Hội An is an old trading town on the Thu Bồn River, about 30 km south of Da Nang, with a cuisine of its own: cao lầu, white rose dumplings, bánh mì. My saved list has it as a single pin, the town itself, with no addresses. So all 9 places in this guide are ones recommended by travel guides and by travellers themselves; I checked each one on Google: still open, rated 4.2 or higher, more than a hundred reviews. I have no notes of my own on Hội An yet, so every description is put together from Google Maps reviews.
Prices are Google's average spend per person; prices of single dishes and tickets come from reviews. Valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 100,000 ₫ ≈ $3.85.
In short
- Three local dishes: cao lầu at Quán Cao Lầu Thanh, mì Quảng for breakfast at Mì Quảng Bà Minh and white rose dumplings at White Rose Restaurant, all under 100,000 ₫ (≈$4).
- Bánh mì: Bánh Mì Phượng, made famous by Anthony Bourdain, and Madam Khánh a few blocks away; people argue over which is better.
- Roll your own bánh xèo: the set menu at Bale Well, with crêpes, skewers and rice paper, about 140,000 ₫ (≈$5.40) a head.
- A cold drink: the herbal lemonade at Mót Hội An, refreshing, though many call it hype.
- A break from the crowds: Reaching Out, a teahouse where you're asked to stay silent, and The Espresso Station in a quiet courtyard.
Food
Quán Cao Lầu Thanh
Hội An · cao lầu · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · Sat–Thu 7:00–19:00, closed Fri
Google Maps · 26 Thái Phiên
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 2,500+): a family eatery that has been making cao lầu for more than twenty years: firm, chewy noodles found only in Hội An, with thinly sliced pork, herbs and crunchy pork crackling. A large bowl is about 50,000 ₫ (≈$2), a small one 35,000 ₫ (≈$1.40), and it arrives almost instantly. It's cramped and busy, and service is basic. Food runs out early: arrive at 13:00 and you may be the last one served.
Mì Quảng Bà Minh
Hội An · mì Quảng for breakfast · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 6:00–10:30
Google Maps · 61 đường 18/8
According to Google Maps reviews (4.9 from 250+): a small morning noodle shop where Hội An locals themselves eat, said to have been going since the late 1970s. The mì Quảng here is light rather than oily, with crunchy rice crackers and fresh herbs, served in white porcelain bowls; you can ask for extra quail eggs. The cook is friendly and speaks English. It opens at 6:00 and sells out fast; breakfast for two is under 70,000 ₫ (≈$2.70).
White Rose Restaurant
Hội An · white rose dumplings · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 7:30–20:30
Google Maps · 533 Hai Bà Trưng
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 2,500+): a family place making bánh bao bánh vạc to family recipes: translucent shrimp dumplings shaped like a white rose. There are only two things on the menu, these dumplings (steamed, with crispy topping) and fried wontons with vegetables, Hội An's "pizza", and you can watch them being made. Opinions differ: some call it a must, others find the wrappers thick and the sauce ordinary.
Bale Well restaurant
Hội An · bánh xèo set menu · 100,000–200,000 ₫ (≈$4–8) · daily 10:00–21:30
Google Maps · Facebook · 45 Ngõ 51 Trần Hưng Đạo
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 1,000+): a restaurant down an alley where you barely order: a set arrives sized to your group, with crispy bánh xèo crêpes, grilled pork skewers, sausage, fried rolls, rice paper and a pile of herbs, and a server shows you how to roll it all up. About 140,000 ₫ (≈$5.40) a head, not cheap for Vietnam. Hard to find, but spacious and quick even when tour groups pour in. Some find the sauce too sweet, and the prawns come shell-on; if you're a light eater, ask for a smaller portion.
Bánh Mì Phượng
Old Town · bánh mì · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 6:30–21:00
Google Maps · website · 2B Phan Châu Trinh
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 16,700+): the bánh mì shop Anthony Bourdain made famous in 2009, and by most accounts it still holds up. People recommend the "mixed" one with pork, pâté and egg, and the BBQ pork bánh mì; the baguette is crisp and toasted over charcoal. You get a receipt with a number and it's called out when your sandwich is ready; the queue moves fast, and there's a big second floor with tables. At peak times expect a 20–30 minute wait.
Madam Khánh – The Bánh Mì Queen
Hội An · bánh mì · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 6:30–19:00
Google Maps · website · 115 Trần Cao Vân
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 12,000+): Bánh Mì Phượng's main rival; many people try both and then argue. A no-frills counter where the sandwiches are put together in front of you at astonishing speed: a hot, crisp baguette, a generous, saucy filling with pâté, and a fiery chilli oil on the side that gets praise of its own. A bánh mì is about 40,000 ₫ (≈$1.50). There's nearly always a queue, and a few seats to eat on the spot.
Coffee and drinks
Mót Hội An
Old Town · herbal lemonade · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 9:00–22:00
Google Maps · website · 150 Trần Phú
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 3,800+): the Old Town's best-known drink, an iced herbal tea with lemongrass and lime, served with a lemongrass stalk or bamboo straw and a lotus petal on top. It's very refreshing in the heat, but plenty of reviewers call it hype: the cup is mostly ice and a lot of sugar, and the taste varies from one visit to the next. Everyone stops to take photos outside and blocks the street; if the queue is long, you can skip it.
Reaching Out Teahouse
Old Town · teahouse · daily 8:00–20:00
Google Maps · website · 131 Trần Phú
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 1,900+): a quiet teahouse in an old wooden house, staffed by people with hearing and speech impairments. Guests are asked not to talk: you order with wooden blocks on the table, English on one side and Vietnamese on the other. Tea and coffee tasting sets come in glass and brass with homemade biscuits; at the back there's a workshop selling ceramics, jewellery and handkerchiefs. Many call it the best escape from the heat and the crowds.
The Espresso Station
Hội An · courtyard café · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 7:30–17:15
Google Maps · Facebook · 28/2 Trần Hưng Đạo
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 1,200+): a calm café at the end of a lane only wide enough for a motorbike; look for the small round blue sign. Tables made from old sewing machines, a cosy courtyard, quiet music. Reviewers praise the coffee with espresso ice cubes, salt and coconut coffee, the charcoal latte and fresh croissants. Some find the milk coffees too sweet and bigger than the name suggests.
One last thing
Local food in Hội An is a morning thing: mì Quảng at Bà Minh is gone by 10:30, cao lầu at Thanh by lunchtime, and Thanh is closed on Fridays. Bánh mì is sold all day, and the silent Reaching Out teahouse is the best place to sit out the hottest hours.
More on Hội An: what to see, where to go out.