Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [171]
La Taverna 115 Nguyen Thien Thuat. Authentic Italian atmosphere and food at this welcoming place in the budget district. Pizzas for around 110,000đ. 10am–11pm.
Louisiane Brewhouse Tran Phu Beach. This beachfront place has it all – an excellent range of Vietnamese and Western dishes, such as chicken escalope for 85,000đ, a sushi corner, a pizza corner, home-made cakes and pastries, delicious local beers, a swimming pool (free for customers), pool table and live music three nights a week. 7am–1am.
Lac Canh 44 Nguyen Binh Kiem. A table-side grill that’s hugely popular among locals; some might bridle at its brusque staff, and at the eye-watering smoke off the cooked-at-table barbecues, but the food (50,000–70,000đ), compensates for these discomforts. 9am–9.30pm.
Omar’s Tandoori Cafe 89B Nguyen Thien Thuat and 96a/8 Tran Phu. The place to go when you get the urge for an Indian curry. A chicken korma will set you back around 70,000đ. 7am–10pm
Ngoc Suong 96 Tran Phu. Smart seafood restaurant to the south of the town centre, with prices according to weight – pick your choice from a fabulous fresh display and have it prepared in a variety of ways. Low-key live music gives the place a sophisticated ambience. 10am–11pm.
Red Star 27a Hung Vuong. This place is well set up for travellers and gets plenty stopping by for its filling, good-value breakfasts, shakes or curries. They also offer cooking classes each morning. 8.30am–10.30pm.
Same Same But Different 111b Nguyen Thien Thuat. One of many places in the budget district offering a wide range of Vietnamese and Western dishes, including good muesli, at very reasonable prices. 7am–10pm.
Shorty’s 1e Biet Thu. Full English breakfast, jacket potatoes, shepherd’s pie and much more comfort food, all competitively priced, at this welcoming café near the beach. 6am–11pm.
Thanh Thanh Café 10 Nguyen Thien Thuat 058/382 4413. Extensive menu of reasonably priced Vietnamese, Western and vegetarian dishes, but it’s the wood-fire range of pizzas that is their forte; also offers city deliveries. 7am–9pm.
Thanh The 3 Phan Chu Trinh. A bright, open-fronted seafood restaurant on Phan Chu Trinh; the shrimps grilled with garlic (90,000đ) won’t disappoint. 7.30am–10pm.
Truc Linh 11 and 18 Biet Thu, 80 Hung Vuong and 83 Tran Phu. Very successful operation serving up a good range of Western and Vietnamese dishes, with seafood the speciality. Prices are a little above average but the food is still good value. The branch at 18 Biet Thu is the most atmospheric. 8am–10pm.
The south–central coast | Nha Trang and around |
Nightlife
Nha Trang has the advantage over Mui Ne when it comes to its buzzing nightlife. There are plenty of chillout and party places around the budget district and, while nightspots along the beachfront tend to be a bit pricier than ones located inland, all of them have generous happy hours, guaranteed to bring you back for more. Occasional crackdowns have the bars closing at midnight, but left to their own devices, most bar-owners will stay open till the wee hours.
Crazy Kim’s Bar 19 Biet Thu. Two-foot-tall cocktails, happy hour that runs noon to midnight, great selection of CDs, hedonistic party atmosphere and hangover breakfasts make this place very popular with expats, tourists and brave locals, who rave till late. Proceeds from the bar go towards helping Nha Trang’s street children. 9.30am–late.
Guava 17 Biet Thu. This well-designed bar, with pool table, sports on TV, funky sounds and some weird cocktails, is one of the city’s most popular night haunts.11am–late.
Nha Trang Sailing Club 72–74 Tran Phu. For some years this has been a favourite spot for an eclectic group of party animals. It draws a well-heeled expat crowd and hordes of tourists to its refined beachfront bar which gets progressively less refined as the night wears on. 7am–late.
Why Not 24 Tran Quang Khai. Big place with inside and outside seating, pool table, dance floor and comfy lounge area. Serving beer and spirits, with