the sun and indoor with a cozier atmosphere for your choices. Try their duck or chicken cooked with honey on the sizzling pan, or eggplant sautéed with garlic.

2. Indigo Restaurant

Address: 23 Dong Loi Street, Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam

Opening hours: 7h30 to 23h00

Tel: (+84) 214 3873 016

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Their menu offers a wide variety of Vietnamese food, from local specialties to popular dishes which can be found in other cities along the length of the country. But it doesn’t matter which region the food was originated, their chef won’t disappoint you. Staffs are friendly and helpful, and like many young H’ mong girls around the town, they speak good English.

Try their pork grilled on the sizzling pan, sautéed eggplant or chayote buds stir-fried with garlic. Their red pumpkin soup, bun cha, and sturgeon hotpot are also worth trying.

3. Little Sapa

Address: 05 Dong Loi Street, Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam

Opening hours: 8.00 to 15.00, 17.00 to 22.00

Tel: (+84) 388 063 526

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Just like the name, it’s a small owner-serve restaurant, hideaway from the town’s main street, but Little Sapa is known for its tasty local foods, reasonable price, great service, and intimate atmosphere. So, it’s recommended for anyone looking for good quality and quantity.

4. Viet Emotion

Address: 17 Xuan Vien Street, Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam

Opening hours: 7h00 to 22h00

Tel: (+84): 982 406 96

Viet Emotion is actually a café, restaurant, sandwich and pasties, all combined into one. Located right in the center of Sapa town (there are two of them, but I prefer the one at the flower garden), so if the fog is not too heavy, you can enjoy your food overlooking the little garden in front, stone church and the stadium.

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It’s easy to recognize the restaurant, as it’s well decorated with small green trees all over its appearance. The décor inside is even quirkier but in a very cozy way. Viet Emotion offers a great menu selection, all the dishes are tasty, especially the eggplant with honey - which I always order when I come. The dish can’t be missed, or you’ll be sorry!

If you are a veggie, this place will make you happy too. Their food is more expensive than many other traditional Vietnamese food restaurants, but the portions are more than ample. If you are not looking for food, come for a drink. Try to get a place at the balcony on the first floor, or on its balconies upstairs, for the street views below. There is a fire on the first floor, which is great to stay close to on the cold days.

5. The Hill Station Signature Restaurant

Add: 37 Fansipan Street, Sapa, Lao Cai, Vietnam

Opening hours: 7.00 to 22.00 pm

Tel: (+84) 2143887111

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A bit different from another restaurant in town, The Hill Station Signature Restaurant specializes in authentic ethnic food from the area, mostly inspired by H’mong people cuisine. Due to the tradition of slaughtering of whole animals at festive gatherings and the lack of refrigeration, there is a wide array of hot & cold smoked buffalo and pork meats made by the H’ mong, the best of them are being served at the restaurant with exciting and unique textures and flavors.

For example, you can try their smoked buffalo meat, flash-cooked pork with lime, ash-baked Sapa rainbow trout in banana leaves, and the traditional H’mong-style black pudding. If you are a vegetarian, you will find their choices of excellent seasonal vegetables of the area presented in the traditional style, banana flower dishes and H’ mong style tofu.