I could write an entire love letter to this fully vegan eatery. I took myself on a little date to Uu Dam Chay (Google Maps) to celebrate my biggest payday yet as a freelance writer, hence the feast! Uu Dam Chay is one of the swankier restaurants in Hanoi, but this massive meal, including a delicious mangosteen mojito, still cost me less than $20. The decor here is delightful and is only upstaged by the extraordinary plating. I devoured the pomelo salad, taro and pecan soup (which is my favorite color!), and mushroom tofu salad served in a rice cake. This is the meal in the cover photo.

VEGGIE CASTLE

The best vegan buffet I’ve ever bee to is Veggie Castle (Google Maps) in Hanoi’s Truc Bach quarter. The selection changes daily but you can expect to have a soup dish, a few veggie sides, steamed rice, tofu, some curries, and tea. All of this is all you can eat for just 60k, less than $3. Get there early when the buffet starts before all the vegan voucher settle in to pig out.

NOODLE AND ROLL

I had put off eating at Noodle & Roll (Google Maps) until the very end of my 2 weeks in Hanoi as ever time I walked by it was full of Western travelers without a local person in sight. This was a major mistake! Once I finally ate here I ended up going back again the very next day to order the exact same dishes. Noodle and Roll isn’t strictly vegetarian but they’re more than happy to make dishes be vegan-friendly. Noodle and Roll was also one of the least expensive meals I had in Hanoi, and some of the largest portion sizes! Two dishes cost me around 50K, about $2.

JALUS

Jalus is a little vegan eatery can be hard to find as it’s placed obscurely on Google Maps so be sure to look up for the sign which hangs from the second floor. The menu here is mostly western dishes and includes many flavorful elixirs, coffees, and most importantly, mouth-watering vegan desserts! The veggie burger was scrumptious but quite small. I headed back to Jalus for Dia de Noquis and was absolutely drooling over their vegan potato dumplings. If you’re craving a break from vegan Vietnamese foods don’t miss the chance to indulge in the vegan gnocchi at Jalus.

LOVEGAN

Lovegan (Google Maps) is a tiny hole-in-the-wall spot is super special. While the menu is limited, what they do offer, the offer it well! I didn’t get the chance to try their homemade pesto but it smelled out-of-this-world. Lovegan is the best spot in Hanoi for a vegan banh mi according to my pal Julia of @LiveInTheThickofIt. I loved the Tempe version so much I almost ordered a second one for a midnight snack!

OM HANOI

Om Hanoi (Google Maps) wellness space complete with a yoga studio and a massive menu of vegan eats is right up my alley. The ambiance here is super zen, and the food is fresh and tasty.

I loved both the vegan pizza and udon noodles. It’s a cozy space to work for the afternoon as they have many low-to-the-ground booths, fast WiFi, and excellent fair trade coffee that can be prepared with your favorite plant-based milk. They also have kombucha!

GON

For healthy Vietnamese eats head to Gon (Google Maps). I went with Kelsey of @MilesofSmiles who is an English teacher based in Hanoi and trusted her instincts to try her favorite dish. The noodle dish did not disappoint, like most good Vietnamese food it was savory, sweet, and sour all at once.

MAISON DE TET

Just around the corner from Gon is the absolutely gorgeous Maison de Tet (Google Maps). The vegan food options here are a bit limited. But they have wonderful coffee and plenty of fresh fruit concoctions to choose from. With several stories of seating areas, this is a great place to work for a morning, especially if you can snag one of the coveted balcony seats that overlooks the Ho Tay Lake. They are also working to end sex trafficking in Vietnam.

HANOI SOCIAL CLUB

Located in the heart of the Hanoi Old Quarter is the lovely Hanoi Social Club (Google Maps) which is a favorite haunt among expats, especially for brunch! The menu is mostly western items and unfortunately, there aren’t many items to chose from for veggie eaters. The black bean and avocado plate is an excellent option for vegans at Hanoi Social Club–it’s hearty and healthy.

CHAOUEN LOUNGE

Never would I ever have expected to find a beautiful Moroccan-inspired restaurant in Hanoi but Chaouen Lounge (Google Maps) is exactly that. Complete with throw pillows, Berber rugs, and hookah, dining at Chaouen Lounge transported me to my fond memories in Northern Africa. The veggie couscous is fantastic and was large enough to share with Julia, along with a side of hummus, but of course.

NOT SO GREAT PLACES

I also had some vegan meals at The Veg and Minh Chay. Sadly, I can’t recommend these spots–the portion sizes were tiny, they lacked in flavor, and they were more costly than most of the other vegan meals mentioned in this plant-based Hanoi guide. Minh Chay does make the very best vegan flan I’ve ever tried, so if you have a sweet tooth, be sure to give it a try, just don’t expect it to last more than a bite or two.

Check out the Hanoi Responsible Travel Guide where I mention some of my favorite vegan street foods and NGO training cafes.