Enjoy Fine Dining in Vientiane

Those in town for meetings or seminars often like to treat their clients and colleagues to a great meal at the end of the day’s events. But figuring out where the best restaurants are in Vientiane, Laos, can get complicated. Some people want to experience the best Lao cuisine in the city, while others long for the familiar taste of home. Whatever your group decides, you can rest assured that Vientiane has some exquisite fine-dining restaurants that will provide the perfect evening for you and your guests. Here are five of the most famous and best loved fine dining restaurants in Vientiane.

Kualao Restaurant

This is one of the most highly recommended destinations for visitors to Vientiane wanting to experience the best of Lao culture and cuisine. It features an extensive menu of traditional Lao dishes that are created using the freshest local ingredients. The menu changes with the seasons, and the restaurant is a favorite with Lao's who enjoy expertly prepared local cuisine. But an evening at Kualao entails more than just fine food. The Kualao Restaurant also immerses you in Lao art and culture with entertaining dancers performing in authentic dress, accompanied by live musicians playing traditional instruments. The atmosphere at Kualao also adds to the experience. Kualao Restaurant is located in a beautifully restored French-colonial house that provides a warm and comfortable ambiance for an evening of fine dining and entertainment in the heart of Vientiane. Kualao Restaurant is located on the corner of Rue Samsenthai and Rue Chanthakhoumane.

L’Adresse – Cuisine by Tinay

With French culture and cuisine playing such a significant role in Vientiane’s history, an evening of fine dining at one of the pre-eminent French restaurants in the city is something everyone is curious to experience. With a French head chef of Laos descent at the helm, with over 20 years’ experience cooking in his native France, you’ll have an exquisite evening experiencing the best traditional French dishes the city has to offer. These dishes include chef Tinay’s take on classic pan-seared foie gras, succulent rack of lamb, and exotic tuna tartare. With excellent and attentive service and a well-curated wine list, L’Adresse will delight any group of gourmands in the mood for quality French cuisine. The restaurant is located in the Benecam apartments, just off Chao Anou Road. Go up Chao Anou Road from the riverfront, take the first right, and you’ll find the apartments on your right.

Pimenton Open Fire Steakhouse

The perfect place for a hearty meal with business colleagues after a busy day of meetings, Pimenton is the best pure fine dining steakhouse in Vientiane. If you can play hooky from your meetings and steal away for lunch, they offer a business lunch that includes your choice of meat with pasta, salad, fries, vegetables and a dessert for only 75,000 Kip, or less than eight dollars US. The restaurant also offers an expansive tapas menu with a wide variety of grilled sausages, octopus carpaccio, fried calamari, imported anchovies, Spanish omelets, olives and much more. Their beef comes from New Zealand and Canada, and Japan provides them with delicious Kobe sirloin steaks, so their ingredients are always of the highest quality. Pimenton Open Fire Steakhouse is located at 5 Nokeokoumane Road, just across the road and up a bit from the Vientiane Night market.

Villa Opera

Villa Opera has recently opened, but the owner, Mr. Pino Peruzzi, has been preparing high-quality Italian food in Vientiane for years at his old restaurant, L’Opera. He has earned a legion of fans in the city who have followed him from his old restaurant to Villa Opera. The new restaurant still maintains the high standards of service and atmosphere L’Opera was renowned for. It occupies a beautiful and quaint French-colonial house just off the main road along the riverfront, providing a warm and inviting environment enhanced by the irresistible aromas of Italian cooking coming from the kitchen. This is the place in Vientiane to bring business colleagues who appreciate meticulously prepared, fine Italian cuisine. They won't be disappointed with a visit to Villa Opera. You’ll find the restaurant one block back from Rue Panya Sri.

3 Merchants

If you have guests unfamiliar with Southeast-Asian cuisine, then a visit to 3 Merchants is a must. This elegant restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Vientiane Crowne Plaza hotel. The talented chefs specialize in fusion twists on the favorite dishes of Southeast Asian countries. Dishes like Thailand’s pad thai and tom yum kung, Malaysia’s chicken satay, and Vietnam’s Luc Lac are all prepared by hand and given a modern twist that enhances their traditional flavors. Diners can sample high-quality dishes from the indo-pacific region, providing them with a vast palette of flavors, textures and aromas. The restaurant also offers an exquisite variety of steak, lamb, chicken, and fish prepared with spices and sauces from the region.

Fine Dining in Vientiane

With the world striving to get back to normal after the pandemic, Vientiane is ready to show the world what it can contribute to the fine dining scene. Some of these restaurants in Vientiane have been in operation for years and are home to extremely talented chefs. So, take note of these restaurants, they will serve you well whether you visit Vientiane for business or pleasure.