Luang Prabang is a beautiful little town located on a peninsula at the intersection of the Mekong and Nam Kahn rivers in northern Laos. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and thus retains much of its colonial architecture. I could feel the French influence more strongly in Luang Prabang than anywhere else in Southeast Asia thus far. Walking some of the streets I could almost fool myself that we were in a European village.

But then a little Buddhist temple would pop up and remind me that we were in Laos. For Luang Prabang is the center of Lao religious life and there seem to be more wats than could possibly be supported by this tiny city.

Luang Prabang is charming and it quickly lulled us into a slower pace of life. We showed up with four days booked but quickly decided to extend it to seven. This was not because there were a ton of things we wanted to do and see, quite the opposite. Laos is known for being an extremely laid back country and we wanted to soak up some of that vibe.

So, while we did spend one day on a trek through the jungle, for the rest of our time we didn’t do much. We wandered along the river, drank coffee, read, did yoga and we ate some delicious food. It only seems appropriate to tell the story of our week in Luang Prabang in the form of a list of our favorite eateries.

Sit Down Restaurants

Dyen Sabai

Our first night in Luang Prabang can only be described as magical. We arrived in the city exhausted and hungry after our two day journey by boat. For dinner that evening we wandered across the little bamboo footbridge that crosses the Nam Kahn and up the hill to Dyen Sabai.

There we were escorted to our seats on an open air balcony overlooking the river. We ordered a sampler platter of such Lao specialties as fried Mekong river weed and eggplant dip, both delicious. For our main course we tried Lao beef soup, a dish made unique by the addition of spicy wood. There is literally a piece of wood in the soup which you don’t eat but which imparts a unique spiciness that is unlike anything else I’ve tasted. The cocktails were also amazing, Dan’s was spiced with peppers and mine muddled with kafir lime leaves – they basically tasted like Southeast Asia in a glass.

More fantastic than the food itself was the setting. As we sat and looked over the river we got to watch thunder clouds roll in and lightning bolts move closer and closer until the storm let loose a torrential downpour right over us. Luckily our balcony was covered but after a few minutes of rain the restaurant’s power went out. Unphased, the waiters brought around candles and we stuck around a while longer to soak in the ambiance. It was quite the welcome to Laos.

Cafe Tui

Cafe Tui does not have quite as good a story to go with it but the food was good enough to be worth mentioning. This cute little restaurant in the ground floor of a boutique hotel felt like fine dining without the hefty price-tag. We had a fish steamed in banana leaves and a delicious curry with pumpkin and Luang Prabang’s signature sausages. The mains were fantastic but a highlight was the little free appetizer snacks they served us before hand. These crispy mushrooms and rice crackers were perfectly seasoned and were a delightful surprise.

Pizza Phan Luang

On our last night in Luang Prabang we were craving a little break from Asian food.  We had tried a couple of pizza places previously on this trip which were fine but not great so our expectations were not high.  However, Pizza Phan Luang was a pleasant surprise.  The restaurant itself is delightful.  It is situated in a backyard with tiki torches lining the perimeter so the place has the ambiance of a summer barbecue.  The pizza itself comes out of a huge outdoor brick pizza oven and was quite delicious, a perfect accompaniment to a couple of Beerlao.  I neglected to take a picture before we harfed it down so you’ll have to take my word for it that the crust was perfectly crispy and the cheese bubbly.

Noodle Soup

Xien Thong Noodle Soup

One thing that Luang Prabang lacks in comparison to other Southeast Asian cities is street food.  The city is a major tourist hub and, in the old town at least, it can be hard to find local places serving up cheap grub.  However, there are some great noodle soup shops.  Noodle soup is a typical breakfast in Laos and, despite the heat, it really hits the spot.  Dan and I tried a handful of places during our week in town but the only one we went back to multiple times was Xien Thong.

The noodle soup here is similar to Vietnamese pho but the noodles are different than any others we’ve had.  They are round and fat and soft.  The soup is served with cooked pork meat and we purchased dried rice cakes to crumble on top.  The key to eating noodle soup in Laos is the toppings and condiments.  It always comes with lime and an array of sauces which you add until you find your own perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy.

Cafes

Saffron Coffee

We found the cafes in Luang Prabang to be really hit or miss.  The descriptions we found of Le Cafe Ban Vat Sene, a little French-inspired place in the heart of the old town, made it sound like the essence of charm but we found it sterile and the coffee disappointing.  We’d also read reviews raving about Le Banneton’s pastries but the croissant I tried didn’t blow me away and they don’t have WiFi meaning we couldn’t sit there and work.

We finally found our perfect cafe in Saffron Coffee.  Their coffee is all grown by local villages in the hills of Northern Laos and it was delicious.  The interior is cozy and unpretentious but the best part is they are situated across the road from the river and had additional seating built on a little patio overlooking the water.

Dan and I spent a couple of happy hours reading and enjoying our coffee with a view, while regretting having bothered with any of the other cafes we’d tried.  I can’t vouch for their food but the coffee alone is worth a visit.