From restored French villas to countryside-inspired dining rooms, these four vegetarian restaurants prove that meat-free cuisine can be as visually stunning as it is delicious.
Hoi
Hoi is housed in a French colonial villa dating back to 1921 at 81 Quan Thanh Street in Ba Dinh Ward. The restaurant retains the architecture of early-20th-century Hanoi, from arched windows and iron balconies to patterned tiles and carved floral details. A largish garden adds to its charm.
Guests can choose from indoor tables, a veranda and private dining rooms. The restaurant also has a contemporary art gallery on its second floor.
A branch of a Ha Long vegetarian restaurant, Hoi maintains an adventurous yet familiar menu. It ranges from cordyceps soup to mushroom pate with pumpkin jam and truffle-layered sweet potatoes.
Main dishes range from stuffed abalone mushrooms and truffle rice balls to truffle-mushroom spaghetti. Prices are mid-range for a downtown address. Starting July the restaurant has been offering a 68-dish buffet for around VND300,000 (US$11.40) per person.
Uu Dam Chay
Uu Dam Chay is situated at 55 Nguyen Du Street, Hoan Kiem Ward. Designed in the style of a northern countryside house, it has timber columns, terracotta roof tiles and earthy moss-green and reddish-brown tones.
Its menu incorporates natural ingredients, resulting in dishes ranging from fresh rolls and fried taro, to roasted vegetables and hotpots.
Prices are high at VND400,000 - VND500,000 ($15 to $19) per person, and reservations are recommended. Uu Dam Chay was recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, which celebrates restaurants that serve delicious food at affordable prices.
Sadhu
Sadhu has three Hanoi locations: 87 Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Udic Complex on Hoang Dao Thuy Street, and the 3rd floor of Lotte Mall West Lake on Vo Chi Cong Street. With so many outlets across the city, it is a familiar name among Hanoi's vegetarian crowd.
Sadhu's 100-item menu runs from salads and soups to noodles and desserts. Highlights include young-green-rice soup, fried lychee spring rolls and pizzas topped with mugwort or pumpkin.
Sadhu's interiors blend Buddhist and meditation influences, using dark-wood tones and simple decor like bamboo furniture and plants. Zen music and soft chimes help enhance the ambiance.
A standout feature is its table-served buffet model, which avoids the crowds of traditional buffets. Each dish is served in small portions so diners can sample without feeling overwhelmed or wasting food. The buffet is priced at VND298,000 ($11.40) per person.
Vi Lai
Situated at 67 Ly Thuong Kiet Street in Hoan Kiem Ward, Vi Lai has long been beloved by Hanoi's vegetarian community for its design and architecture that harmonizes with nature.
The five-storey space showcases a different visual story on each floor.
The ground floor is alive with colors and stories from folk paintings, while the second floor captures the flight of flamingos across the ceiling.
The third floor celebrates the changing seasons, the fourth offers Buddhist-style rooms, and the fifth welcomes guests in a VIP event space.
The restaurant offers both à la carte and buffet dining options. Some highly rated vegetarian dishes include braised mushrooms with green pepper, red curry served in coconut, and bamboo roll.
Vi Lai also serves herbal teas such as rose and chrysanthemum. The average cost of dining is around VND300,000 ($11.45) per person.
