France and Vietnam are inextricably linked due to France’s colonialist ways. From the middle of the 19th century until 1954, France occupied Vietnam. By the time the French left (or, um, kicked back to France), the country’s cuisine had been broadly influenced by the French. The current incarnations of pho—the soup-y national dish of Vietnam—and the pork-and-vegetable-stuffed banh mi sandwich would not have existed without French influence.
It’s no surprise that some of the best Vietnamese restaurants are found in the French capital. Sprinkled around the city, the best Vietnamese restaurants in Paris are unpretentious spots serving up full-flavored Southeast Asian fare.
Restaurants with the best Vietnamese food in Paris
Banoi
Diminutive Banoi is the brainchild of My Ly Pham who was born outside of Vietnam but traveled back frequently to visit grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Eventually, she started getting very familiar with the food of her ancestral Southeast Asian country and Banoi was born.
The menu here deviates from most of the other Vietnamese restaurants in Paris. At Banoi, the spring roll is elevated to an entrée with several different varieties on the menu. There are also tapas-sized plates, such as banh mi spreads and succulent and tender pork ribs.
Traveler’s tip: Vietnamese restaurants in Paris do not disappoint, but there is a vast array of restaurants serving local and international dishes that’ll make you cry tears of joy. If you’d like to mix and match a bit between street food and Michelin-starred restaurants, we’ve got you covered with the 8 Places for the Best Lunch in Paris.
Pho Bida Viet Nam
Set on Rue Nationale in the 13th arrondissement, Pho Bida Viet Nam is a favorite among Vietnamese cuisine-loving Parisians. The restaurant has a menu loaded with varieties of pho and even the Hanoi staple bun cha.
Dong Huong
For nearly three decades, Dong Huong has been serving up excellent Vietnamese fare in Belleville. Unlike many other Vietnamese restaurants in town, the menu is as large as the restaurant is spacious. Here you can dig into a banh xeo, a southern Vietnamese crepe stuffed with shrimp and veggies; grilled meat, and spring rolls. There is also a section of the menu refreshingly dedicated to northern Vietnamese staples, such as bun cha and northern-style chicken pho.
Do et Riz
Located on the Right Bank, a short stroll from Place d’Aligre in the 12th arrondissement, Do et Riz has an excellent take on bo bun, a bowl of vermicelli noodles, vegetables, and a protein of your choice. It’s not surprising the Viet fare here is a notch (or three) above the rest. The owner and chef worked in the kitchen of Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse before opening up this 35-seat restaurant in 2015.
Entre2Rives
“Between 2 Banks” is centrally located in the 2nd arrondissement, so if you’re in the center of Paris you won’t have to walk far to get your taste buds on some deep-flavored pho broth. Entre2Rives has pho, spring rolls, and other Vietnamese staples, but don’t neglect the dumplings on the menu, which are a standout.
Mai Do
Set in Montparnasse, Mai Do has a short menu that is long on flavor. There are only a couple of pho options but if the soft shell crab pho is offered, do yourself a favor and order it. It’s delicious. The banana flower salad is also worth your stomach space. Service here is often impeccable.
Phô Tai
Chef Te fled Vietnam in 1968, resettled in Paris, and eventually opened up what some say is the best Vietnamese restaurant in the French capital. Phô Tai is a diminutive spot and it’s not unusual to find a line of hungry pho-loving Parisians waiting outside for a coveted table.
The menu covers Vietnamese standards, including, of course, bowls of steaming hot pho with a powerful broth. Other menu items worth standing in line for are the crispy fried spring rolls, the flat mushroom-and-pork-stuffed banh cuon dumplings, and the lemongrass-spiked fried chicken. Phô Tai is located in the 13th arrondissement on 13 Rue Philibert Lucot.
Pho 13
Named after the arrondissement it calls home to, Pho 13 is also right smack in the middle of the Asian Quarter of Paris. They offer an array of Vietnamese dishes, some of which are not often found at other restaurants in Paris. Mooncakes with rolled pork, for example, or steamed rice sheets with shrimp. The menu also has variations on the theme of Hanoi-style pho and plenty of vegetarian-friendly stir fry delights.
Song Heng
There are only three items on the menu at Song Heng, located within a short stroll from the Arts et Metiers metro station. Pho is one of them and it’s very slurp worthy here. The other is bo bun, a southern Vietnamese dish of rice noodles, veg, pork, and slices of fried spring rolls that is nearly ubiquitous in Vietnamese restaurants in Paris. Rounding out the menu are crispy spring rolls that make for an ideal starter to share with dining companions.
As you can see, this list of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Paris is going to lead you to some very delicious lunch and dinner options. And if you’d like to delve deeper into the Parisian culinary world, make sure to sign up for our Ultimate Paris Food Tour. From French bread, cheese, and wine to Middle Eastern-inspired sweet treats, you’ll be able to taste the best that Paris has to offer.
David Farley is a West Village-based food and travel writer whose work appears regularly in the New York Times, National Geographic, BBC, and Food & Wine, among other publications. He’s the author of three books, including “An Irreverent Curiosity: In Search of the Church’s Strangest Relic in Italy’s Oddest Town,” which was made into a documentary by the National Geographic Channel. You can find Farley’s online homes here and here.