Eating & Drinking In Laos
Back to all travel tipsTypical dishes
Laap (finely chopped meat - usually fish - mixed with herbs and fish sauce, served with sticky rice)
Tam Mak Houng (papaya salad)
Som Moo (fermented pork sausage, raw, cooked, or barbecued)
Foe (noodle soup, reminiscent of Pho in neighbouring Vietnam)
Baguettes (filled with pate, pork, vegetables, chilli sauce)
The cost of eating & drinking in Laos
To help you decide on the amount of spending money to budget for, we have outlined below the approximate cost of some meals & drinks in Laos:
• Cost of lunch in a local restaurant: £3-4 excluding drinks
• Cost of dinner in a 4 star hotel: £20 excluding drinks
• Cost of a local beer (Beer Lao 640ml): £1 or less
• Cost of a bottle of wine: Standard Australian £10
Recommended restaurants & bars
Choosing the right restaurant to eat at when travelling in Laos can sometimes be a daunting experience. To assist in making your selection we have compiled a list of restaurant & bar recommendations which have been drawn from our own experiences, and suggestions from previous clients as well as our colleagues in the country. Below we have outlined just a few of our recommended restaurant & bars. A more comprehensive list will be supplied with your travel documentation.
Vientiane
• Vangthong Evening Market - Houses a range of street stalls offering a variety of local snacks and meals for budget prices. Found behind the national stadium on Khun Bu Lom Road.
• Mak Phet - superb Lao food served in a picturesque old house. Restaurant arm of the Friends International enterprise that helps to support and train street kids. +856 21 260 587.
• La Signature (at Ansara Hotel) - Ansara Hotel's house restaurant serving French fine dining in a beautiful setting. +856 21 213 514
Luang Prabang
• Khem Khan Sin Dad - ‘Sin dad' loosely translates as Lao fondue/barbecue. Choose a range of meats and veggies, return and self-cook at your table. A very local affair which is extremely cheap, delicious and a great experience. Along the Kingkitsarath Road, facing the Nam Khan.
• Tamarind - offers a good introduction to Lao cuisine with an interesting menu. Also offers cooking lessons if you wish to discover more. +856 20 7777 0484
• L'Elephant - high-end French dining, with some Lao touches, set in a beautiful colonial building. +856 71 252 482