Top 7 must-go local restaurants in Nha Trang
Nha Trang City holds itself the best restaurants in the coastal cities in Vietnam. If you like to taste Vietnamese seafood or other traditional food made by the local, let’s visit the top 7 best local restaurants in town. These restaurants are not only recognized by the local residents in Nha Trang but the visitors from all over the world.
1. Den Long (Lanterns Vietnamese Restaurant)
Lanterns Vietnamese Restaurant specializes in Vietnamese soups from the popular Pho (noodles) as you may know to the signature soup of Nha Trang - the famous fish rice noodles (Bun Ca) that every visitor should eat when they are in Nha Trang. Fish rice noodles is described as the combination of the popular ingredient as the rice noodles and the special sea ingredient which is the dried fish added to make the fish broth sweeter and tastier. Furthermore, the restaurant also serves lunch and dinner with the variety of Vietnamese cake such as “Banh Xeo” and fried rice in a pineapple.
Where to find them
- Address: 30A Nguyen Thien Thuat, Nha Trang city
- Working hours: 7:00 AM - 10:30 PM
- Price: 40,000 VND - 120,000 VND (~ $2.16 - $4.31 USD)
2. Vuon Dua (Coconut Garden)
If you want an affordable place with many local people eating, drinking beer and singing, Vuon Dua is the right place for you. The restaurant is located on Ngoc Thao Dune, which overlooks Cai Tho River, with the fantastic river view, you can eat and breathe the fresh air of the sea just next by at the same time. Coconut Garden serves for medium income locals. Therefore, the price is the same as Lanterns Vietnamese Restaurant, and the seafood is great as much as the view. If you are a seafood lover, there are choices of oysters, crabs, the snouts, fish, prawn or frogs. Especially, remember to try the frogs with many ways of cooking from fried frogs, stir-fried frog, or frog soup. Which is similar to Lanterns Vietnamese Restaurant and other restaurants in Nha Trang, Vuon Dua opens all day, but it is recommended to join in the evening when you are not shocked by the heat.
Where to find them
- Address: Ngoc Thao Dune, Nha trang city
- Working hours: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM
- Price: 50.000 - 150.000 VND (~ $2.16 - $6.47 USD)
3. Thanh Hien Seafood
Another affordable choice for you, if you are in love with seafood, belongs to Thanh Hien Seafood. The restaurant is very famous among the locals for its serving style of fresh food. You can choose many kinds of seafood which are kept alive on the glass boxes in front of your eyes. After choosing seafood, the staff will weight and calculate the price by kilograms.. It is recommended by the local people that you try fishes, crabs, and mussels which are the featured dishes of this restaurant. Especially, you should believe that the grilled shrimp dipping in a sauce of chili, fish sauce and garlic will give you mouth-watering moment, just at first sight.
Where to find them
- Address: 9KA Pham Van Dong, Vinh Phuoc Ward, Nha Trang city
- Working hours: 3:00 PM - 11:00 PM
- Price: 20.000 - 100.000 VND (~ $0.86 - $4.31 USD)
4. Hanh Xuan Seafood
Hanh Xuan Seafood is well known for its fresh crab and fish hot pot, serving for affluent travelers. Hence, feel free to order a crab while you are drinking a beer which is the traditional habit if you want to have a meal like a local. A recommended meal is fresh, stiff but sweet crabmeat with a flavorful “ca hu” (Vietnamese: cá hú - a type of tropical fish) hot pot, both of which make your dinner unforgettable in Nha Trang city. Imagine the freshness of “ca hu” fish dipped in a rich flavored, spicy fish broth soup, the whole taste of Nha Trang ingredients are in your mouth.
The restaurant is huge and you can drop by anytime in a day. Additionally, the staffs are as friendly as your friends, so don’t be afraid to have a chat with them if you don’t know anything about Vietnamese food. The location is near to the Tran Phu Bridge so if you want to come here, just tell the driver the address like the following:
Where to find them
- Address: 36 Cu Huan, Nha Trang city
- Working hours: 8:00 AM - 10:30 PM
- Price: 120.000 - 330.000 VND (~ $5.18 - $14.24 USD)
5. Xuan Anh Snail
Located on Thap Ba Street where many affordable seafood restaurants are based, Xuan Anh Snail stands out because of its good quality and quick serving. Snails are the signature with many ways of cooking; some of the best dishes are wool snails with coconut sauce and mixed steamed snails with gingery fish sauce with red hot chilies.
Tips from Inspitrip: Many tourists find difficulty in eating wool snails. Therefore, follow local tips will be easier for you. Local people don’t use any tool kit to eat, they usually lick the rich and creamy sauce around the snails and then strongly suck the snail inside its shell. If you still cannot do it, feel free to ask any staff or Vietnamese eaters, they will show you how to eat like a local.
Nha Trang is quite similar to many other coastal cities in Vietnam for the unique food walking streets. Thap Ba Street in Nha Trang is also one of the most famous streets that you can walk in the evening and choose the restaurant you want. With Inspitrip suggestion, you won’t be disappointed about the quality of Xuan Anh Snail.
Where to find them
- Address: 9C Thap Ba, Nha Trang City
- Working hours: 8.00 AM to 22.30 PM
- Price: 120.000 - 330.000 VND (~ $5.4 - $15 USD)
6. “Bánh Căn” - 51 To Hien Thanh Street
A legendary name in the list of every famous restaurant in Nha Trang always belongs to “Bánh căn” 51 To Hien Thanh. Bánh căn is a type of small cake made by rice flour mixed with water, added shrimp, egg, some with meat or squid inside. The cook will fry them in a pan with many holes. The smell is appetizing. You will eat this crunchy cake with sweet chili fish sauce, chucking some fresh chilies into the sauce and eat with sided vegetables, you are welcomed to a 100% local eating habit. “Bánh căn” at 51 To Hien Thanh street is very famous in Nha Trang, so you may have to wait quite long to enjoy this specialty but it will be always worthy. You can have “Bánh căn” as your afternoon snack or for dinner. The restaurant opens from afternoon to 9 pm, so be always ready to drop by anytime on the working hour whenever you need.
Where to find them
- Address: 51 To Hien Thanh, Nha Trang City
- Working hours: 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
- Price: 120,000 - 330,000 VND (~ $5.4 - $15 USD)
7. Ngoc Anh Seafood with the featured dish: Jellyfish salad
Delightfully crunchy of jellyfish with vegetables, peanuts, chili, and lemon will make your tongue sweet and spicy at the same time. This is a must-try dish for something really “Nha Trang-ish” and also the signature of the restaurant. Because the jellyfish is cooked carefully so you don’t need to be afraid of dirt. Furthermore, you can also have other types of seafood but people recommend jellyfish salad for the easier eating and digesting.
Where to find them
- Address: 3 Thap Ba, Nha Trang City
- Working hours: 9:00 AM - 11:30 PM
- Price: 45,000 – 180,000 VND (~ $1.94 - $7.76 USD)
These are Inspitrip’s top 7 must-try local restaurants if you are in Nha Trang. Don’t miss the chance to visit them, they will not only serve you delicious food but also bring you a sense of belonging to Nha Trang local resident for a few days visiting.