10 Best Restaurants in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The old-world charm of the Victoria Chau Doc Hotel extends to its in-house restaurant, which serves Western and Asian cuisine in a stylish riverfront setting. Take a seat on the terrace to enjoy the sunset (and happy hour at the bar) and the attentive but discreet service. This is the priciest place in town, but the food, the staff, and the river views make it worthwhile. Reservations are recommended because sometimes the restaurant hosts bus tours.

The finest dining in town, on a beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking the Hau River, L'Escale serves a mix of French and Vietnamese dishes, accompanied by an extensive wine list and a jazz soundtrack, along with attentive service. The restaurant, in the Nam Bo Boutique Hotel, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but you can also slide into a seat at the bar and enjoy a drink and the view.

Time your visit around 5 pm, when the light on the river is the most magical.

The hotel restaurant uses only local ingredients and happily accommodates vegetarians. Specialties include crispy elephant ear fish and other local seafood. The multicourse meals here are pricier than those in town but, because Mekong Lodge supports several charities, including a school and a training center for disadvantaged locals, a meal here gives back to the community.

Mango Bay Resort's in-house restaurant serves excellent Asian and Western fusion cuisine from a wooden deck (with rocks peeking through) over the water. The views of the sunset over the Gulf of Thailand are fantastic, the cocktails delicious, the staff attentive, the music mellow, and the food, including the tapas, is some of the best on the island.

La Veranda's in-house restaurant provides a full sensory experience, with refined Pacific Rim cuisine, stunning views over the ocean, and elegant French colonial style. One of the priciest options on Phu Quoc, it's well worth it for the service, setting, food, wine list, and sunset views. It's the perfect location for a romantic dinner.

This is a great find in Ca Mau, with nostalgic style (the name translates as "ancient street"), including quaint little wooden pavilions, a courtyard bonsai garden, and fish ponds. Serving Chinese-influenced dishes as well as Vietnamese cuisine, Pho Xua has a menu that contains English subtitles, although not much English is spoken by the staff. With its proximity to the ocean, it's no wonder that seafood is the house specialty, but there's also a range of chicken, beef, buffalo, and pork dishes.

Tasty bar food is available here day and night—think pizza, burgers, panini, salads, stir-fries, and pasta, served in a giant boat-shaped restaurant. Hosts Rory and Yoon preside over the café/bar, which has a genuinely welcoming atmosphere and fabulous views that stretch to Cambodia.

The newest restaurant on Can Tho's tourist strip is also the city's most stylish, with elegant and comfortable furniture and a coveted terrace with views of the river. The menu is divided between European and Asian and both sections offer plenty of variety (try the chicken braised in coconut). You can also drop by for a coffee or cake, which are baked on-site.

Cassia Cottage Resort's in-house restaurants have romantic settings: beside a pond filled with water lilies in a manicured tropical garden or right on the beach. This restaurant, which specializes in Vietnamese and international cuisine, uses fresh local produce, prepared with care and a bit of a French flourish. This is a great option for a special evening that won't break the bank.