The Best Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Hoi An

I didn’t expect an abundance of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Hoi An – but how wrong I was!

I’ve become a bit of an expert, in part due to the lovely group of Hoi An digital nomad friends I made there last summer, most of whom were vegetarian or vegan. For a city with a traditionally meaty national cuisine, I was surprised but pleased to find an increasing supply of veggie and vegan food in Hoi An, from cheap eats to beach bars and dedicated food tours.

Contrary to what I thought, there are actually a few Vietnamese vegetarian dishes to look out for. After eating the meat-heavy street food in Hoi An, I badly needed the detox.

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Related: where to drink coffee in Hoi An

For a lovely restaurant in Hoi An serving healthy Western favourites, Nourish Eatery needs to be on your radar. This predominantly plant-based eatery serves tasty and beautifully-presented burgers, salad bowls, tacos and all your favourite breakfast items like avo toast, granola and smoothie bowls.

If you need to cool down, there are fresh juices and smoothies and we can’t forget the delicious espresso coffee made by the house barista. If you don’t believe me, check out the countless 5* reviews on Trip Advisor!

Not only is the food fantastic but it’s a lovely venue ideally located on the edge of the Old Town with fans to keep you cool on a hot day. The spacious venue with high ceilings and comfy seating is suitable for socialising, relaxing and co-working, plus there’s also an outdoor area.

With the same name as the first place on my list, this vegetarian restaurant can be found at 63-65 Phan Dinh Phung. This Tam Quang Minh is not mapped on Google (type it in and you’ll be taken to the first one) so it’s a bit of a local gem.

Here they serve one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes, bánh cuốn. Soft, gooey rice paper is wrapped around ingredients but I’ve only had it with meat before. Here it’s served as a fresh and flavoursome vegan dish with tofu and salad. I loved the flavour and have eaten it without meat since.

Minh Hien is probably the most famous spot for vegetarian food in Hoi An. Right in the heart of the busy Ancient Town, it’s the perfect escape during a busy Hoi An itinerary.

The pretty garden includes a stream and bridge, plus the food is just as au naturale. I love the aubergine cooked in banana leaf for 60,000 VND (£2) which makes for a main meal when served with rice. You can also try vegetarian versions of Hoi An’s signature dishes like white rose dumplings.

Address: There are two, Minh Hien 1 at 50 Tran Cao Van and Minh Hien 2 at 30 Đinh Tiên Hoàng.

The cheapest vegetarian restaurant in Hoi An is probably my favourite. The food at Ba Dam is served buffet-style: you point at what you want and get it dished up, from morning glory to pulled jackfruit, sweet corn fritters, fresh spring rolls and sauteed veg.

I paid 30,000 VND (£1) for the biggest plate of veggie goodies which made me feel healthy even though I was absolutely stuffed!

For the final stop of our tour, we headed to another vegetarian restaurant in Hoi An, Nhan Duyen. This cosy spot had a local feel and very reasonable prices. We tucked into a hotpot packed with various organic veggies (grown up the road at Tra Que Vegetable Village) including pineapple and star fruit.

Vegan Zone Hoi An

This new addition to the scene is a highly rated vegan restaurant known for its traditional Vietnamese dishes like lemongrass tofu. The relaxed setting at Vegan Zone Hoi An is unpretentious (think Nepalese prayer flags and pretty wall murals) but the food is beautifully presented and very tasty, served in clay pots with healthy side salads.

Don’t miss the tasty fruit drinks like apple, mint and lime juice!