9 Best Restaurants in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

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.

Across the road from the marina, this small, neat, and cozy café is a good place to stop for a coffee, ice cream, milk shake, or smoothie, as well as light meals such as salads, burgers, and Vietnamese dishes. It's probably the only place in town where you can get toasted Vegemite-and-cheese sandwiches, reflecting the owner's Australian roots. Famous for its "scoop" on Phu Quoc Island, Buddy is a de facto tourist information center, so stop by to pick up the latest copy of the Phu Quoc Island guide and free tourist map.

This modern café on the ground floor of an apartment block serves Korean and Japanese-influenced dishes, including ramen and bi bim bap. The dual language menu is useful to travelers.

Part of the highly acclaimed Nam Bo Boutique Hotel, this all-day café-restaurant serves a variety of traditional Mekong specialties and European staples in a casual French bistro--style setting. For local fare, try the lau (a hotpot served with rice noodles, lean pork, seafood, and a pile of vegetables) or, if you're feeling adventurous, the snake set (menu de serpent in French). The stylish, artsy interior is complemented by a superb riverfront setting and free Wi-Fi, making it a pleasant spot for a coffee break. Reservations are recommended at peak times, as large tour groups can arrive en masse.

A plain and simple bar serving a range of drinks, including super cold beers, Oasis lives up to its name for the wealth of free travel information English owner Andy provides. (There is also a small travel agency inside the bar.) Oasis is the only place in town serving Western food, starting with breakfast, including the full English hot breakfast, and continuing through the day with bar-style meals such as chili con carne, baguettes, and Thai green chicken curry.

Locals will tell you that this is the best pho in town. There's no English menu, but they really only serve one thing (beef noodle soup), so there shouldn't be too many mishaps. Unlike many other pho restaurants in Vietnam, this joint serves the national dish all day long.

In a superb riverside setting inside Can Tho's beautiful old market hall, Sao Hom's friendly staff serves a range of Vietnamese and Western favorites, including the local version of cha gio (spring rolls). The service and venue are as relaxed as the river flowing by. Just a short walk from Ninh Kieu pier, Sao Hom is a great place to pause before exploring the local market beyond.

There are several dining options in this multilevel shopping complex adjacent to the Vinpearl Can Tho Hotel. Level 4 is where most of the eateries are, as well as an indoor kids' play center. Choices include Thai BBQ Buffet, GoGi House (Korean), Kitchi-Kitchi (Japanese), Rainbow Yoghurt, and a Lotteria burger outlet. Level 5 is home to a CGV cinema complex and an arcade section. Level 1 has mostly shopping, as well as a Chinese restaurant called Crystal Jade Kitchen.