Vung Tau restaurant and bar guide
Vung Tau Restaurant has impressive sea views
As a holiday town, Vung Tau has plenty of restaurants to cater to its visitors, though many of them rely exclusively on Vietnamese tourists so don’t provide an English menu. While this may discourage you, if you head up to Sao Mai village at the northern end of the peninsula, you’ll find a string of simple seafood restaurants on stilts over the water.
Here you can point to whatever you fancy that you see swimming in the tanks and trust the staff to prepare it in an appetizing manner. It’s best to check prices first, though, as some of the offerings such as baby shark carry a high price tag. Although seafood is what most people want while they’re beside the sea, Vung Tau has plenty of alternatives, such as Italian or international dishes.
Recommended Vung Tau restaurants
Good Morning Vietnam (Italian): A branch of an international chain, producing reliably tasty pizzas and pastas in a clean, modern setting. 6 Hoang Hoa, tel: +84 (0)64 385 6959. $$
Blue Note: Making a pleasing contrast to the seedy, dim-lit bars in the area, this café/bar is a cool place to just hang out and chat, sip a beer and check your email on the free WiFi. 6 Tran Hung Dao, tel: +84 (0)64 353 2247. $
Ganh Hao (Vietnamese/seafood): Vung Tau’s premier seafood restaurant is perched on a hill with sweeping sea views from its terrace. The seafood menu includes lobster, crab and prawns, which you can select personally if you like. Great place to while away an afternoon nibbling seafood and sipping beer. (3 Tran Phu. No phone) $$
Binh An Village (Vietnamese/International): Even if the rates for rooms and suites at the resort here are a bit steep for your budget, it’s worth treating yourself to a memorable meal in this delightful restaurant. Superb steaks and seafood served in exquisite surroundings with dreamy ocean views. A jazz trio entertains on Saturday evenings and Sunday lunchtime. Reservations recommended. 1 Tran Phu, tel: +84 (0)64 351 0016. $$$$
Lan Rung (Vietnamese/seafood): It’s difficult not to be distracted by the kitsch décor here – cement tree trunks and branches with plastic leaves and cuddly toys strung here and there. Yet when the food arrives, your interest is likely to shift to beneath your nose. Delicious hotpots and stir-fries, with seafood the speciality. (2 Tran Hung Dao. No phone) $
Price guide
$ – dishes under $3; quart of beer $1; whiskey shot $1.50;cocktails $2
$$ – dishes $3-10; quart of beer $1.50; whiskey shot $2; cocktails $2.50
$$$ – dishes $10-20; quart of beer $2; whiskey shot $2.50; cocktails $3
$$$$ – dishes over $20; quart of beer $3; whiskey shot $4; cocktails $5
Vung Tau bars, pubs & nightlife
There’s not much in the way of nightlife in Vung Tau, though there’s a cluster of bars in the streets around the Tran Hung Dao statue. These try to attract anyone looking for action, in some cases by placing hostesses at the door to waylay single men.
