Let me put this simply: Da Nang is a food lovers dream. With endless (I mean, endless) insanely delicious AND extremely affordable Da Nang food options, you could live here for years and never stop discovering hidden hole-in-the-wall gems. That is why, ladies and gents, I present to you THE LONGEST FOOD GUIDE EVER. Or at least, longest AWC food guide ever. I just couldn’t limit it down!

It’s got everything you could ever want for every mood and every palate. On a budget? Check. Want a nice sit-down meal with AC and ambiance? Check. Need a break from Viet food? Check. Wanna eat and get shwasty with the company of locals? Got ya’ covered.

So, if you’re just visiting Da Nang, add a few days onto your stay just to bathe yourself in food. And if you’re an expat living here…let the (lack of) hunger games begin!

Cheap Eats (all under $3 !)

1. Bun Thit Nuong (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles)

My personal all-time street food favorite. Grilled pork with cold vermicelli noodles topped off with peanuts, fresh herbs and doused in peanut sauce, I could eat this every night and be as happy as a clam. This is serious street food – I mean you’re literally on the side of a highway, with tiny plastic red chairs and napkins thrown on the floor.  You sit, you devour, and you go. And I wouldn’t have my bun thit nuong any other way. Here’s the full post on my fave dish.

FIND IT: 110 Nguyen Cong Try . Look for the sign that says “Bun Thit Nuong” on the corner of the street, diagonal from the roundabout. OPEN: Nights (around 7pm – 11pm, but subject to change if the lady feels like it).

2. Bánh tráng trộn (green mango and rice paper salad)

When I first fell into this place, I had absolutely no idea what I was eating – I just knew it tasted damn good. Shredded green mango, rice paper, spicy beef jerky, mint, cilantro, fried shallots, peanuts and a bunch of other tasty mystery spices make this dish chopstick-lickin’ good.

FIND IT: An Vat Kim Dong at 87 Trần Bình Trọng (city side) OPEN: 6pm – 10 pm

3. Bun Cha Ca

This is a Da Nang specialty. Another noodle soup, but this time with “fish cakes” in a limey fish broth, cooked with pineapple and tomato. (Pictured at the top of this post!). The best I’ve had is easily at Bun Cha Ca 109.

FIND IT: Bun Cha Ca 109, 109 Nguyễn Chí Thanh (city side)

4. Xoi Ga (sticky rice with chicken)

I luuuvme some sticky rice. Xôi Bà Vui serves up a mound of sticky rice topped with shredded chicken, thai basil and crispy fried onions. Of course, don’t forget to top that baby off with some chili jam and lime.

FIND IT: Xôi Bà Vui, 55 Duong Le Hong Phong (city side)

5. Banh Beo (steamed rice cakes)

A specialty from Central Vietnam, these steamed rice cakes from Ba Bê are topped with mung bean paste, toasted shrimp, fried shallots and scallion oil. Throw a little chili fish sauce and there for an extra zesty kick.

FIND IT: Ba Bê, 100 Hoang Van Thu (city side)

6. Bun Cha Hanoi (Grilled pork with noodles in sweet and sour broth)

In case you couldn’t gather from the name, this dish hails from Hanoi, but the bun cha at Am Phuc Ha Noi 58 is honestly better than any bun cha I’ve had in Hanoi. The grilled pork is served in a flavor-packed sweet n’ sour broth, with a side of noodles and the HUGE bonus: crab spring rolls. Dip your crab spring rolls in the broth for maximum YUM.

FIND IT: Am Phuc Ha Noi 58, 58 Thai Phien (city side)

7. Pho Bo (beef pho)

No frills “pho bo” stand, for when you need some Vietnamese comfort food. Always good, always open and will always warm your soul from the inside out.

FIND IT: Pho Bac Hai, 185 Tran Phu (city side)

8. Banh Canh Ca Loc (Thick Noodle soup with spiced fish)

When by the sea, thy must eat fish. And when in Vietnam, thy must eat fish in noodle soup. What makes Banh Canh special is the noodles, made from tapioca and rice flour for an extra thick and chewy consistency. Order Banh Canh “Ca Loc” (snakehead fish) from my favorite Banh Canh joint, Banh Canh Nga, with big pieces of marinated fish, noodles, scallions and love.

FIND IT: Banh Canh Nga, 78 Nguyen Chi Thanh (city side)

9. Mi Quang Ca Loc

Remember my last post about mi quang? Well, since writing that I’ve discovered my NEW favorite place. It’s called Mi Quang Dung, and the must-try dish here is mi quang ca loc (there’s that snakehead fish again!). Thick “Mi quang” rice noodles tossed in a full-of-flavor turmeric sauce with big pieces of fish, peanuts and fresh aromatic herbs. MMmmmMmm.

FIND IT: Mi Quang Dung, 119 Đỗ Bá (beach side)

10. Com Ga Xe (shredded chicken rice)

On the notorious late night street food street of Phạm Hồng Thái, you’ll find my fave after-work grub spot for when I’m VERY hungry. They have a big selection of dishes they can whip up for you, but the winner every time is the “com ga xe”, or shredded chicken rice – stir fried spiced rice with shredded chicken, fresh herbs and caramelized onions with a side of chicken broth. Throw some chili jam on that and it’s pure $2.50 gold.

FIND IT: On the corner of Pham Hong Thai and Nguyen Chi Thanh

11. Banh Xeo (Savory Vietnamese Crepes)

SSssSSsss. What is that sound, you ask? That’s the sound of banh xeo sizzling on a hot frying pan at Banh Xeo Ba Duong! Banh Xeo consists of pan fried “crepes” made of rice flour and turmeric, stuffed with bean sprouts, shrimp and pork. Then, you roll ’em up in rice paper with some cucumber, fresh herbs and a pork skewer, then dip it in peanut sauce. It takes some skill and practice to do it like a pro- read the full blog post and watch the video on how to eat banh xeo like a local!

FIND IT: Banh Xeo Ba Duong, 280/23 Hoàng Diệu (city side)

Vegetarian (veggie lovers rejoice!)

12. Da Nang Com Chay

My FAVORITE. I could eat here every day and never get bored. The things they do with these vegetables – Stuffed pumpkin with brown rice, steamed dumplings with magic inside, chili char-grilled mushrooms caramelized in tin foil, turmeric baked tofu, coconut shaved salad…DROOL. Now, imagine yourself eating all this with zen music playing in the background, surrounded by jolly buddha and the occasional group of monks. All this, for about $5 per person. I love you, Vietnam.

FIND IT: Da Nang Com Chay, K87/16 Nguyễn Du (city side- original location. I prefer this one) OR 329 Dương Đình Nghệ (beach side)

13. An’s Cafe

An adorable little vegan cafe with an extensive menu of pretty much every veggie Vietnamese dish imaginable. A perfect little lunch spot to find a peaceful oasis in the city.

FIND IT: An’s Cafe, 169f Trưng Nữ Vương (city side)

14. Mi Quang at Giac Ngo

This local vegetarian hole-in-the-wall is my daily lunch spot. Mind you, that everyone I know has their personal fave Mi Quang place. But for me, it’s easily this one. A huge (I mean, HUGE) portion of noodles in turmeric sauce, topped with sweet potato, mushrooms, peanuts, marinated tofu, and thrown on a wilted bed of Thai basil and other fragrant herbs. And of course, don’t forget to chili jam it up with their homemade recipe.

FIND IT: Quan Chay Giac Ngo,  K246/12 Pham Cu Long (beach side)

15. Rice plate at An Lac

“Com binh danh”, or a rice plate with “veggies of the day” is their specialty here. Go during lunch hour (11:30 – 12:15) and get a hefty plate of “com” (rice), with a mountain of whatever magically spiced veggies and tofu they’ve cooked up for the day. The closer to 11:30 you get there, the more selection there will be – this place gets packed with locals on lunch break, so prepare yourself!

FIND IT: Quan Chay An Lac, 38 Quang Trung (city side)

Sit-Down “Vibey” Vietnamese Restaurants

16. Bep Hen

I’ve already raved about this place in its own dedicated post, so I’ll (try to) keep it brief. The menu of this adorable, vintage-decorated restaurant was created to replicate “momma’s home cookin’.” It’s my go-to restaurant when I want a relaxing, sit-down meal with nice vibes and great prices. You MUST TRY their stuffed eggplant with minced pork and tofu in tomato sauce. Read the whole incredible story on the Bep Hen blog post.

FIND IT: Bep Hen, 47 Lê Hồng Phong (city side)

17. Den Long

Want to try a more refined version of Vietnamese food? This is your spot. A comfortable and cozy restaurant with a menu featuring all of Central Vietnam’s local dishes, it’s the perfect place to go when ya’ want good food, comfortable ambiance, clean everything and smiling servers.

FIND IT: Den Long, 71 Lý Thường Kiệt (city side)

18. BBQ  – Hue Ngon

When in ‘Nam, thy must BBQ. Enter the restaurant and you’ll be greeted with the smells of charcoal BBQ smoke and the sounds of locals cheers-ing their beers (một, hai, ba YO!). Take a seat, order the first round of beers for you and your friends. Then, order some pork, beef and squid to throw on the barbie, and let the DIY BBQ fun begin.

FIND IT: Huen Ngon, 65 Trần Quốc Toản

19. Nom Bistro

This trendy restaurant was architecturally modeled after the iconic Vietnamese fishing basket. Newly opened, the menu features a modern twist on Vietnamese classics.

FIND IT: Nom Bistro, Lot 01-A4 Zone of the Villas of Green Island (in between city and beach side on a little island under “the sailing bridge”)

Western Food (Sometimes Ya’ Just Need it!)

Well, not all “Western” food. Let’s say not-Vietnamese-food. Did someone say carbs?

20. Merkat

Ya’ can take the girl outta Spain, but ya’ can’t take Spain outta the girl! After living in Spain for three years and becoming a tapas addict, I need my dose of good jamón and cheese every now and then.  Merkat is owned by a lovely Spanish couple from Valencia, who moved to Da Nang and opened up this authentic tapas-style restaurant. A bit pricey for Da Nang, but to be expected since everything is imported! After all, there’s no price you can put on good jamón, cheese and wine.

FIND IT: Merkat, 79 Lê Lợi (city side)

21. Namaste Omar’s Indian Food

Ok not exactly “Western”. But the rich, saucy, naany, meaty, creamy goodness – those are things you just don’t get with Vietnamese food. There are a few really popular Indian restaurants around town that are all good (shout out to Family Indian and Veda’s Kitchen), but after lots and lots of hands-on research, I’ve decided Omar’s is my favorite for its consistency, flavor-packed sauces, and pre-meal papadum.

FIND IT: Namaste Omar’s, 6 Thái Phiên (City side)

22. Taco Ngon

Asian fusion tacos? YES. An expat staple, the pulled pork with ginger lime sauce is my go-to.

FIND IT: Taco Ngon, 16 An Thuong 6 (beach side)

23. Pizza 4P’s

Unanimously decided that this is the best damn pizza in town, it’s really on another level – and this is coming from a girl who traveled high and low in Naples, Italy in search of the best pizza. 4P’s puts up a damn good fight! In an industrial-chic setting with high ceilings and dim lighting, it’s not your typical pizza experience. Created by a Japanese chef with a passion for pizza, all of the cheese, sauce, dough…everything is made by the 4P’s team.

FIND IT: Pizza 4P’s, 8 Hoàng Văn Thụ

24. Fat Fish

Vietnamese meets Mediterranean meets American meets Japanese? Why not! This fusion restaurant is about as fusion as it gets, with an American chef dedicated to collecting the best ingredients, sourced locally and internationally. Oh, and their dark chocolate tart with salted caramel sauce is TO DIE FOR. LITERALLY.

FIND IT: Fat Fish,  439 Đường Trần Hưng Đạo (beach side)

25. Eazy Pickins

It doesn’t get more American than this. Opened by expats from the USA, these guys have the best bbq ribs in town, slow-cooked and smoked American-style. They’ve also got a mean pulled pork sandwich, roasted chicken and of course, homestyle mac n’ cheese. Mmmm MMMM! 

FIND IT: Eazy Pickins,  79 Ngô Thì Sỹ (beach side)

26. Six On Six

Sometimes, Mi Quang isn’t gonna cut it for breakfast. Sometimes, ya just wake up yearning for a big, fat breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, chorizo, cheddar, avocado and all the extras. It’s not a want. It’s a need. There’s nowhere else in this city that will fill my American brunch cravings like Six on Six. Whether you’ve got a morning sweet tooth and French toast is your play, or you’re a classic omelette enthusiast, Six on Six is your spot. Oh, and their coffee is righteous too.

FIND IT: Six on Six, serving breakfast and lunch all day from 8 am – 5 pm, 6/6 Chế Lan Viên (beach side)

Where to Stay

Bonus! Since you’re heading to Da Nang, I thought I’d throw in a couple of my favorite spots to stay in Da Nang:

• Chaca Beach House
• Minh Boutique
• Thi Boutique Villa

👉 Want to download this article as a GPS-Guided food tour? Get it here!

There is truly an endless amount of amazing Da Nang food to be discovered. Have any to add to the list? Comment below!