What to Eat in Dalat: Top Vietnamese Dishes to Try (2025)

Check Places to Stay in Dalat (Expedia) | See Food Tour Prices (GetYourGuide)

Hủ Tiếu

Hủ tiếu is a beloved noodle soup in Dalat. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Given the city’s abundance of fresh produce, vegetarian options are great choices here and sometimes even better tasting than the typical pork and shrimp-based staple of the standard bowl.

Where to go: Chay Dalat, Hủ Tiếu Hoàng Hải

Rating: This is probably my favourite way to start off a morning in the cold days in Dalat. Sweet, salty, flavorful, and guilt-free noodle soup. Especially recommend Chay Dalat. 9/10.

Cà Phê Chồn (Weasel Coffee)

Weasel coffee, aka weasel poo coffee, or better known in Vietnam as cà phê chồn, has a relatively unlikely serendipitious origin story. Its roots tie back to the French colonial period in Vietnam, where farmers were unable to afford coffee harvested from plantations but discovered the coffee beans being excreted out from wild civets. They’d take these beans, clean, and roast them, and discovered that they’d produce a smoother, more aromatic flavor.

I can confirm after trying it that it produces a good cup of coffee. Given that weasels aren’t exactly coffee factories, each weasel can only produce so many coffee beans in a day, and the prices will reflect that. I reviewed the Weasel Coffee Farm in Dalat in my other blog here that you can read in-depth.

Where to go: Weasel Coffee Farm

Rating: Ignoring the price tag, it’s a good cup of coffee. 8/10.

Mì Quảng

When I was in Hoi An, I had this practically every morning. Mì quảng is a noodle dish with a small amount of concentrated broth at the bottom, typically eaten for breakfast, and it originates from the Quang Nam province. It uses tumeric noodles, a spice typically found in the Quang Nam province.

In Dalat, this noodle dish has been adapted to incorporate more of the city’s generous assortment of fresh vegetables, such as shredded cabbage, lettuce, mint, and more.

Where to go: Ms. Xi Noodle Shop

Rating: Arrive early at Ms. Xi’s, as their bowls typically sell out later into the day. My best bowl of Mì Quảng in Vietnam was here. 9/10.

Bánh Căn

On the topic of breakfast, bánh căn is a particularly beloved dish in Dalat, becoming an iconic staple of morning street foods. Bánh căn is a small round rice cake, typically filled with quail eggs, and served alongside toppings such as pork, shrimp, and squid, then cooked over an oven in clay molds. This is then served alongside a hot bowl of fish broth. Bon Appetit, a traditional Dalat breakfast.

Open a map in Dalat, and chances are there will be a bánh căn restaurant within a 5-minute walk from your hotel. I highlight the ones I like below.

Where to go: Bánh căn Ngọc, Bánh Căn Nhà Gạo, Bánh Căn Hải Sản

Rating: Incredibly satisfying umami-rich breakfast. Sweet, tangy, salty. I’m allergic to eggs, and I still sought this out practically every morning. 9/10.

Bánh Tráng

Walk around any night market or on the corner of a busy street in the afternoon, chances are that you’ll find a bánh tráng stall there. Nicknamed ‘Vietnamese pizza’, bánh tráng is a simple crispy rice paper snack grilled and topped with ingredients such as scallions, dried shrimp, chili, and chili sauce. It’s then folded two times, where it resembles a taco rather than a pizza.

Plastic stools usually compose the dining area for these, often times surrounding the stall itself. I grabbed a few of these and often sat with a group of locals while they chatted about their days.

Where to go: Chuối nếp nướng Võ Văn Tần, Chuối Nếp Nướng

Rating: These are found everywhere, are very affordable, and are tremendously addicting. Dangerous. 9/10.

Kem Bơ

My favorite discovery about Dalat was that the region is well-known for producing some of the world’s best avocados. Avocados grow in abundance in the Central Highlands, and these avocados are some of the creamiest you can eat.

Now, the Vietnamese don’t waste their avocados on toast, but rather, they blend it up until the texture is creamy like ice cream. Combine it with coconut ice cream and some of the best toppings to pair, like coconut flakes and durian puree, and you’ve got yourself one of the most addicting desserts out there.

Where to go: Kem Phụng Chợ Đà Lạt, Kem Phụng, CHẠM Cafe & Kem Bơ Đà Lạt

Rating: I had these twice a day. It is a must-eat in Dalat. You’re spending only 2 hours here? Get the ice cream. 10/10.

Strawberries

I remember when I arrived, I did a quick search on what the best fruits and vegetables were in Dalat. Strawberries, specifically the ones grown in Dalat, are on a list of the top ten speciality foods in all of Vietnam. The climate and rich volcanic soil create great strawberries, and these are typically smaller and more aromatic than those found in other countries.

I luckily stayed next to a strawberry farm during my stay in Dalat, so I was able to pick these, try them outright, and also drink them in a smoothie. What a day.

Where to go: Đèo Mây Farm

Rating: I’m not a big smoothie guy, but the strawberries at this farm are incredible. 9/10.

Bún Thịt Nướng

Chargrilled marinated pork over rice noodles, fresh herbs, fish sauce, and peanuts. It’s a staple in southern Vietnamese cuisine, and while Dalat isn’t known to be the city that specializes in it, they certainly can make a great bowl.

Deep-fried rice paper is also added here and appears to be a common additional ingredient utilized in this city for other dishes as well.

Where to go: Hạnh Tâm Bún và Nem Nướng Đà Lạt, Bun Thit Nuong Lien

Rating: A quaint little shop inside the Dalat Market, food court area. The owners were extremely nice here, too. 7/10.

Ca Phe

Can’t really visit Dalat, a city with coffee farms surrounding it, without having at least a cup of coffee a day. Whether it’s the iced version (cà phê sữa đá), egg coffee (cà phê trứng), or just a normal, straight but strong black coffee (cà phê đen đá), it’ll all be delicious here.

Most cafes offer some sort of great view, location, or experience, some have all of it. If you have the time, I’d recommend booking a tour at a coffee farm like K’Ho Coffee.

Where to go: Highlands Coffee Lam Vien Square, In The Forest Đà Lạt, K’Ho Coffee

Rating: It’s Vietnamese coffee. 9/10.

Nước Mía

I literally can’t go anywhere in Vietnam without having some nước mía (sugarcane juice). Typically, this refreshing sugary drink is perfect for hot days in this country, but Dalat is cooler and windier. Yet somehow, it still hits the same, especially after a long day of walking, hiking, eating, or whatever else you’ve done in this great city.

Where to go: 119 coffee

Rating: 10/10

Sữa Dậu Nành (Hot Soy Milk)

Counter to the icy refreshing sugarcane juice is the hot steamy soy milk (sữa dậu nành), which is a staple in Dalat given the cold climate. It’s not just a drink here, it’s part of the nighttime street and food culture.

Stalls will surround markets, plastic stools of every color littered around them, the vendor only serving one thing: soy milk. Some have different flavors, like peanut, mung bean, sesame, almond, and plain ol’ soy. Grab a dessert pastry to go with it. A key nightcap to close out your night out here.

Where to go: Sữa Đậu Nành Hạnh Sữa Việt Anh, Sữa Cô Lan – Chính Gốc 185 Phan Đình Phùng

Rating: I’m still nostalgic about having these every night there. 9/10.

Bánh Uớt Lòng Gà (Chicken Innard Noodles)

Think about all the parts of a chicken you don’t typically see in a western bowl of chicken noodle soup. Now take away the soup, put it in a separate bowl, often replaced with a fish sauce mixture, and replace the chicken breast with organs like the heart, liver, and gizzards.

Combine all of it with fresh herbs and shallots. It may not sound like the most appetizing sounding dish, and I’ll admit that it didn’t hit with me either, but the bowl has a certain level of status here in Dalat, and I’d still recommend to try it.

Where to go: Liên Bánh Ướt Lòng Gà 44 Tăng Bạt Hổ, Quán bánh ướt lòng gà Hà Phương

Rating: This one is a quite of an acquired taste I think, but I can see why some like it. 6/10.

Vegetarian Hotpot (Lẩu Chay)

Lẩu (or hotpot) is a must-eat thing in Vietnam, especially in the colder climate of Dalat. Fresh vegetables being in abundance in the surrounding farms, naturally a hotpot would skew more towards eating farm-to-table.

There’s a few hotpot restaurants that specialize in vegetable hotpot specifically, and some, like the one recommended below, offer stunning views. Pair the eating experience after a kayaking trip at Tuyền Lâm Lake. The nap taken after that was a thing of legends.

Where to go: Léguda Buffet Rau Đà Lạt

Rating: Guilt-free all-you-can-eat hotpot with stunning views. 10/10.

Nem Nướng (Grilled Pork Skewer Wraps)

On my first night in Dalat, I asked a few locals what foods I should try and what were their favorites. There was a very common answer for both, nem nướng. Grilled pork sausages, traditionally grilled with lemongrass stalks, served with fresh herbs, pickled vegetables, chilis, wrapped in a rice paper, and finished with a dipping sauce.

After trying it a few times myself, I can confirm that it’s a tremendously addicting snack or lunch. There was one place in particular that offered a special nước chấm (dipping sauce for the wrap), and is the main one I’ll recommend here.

Where to go: Nem nướng Bà Nghĩa

Rating: Her family’s secret recipe for the dipping sauce is going to be closely guarded. I dream of that sauce. 10/10.

General Recommendations

• Da Lat Night Market (Chợ Đêm Đà Lạt) is a great night market to try many of the items on this list
• During the day, I’d recommend Da Lat Market (Chợ đà lạt) as a one-stop shop to try a lot of the foods mentioned
• Go with on a food tour, meet fellow foodie travellers and ask the local guide a lot of questions
• Make use of Grab bikes to easily go from place to place
• If you venture far out of the city, make sure you plan a way back as Grabs are very rarely found outside the city
• Bring cash, especially for taxis

Looking for a Place to Stay in Dalat?

If you’re looking to stay outside of the city center, in the peace and calm of the mountains surrounding it, I’d recommend the May Trang Villa. The staff were incredibly accommodating and kind, the facilities were great, the views were gorgeous, and the prices were incredibly reasonable.

Read more below.

Check Places to Stay in Dalat (Expedia) | See Food Tour Prices (GetYourGuide)

Thanks for Reading!