The Smart Way to Enjoy the Best Bars in Vientiane in the Summer
The best bars in Vientiane tend to be popular places to gather at the end of a summer day and talk about your day of sightseeing around the city. Not only do they offer a cold drink enjoyed in air-conditioned comfort, but they also offer some great food and a relaxing atmosphere to share your stories. Summers in Vientiane, like most of the neighbouring countries of Laos, are dry and hot. The clear skies are welcomed by tourists wanting to get out and visit the numerous, historic sights around the city. But the heat can take a toll if you’re not prepared for it. However, if you dress for warm weather by wearing loose-fitting, cotton clothes, taking a hat along with you and sunscreen as well as plenty of water to keep yourself well-hydrated, the hot weather can be a blessing. That’s because the hot weather in the summer is also usually low in humidity. And as anybody can tell you, it’s not the heat, but the humidity that gets you. Nevertheless, touring around the city all day can make you look forward to enjoying an evening in an air-conditioned bar. Here are three of the best bars in Vientiane that will welcome you to do just that.
The Elephant Lounge
The Elephant Lounge is in the lobby of the Crowne Plaza Vientiane Hotel. From the moment the doors open to welcome you, you’ll realise that it’s a perfect end to your day. Sink into one of their richly upholstered chairs and peruse the menu of beers, wines and cocktails. They have their own signature whisky and gourmet snacks as well. The Elephant Lounge will surround you in air-conditioned sophistication. It’s the perfect place to meet up with friends and family that you’ve spend the day touring with and talk about your adventures in comfort and elegance. If you find that you don’t have the willpower to leave the soothing, air-conditioned conditioned atmosphere of the Crown Plaza Vientiane, there are also three other dining establishments within the Crowne Plaza and near the Elephant Lounge for you to experience and enjoy – Mosaic, 3 Merchants and The Link.
Bor Pen Nyang
The shores of the Mekong River are always a popular place to head at the end of a long, hot day in Vientiane and few places are as popular along the river as Bor Pen Nyang. It’s a great place to take in the sunset, and an ice-cold beer after a day of touring. This 4-story restaurant and bar along the river is an immensely popular place among the younger crowd that enjoys quality western food like pizza, fajitas, BBQ and burgers. They also serve a tremendous spicy seafood soup and larb (a minced-pork salad). As the evening progresses, it becomes one of the liveliest places in the city, with two pool tables that people have to wait for their turns at and the best in popular western music.
O’Grady’s Irish Pub
This is the place to head after a long day of touring with your small kids in tow. Not only do they offer the only place in Vientiane to savour a cold, draught Guinness, but they have a children’s playground as well. Their motto is: ‘Good food, good drinks and good craic’ (‘fun’ in Gaelic). O’Grady’s Irish Pub offers simple, honest, well-prepared pub food with a helping of warm Lao and Irish hospitality. They also offer a friendly place to watch the latest Rugby or football match in air-conditioned comfort while the kids work off their extra energy in the kid’s playground outside. In the evenings, they offer live music in the beer garden and trivia quizzes. O’Grady’s can be an oasis for westerners who are craving the comforts of home. Vientiane is a beautiful place to visit at any time of year. But don't let the heat of summer dissuade you from touring the ancient and historic sights of the city. By being prepared during the day and knowing some of the best bars in Vientiane to visit once the sun goes down, your visit to Vientiane can provide you with memories to last a lifetime.
