Best Vietnamese Restaurants in London
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9 months ago
Soul food hotspots
Those craving a bowl of noodle soup in London often head to Kingsland Road in Shoreditch, east London’s ‘Pho Mile’. You’ll find some of the city’s best Vietnamese restaurants here – low-key, cheap eats serving quality pho, bánh mi, spring rolls and curries, many run by families who have been there for years. But there are Vietnamese hotspots dotted all over the city, from Chelsea to Soho and Fitzrovia. Find our top picks here.
Best Vietnamese Restaurants in London
Sông Quê
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A long-standing Kingsland Road staple, Sông Quê has been reeling in locals ever since it opened back in 2002. You can guarantee great quality, authentic Vietnamese food packed with flavour – starters of spring rolls, spicy squid and beef salad alongside all manner of noodles: crispy egg fried, stir-fried rice, and warming soups. Warm, friendly and always busy, this is a stalwart on the East London scene.
134 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DY, songque.co.uk
Phat Phuc Noodle Bar
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Let’s address the elephant in the room: the name of this Chelsea favourite, which is actually not an offensive term. Pronounced ‘fet fook’, it translates as ‘happy Buddha’ in Vietnamese. The unassuming noodle shack is found on a side street off the King’s Road, and in-the-know diners flock there for big bowls of pho. Choose between beef, chicken, duck or vegetables, served in a nutritious, hearty broth and topped with fresh herbs, or go for a laksa, a coconut-based curry soup made with egg noodles.
The Courtyard, 151 Sydney St, London SW3 6NT, phatphucnoodlebar.co.uk
Banh Banh
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The five Nguyen siblings joined forces to open Banh Banh, a street food spot inspired by their grandma, who was a chef in Vietnam during the ‘40s. Launching initially as a pop-up in Bussey Building, they went on to open a bricks-and-mortar venue in Peckham in 2016, followed by another in Brixton. The eatery is inspired by the food she cooked for them growing up in Peckham: bowls of steaming noodles, fiery curries and zesty salads. Dishes are designed for sharing – think chargrilled squid rings and pork wontons ahead of lemongrass chilli fried tofu, yellow curry and slow-cooked pho.
46 Peckham Rye, London SE15 4JR and 326 Coldharbour Ln, London SW9 8QH, banhbanh.com
House of Ho
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A more upmarket option is House of Ho in Fitzrovia, a Pan Asian restaurant which fuses together Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine. The original was located in Soho, but after that closed a new branch opened in Fitzrovia, with head chef Ian Pengelley heading up the kitchen. Set in an impressive four-storey townhouse, it’s a smart spot serving a contemporary spin on Vietnamese fare. Enjoy starters of summer rolls, papaya salad and crispy silken tofu ahead of fiery curries and pho – alongside Japanese dishes of sushi and sashimi. Pair with twists on classic cocktails such as the Tian Mountain, made with vodka, muddled pink roses and lychee juice.
1 Percy St, London W1T 1DB, houseofho.co.uk
Viet Garden
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This friendly, family-run favourite in Islington is the perfect place to pop in for a cheap and cheerful meal, with a special weekday lunch deal offering mains from just £4.50. It focuses on fresh, home cooking inspired by the Mekong River delta, Huế, Sài Gòn and Hà Nội, with a large menu ranging from fresh salads to stir-fried meats and pho, made with a slow-cooked, aromatic broth and served with beansprouts, herbs and optional chilli.
207 Liverpool Rd, London N1 1LX, vietgarden.co.uk
Viet Grill
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A more contemporary Kingsland Road option, Viet Grill features stylish interiors, a pho bar and a buzzy cocktail list. It’s not all style over substance though: locally sourced ingredients are made to create traditional Vietnamese dishes such as bánh cuốn (steamed rice rolls) and bo kho (a spicy beef stew). Naturally, pho is the speciality, which here combines the sweetness from the Marrow bone of the Northern variety with the fragrant cinnamon-infused flavours of the South.
58 Kingsland Rd, London E2 8DP, vietgrillrestaurant.co.uk
Cay Tre
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There are two branches of Cay Tre across the capital: the original in Shoreditch, and a slightly more chic sibling in Soho (think bamboo wall art and minimalist decor). Both are buzzy restaurants with quick and efficient service, with a focus on carefully sourced produce. Pull up a stool by the bar and tuck into hearty dishes like Saigon pork belly stew, Hanoi BBQ pork, and of course big bowls of pho, cooked for 24 hours in a beef marrow bone stock.
42-43 Dean St, London W1D 4PZ and 301 Old St, London EC1V 9LA, caytrerestaurant.co.uk
