London’s 11 Best Vietnamese Restaurants
Vietnamese cooking in London very much falls under the “if you know, you know category”. There are lots of great places, but often they are family-run neighbourhood establishments beloved by locals and unknown to most others. From Dalston to Deptford, here’s where you can get the best banh mi and pho in the city.
Bánh Bánh reimagined by House of Baby
This beautifully designed venue is a stone’s throw from Brixton market, Reimagined by London-based design studio House of Baby, the space has been transformed into a gorgeous, art-led immersive dining experience. Think semi-industrial furnishings blended with cosy Vietnamese lighting, with fresh dishes inspired by Vietnamese home cooking. The platters are a must-have for the table — lemongrass pork sausage and sugarcane wraps. Also try the Kaffir Lime Daiquiri — it’s not like any Daiquiri you have had before!
where: 326 Coldharbour Ln, London SW9 8QH
website: www.banhbanh.com
Hai Cafe
Hai Cafe is the result of its owner and chef’s long-held dream of opening up a unique twist of Vietnamese food informed by 20-years of London living. Taking over the lease of a small bagel shop in Clapton in 2018, this cafe has fast become a favourite – perfect for anything from summer rolls to bowls of hot, steaming Pho.
This cafe has fast become a favourite – perfect for anything from summer rolls to bowls of hot, steaming Pho
where: www.hai-cafe.com
website: 120b Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0QR
Viet Grill
Another on the Shoreditch ‘pho mile’, Viet Grill has been serving authentic Vietnamese barbecue dishes made with fresh produce since 2006, taking inspiration from the historical and latest trends in Saigon and Hanoi. Best of all, they’re doing £10 noodles for lunch all of March in celebration of International Noodle Month.
where: 58 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DP
website: www.vietgrillrestaurant.com
Viet Cafe
Opened in the summer of 2011, Viet café serves a variety of mouth-watering, homemade Vietnamese dishes. The menu is made up of well-known Vietnamese street food, with products made from scratch in the cafe like tofu, Vietnamese beef meatballs, and much more. The menu has a classic mixture of meat and vegetarian dishes that includes bánh mì (baguettes), rice, noodles and salad dishes. Such care is taken over the Pho that you can only order it on Saturdays, to make sure the broth is absolutely perfect.
where: 75 Denmark Hill, London SE5 8RS
website: www.vietcafecamberwell.com
Song Que Cafe
A family business on Kingsland Road that has been going for over 20 years. Whether you fancy a quiet lunch with a pho and a book or want to start your group night out in style, Sông Quê Café provides the perfect setting.
The beef pho is great, and the affordable prices mean you can try out as much of the menu as your stomach can take.
Go for a quiet lunch with a pho and a book or want to start your group night out in style
where: 134 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DY
website: www.songque.co.uk
Banh
Many people’s pick for the best banh mi in London, Banh is another Dalston gem. Vietnamese-run and offering a range of generous fillings between their in-house baked bread, this is perfect for on-the-go breakfast or sit-in lunch.
Using only fresh ingredients, standouts here are the ‘Sai Go N Drift’, with marinated pork chop, pickled mustard greens, and the chef’s own spicy sauce. The vegetarian option, a tofu curry banh mi, is also a winner.
Many people’s pick for the best banh mi in London
where: 592 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AH
website: www.banhs.co.uk
Eat Vietnam Bar B Grill
Those willing to venture to Deptford will be rewarded at this neighbourhood Vietnamese gem, a family business whose recipes have been passed down generations.
Specials include fried whole seabream with shredded mango, Bánh Khot – mini coconut pancakes with tiger prawns – and their own special Bò kho, a slow-cooked Vietnamese beef stew
Those willing to venture to Deptford will be rewarded
where: 234 Evelyn St, London SE8 5BZ
website: www.eat-vietnam.co.uk
Hoa Sen
Lots of the restaurants on this list are outside the centre of London, operating mostly as neighbourhood restaurants. Hoa Sen takes a similar approach, but runs it right from the middle of the city in Covent Garden. It’s still family-run but an intergenerational Vietnamese family, and combines fresh dishes like stir-fried wild bor and jellyfish and mango salad with its own dedicated Pho menu.
where: 22 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5RH
website: www.hoasen.com
Med Sallah Viet
Part two of a two-pronged, International restaurant concept from this husband-wife duo. Med Salleh Kopitiam serves Malaysian fair, and Med Sallah serves Vietnamese childhood staples, inspired by the food from the co-founder Koi’s wife’s upbringing.
The signature dish is the beef pho, which consists of beef bone marrow broth, flat rice noodles and thinly sliced meat strips of beef – prepared here for 18 hours.
where: 108 Chepstow Rd, London W2 5QS
website: www.medsallah.co.uk
Green Papaya
This Hackney spot serves a delicious fusion of Vietnamese and Xi’an cooking, so you can’t get your pho alongside tofu in black bean sauce. Portions are generous and prices are low, so it’s a perfect spot if you’re really in the mood to eat a lot.
Or, if you’re a big group celebrating something special, you can book out the restaurant – they even take special requests if you fancy something off menu you loved while travelling in Hoi An.
where: 191 Mare St, London E8 3QE
website: www.green-papaya.com
Kêu
Kêu champions Vietnamese street food from Saigon across four London locations. Think premium noodles that diners can watch being hand-pulled, in-house, using techniques straight from Saigon’s Chinatown, in addition to their array of iconic bánh mìs.
Its fourth Kêu site was launched in January earlier this year in Borough, serving an authentic lunch menu, including their signature bánh mì, alongside an expanded menu featuring an exciting variety of new noodle and rice dishes. The new location will also be open for extended hours, to cater to those late-night noodle cravings.
where: across London
website: www.banhmikeu.com
