Eating and Drinking in Luang Prabang, Laos

During our three days in Luang Prabang, we had lots of opportunities to eat out, but we only went to one place for cocktails and that’s the Icon Klub, owned and operated by the lovely and talented Elizabeth Vongsaravanh. Lisa is a native of Hungary but has lived in Laos for decades and runs what is by far the coolest bar in town. It’s a tiny place, but she knows her cocktails and when you visit you’ll soon be treated like an old friend. Her bar is even listed as one of the “world’s best“. On any given night you might find live music, old rock and roll, poetry, interesting art, as well as fascinating conversation if you are open to it. Go, you won’t be disappointed.

Xieng Thong for breakfast noodles :
This was one of the Best. Breakfasts. Ever.
Early in the morning, before going out to the waterfalls, we had an incredible Laotian noodle soup with pork and egg for breakfast at a place called Xieng Thong. For under $2 on the front patio of a house which had been turned into a restaurant, we ate gorgeous bowls of rice noodles in a fragrant broth topped with sliced pork and fried garlic chips.

On another morning we stopped at Le Banneton French Bakery where we had authentic french pastries, croissants, and baguettes along with a decent cappuccino.

Khaiphaen
On one night we had dinner at Khaiphen, which happens to be a vocational restaurant. This means they train young people to work in restaurants in the tourism industry which helps lift them out of poverty. Kaiphen is the name of a local snack of crispy dried river weed, very similar to Japanese dried seaweed called nori.
Here, I tried my first Laotian beer, the aptly named BeerLao which I found to be very refreshing on a hot night. My meal of duck breast with tamarind and crispy shallots was the standout at the table. My mothers Or Lam, a pork stew with eggplant, seasoned with pieces of Pepperwood was also very good.

Victoria Palace
One afternopon we stopped at the Victotria Palace hotel for an iced coffee. The place was so lovely we made reservations for dinner at their restaurant called the “Kitchen by the Mekong”. There, I was able to try a traditional Laotian pork sausage, which was served with the famous local snack of dried river weed, chili paste, and sticky rice.

On another afternoon we stopped for a late lunch at Tangor, where I had a couple of deliciously chilled glasses of rose wine and a salad with crispy egg rolls.

For more of this trip to Laos, go here.

Have you been here? Would you like to go? Leave me a comment at the bottom and let me know!

Pin this post for later:

Any post on this site may contain affiliate links. 
Thank you for supporting wired2theworld by using our links to shop, book hotels, or organize tours. If you use them, they cost you nothing extra but we may make a small commission which helps us to continue to provide helpful and free content.

Booking.com