Eating in Da Lat: artichokes, strawberries, hot pot and coffee
Da Lat is the one Vietnamese city where you want hot pot in winter and are not afraid to buy street strawberries in summer. At 1,500 m things grow that grow nowhere else in the country: artichokes, asparagus, avocado, grapes, Japanese strawberry varieties. Less chilli, more sweetness, and a quail egg over charcoal in every second dish.
Prices run from about $0.80 for a "Vietnamese pizza" to $20 for dinner in a colonial dining room. Below: a map of flavours with addresses, prices and seasons. If this is your first time here, start with the Da Lat guide — climate, districts, how to get there and what to see.
Reference rate, June 2026: 1 USD ≈ 25,500 VND.
Current as of June 2026. Restaurants open and close and prices move — check on the ground.
The twelve dishes, at a glance
What you should not skip: bánh tráng nướng(the "Vietnamese pizza"), hot pot in all three broths, artichoke tea, farm strawberries, bánh ướt lòng gà (which barely exists outside Da Lat), kem bơ (avocado ice cream) and a specialty coffee looking at the pine slopes. A full day of eating costs $12–28 with drinks.
- Night Market (Chợ Đêm Đà Lạt): 17:00–00:00 by Xuan Huong lake — The heart of Da Lat street food
- Banh trang nuong Di Dinh (Nguyễn Văn Trỗi): The classic "Vietnamese pizza" — $0.80–1.40
- Banh uot long ga LONG (Tăng Bạt Hổ): 9:00–14:00, $1–1.60 — Almost impossible to find outside Da Lat
- Lau Bo Ut Ba Toa (Hoàng Diệu): Beef hot pot, $8–12 a head — Queues after 18:30
- Tao Ngo (3 Tháng 4): Chicken hot pot lẩu gà lá é — $10–16 a head
- Memorise Hostel rooftop (Lẩu atisô): Artichoke hot pot with a city view — $12–18 a head
- An Café (63B Đường 3 Tháng 2): Garden café, the best latte in town — Breakfast set
- La Viet Coffee (200 Nguyễn Công Trứ): Roastery in a former factory — Tours and cuppings
- Ladora Winery (Phát Chi): 6 ha of vineyard — Vang Dalat tasting $8
- Âu Lạc (Phù Đổng Thiên Vương): Vegan restaurant, 50+ dishes — $3.20–6
- Biofresh Strawberry Farm (Mê Linh): Organic berries, entry $0.80 — Picking $8–12 per kg
- Central Market (Chợ Đà Lạt): Artichoke tea, fruit, vegetables — Edible souvenirs
- Le Café de la Poste (Trần Phú): Fine dining in the old post office — from $20
- Vcafe Restaurant (Bùi Thị Xuân): Live music, European kitchen — $8–16
| Dish | VND | USD | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bánh tráng nướng | 20,000–35,000 | $0.80–1.40 | Evening, night market |
| Bánh căn | 25,000–35,000 | $1–1.40 | Breakfast |
| Bánh ướt lòng gà | 25,000–40,000 | $1–1.60 | 9:00–14:00 |
| Bánh mì xíu mại | 25,000–40,000 | $1–1.60 | Morning to midday |
| Lẩu bò Ba Toà | 200,000–300,000/head | $8–12 | Dinner |
| Lẩu gà lá é | 250,000–400,000/head | $10–16 | Dinner |
| Lẩu atisô | 300,000–450,000/head | $12–18 | Dinner |
| Phở Đà Lạt | 45,000–70,000 | $1.80–2.80 | Morning, lunch |
| Ốc nhồi thịt | 60,000–90,000 | $2.40–3.60 | Evening |
| Kem bơ (avocado ice cream) | 25,000–45,000 | $1–1.80 | All day |
| Sữa đậu nành nóng | 10,000–20,000 | $0.40–0.80 | Evening |
| Yaourt phô mai | 35,000–55,000 | $1.40–2.20 | All day |
Bánh tráng nướng— the Da Lat "pizza"
A disc of rice paper grilled over charcoal until it crackles, topped with quail eggs, dried shrimp, beef floss, spring onion, mayonnaise and chilli sauce. It appeared in Da Lat around 2012–2015 when street vendors invented a warming evening food for nights at 12–17 °C. In ten years it spread across Vietnam, but the original recipe is from here.
- 1 Real charcoal under the grate, not a gas burner
- 2 Quail eggs rather than hen eggs, at least two per disc
- 3 A queue of locals — tourists head for the famous stalls, locals know who does not skimp on the topping
Where to eat it: Dì Đinh at 26 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi ($1–1.40), the night market on Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai (dozens of stalls, $0.80–1.20), or Cây Bơ on Phan Đình Phùng for premium toppings ($1.20–1.80). The sweet version with chocolate and banana exists but is really a dessert.
💬 "Better at the night market than in the daytime cafés. Cafés use gas, the market uses actual charcoal, and you can taste the difference" — aggregated Reddit r/VietnamTravel comment
Artichokes: tea, hot pot and souvenir
The artichoke (atisô) is Da Lat's signature crop, with 80–100 hectares under cultivation in the Tà Nung and Xuân Trường communes. The whole plant gets used: heads into hot pot and braises, roots and stems into tea and extract. Growers moved partly to flowers in the 2010s, so artichoke went from commodity to premium — which is why the tea costs more than green tea and lẩu atisô more than the chicken version.
The tea is a black infusion of fermented roots and stems containing cynarin, earthy with a sweet finish and no caffeine. Ladophar is the market leader — 100 sachets for $2–3.20 in supermarkets and pharmacies. Vinh Tien, Cosmos Food and Dalatfarm are premium at $3.60–4.80. Extract in 300 ml jars runs $3.20–6; one capful per cup of boiling water.
Lẩu atisô simmers artichoke stems and beef bones for about six hours, then arrives with whole artichoke hearts, shiitake, highland greens and beef or pork. Mild, faintly nutty, no sharp heat — the Da Lat signature. For a group of four it is $12–18 a head at Trống Đồng (Nguyễn Du) or the Memorise Hostel rooftop.
Strawberries and highland produce
Da Lat strawberries rank among Vietnam's ten defining specialities. The varieties: Vietnamese Mỹ Đá (firm, sweet-sour), New Zealand, Korean and Japanese Tochigi. On the farms you pick your own; at the market you buy them picked.
| Variety | Season | Flavour | Farm price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mỹ Đá (Vietnamese) | year-round | Firm, sweet-sour | $3.20–6 per kg |
| New Zealand | November–April | Large, sweet | $6–10 per kg |
| Japanese (Tochigi, Akihime) | December–March | Premium aroma, soft | $24–32 per kg |
| Korean | November–March | Sweet, no acidity | $8–14 per kg |
Biofresh (Mê Linh) is organic-certified with an avocado-smoothie café: $0.80 entry, $8–12 per kg. Strawberry Garden 88 by the lake is the closest to the centre at $3.20–4.80 per kg, dropping to $1.60–2 at peak. Nguyên Lâm Thành (Đa Thiện) is hydroponic at $6 per kg.
At Chợ Đà Lạt central market, buy fresh artichokes ($1.20–2 each), asparagus ($2.40–4 per kg), avocados ($2.40–3.60 per kg — large and buttery), persimmon, passion fruit and mulberries with the jam made from them. The same produce costs two to three times more in Saigon and Hanoi because it is trucked from Lam Dong.
Hot pot (lẩu): the three schools
Hot pot is the Da Lat dinner. Three versions took root: beef lẩu bò Ba Toà, chicken lẩu gà lá é and the local artichoke lẩu atisô. Each has its own street, its own trick and its own queue.
Beef. The alley on Hoàng Diệu in Ward 5 holds several restaurants running the same play: local beef, six-hour bone broth, house bánh canh noodles and a plate of mountain greens. Go to Lẩu Bò Út Ba Toà Nhà Gỗ at the end — a family recipe of 30-plus years. $8–12 a head, 16:00–22:00, and after 18:30 you queue; they do not take bookings.
Chicken. Lẩu gà lá é was invented in neighbouring Phú Yên province but has become thoroughly local. The trick is lá é, a Vietnamese basil with a lemon note, plus free-range chicken; the broth is faintly sweet and herbal. Go to Tao Ngộ on 3 Tháng 4 (queues after 18:00), Restaurant 668 (fewer tourists) or the Rencounter chain. $10–16 a head; one pot plus rice and beer feeds four.
💬 "We waited 40 minutes for a table at Tao Ngo after 19:00 and it was worth it — the broth tastes like nothing else" — Tripadvisor, 2025
Street breakfast
Breakfast here is its own universe — nobody eats on the move the way they do in Saigon. In the morning dozens of stalls sell bánh căn, bánh ướt lòng gà and bánh mì xíu mại: three dishes worth waking up for. The morning street is Tăng Bạt Hổ; the second cluster is Hoàng Diệu and Phan Đình Phùng.
- Bánh căn — rice batter in tiny cast-iron moulds with a quail egg, shrimp or squid, covered and set over charcoal. A dozen mini-pancakes with spring onion and warm fish sauce holding small pork meatballs. $1–1.40 for 10–12
- Bánh ướt lòng gà — thin steamed rice sheets topped with poached chicken and offal, basil, sprouts and chilli sauce. Go to Bánh ướt lòng gà LONG on Tăng Bạt Hổ, 9:00–14:00, $1–1.60. Nervous about the offal? Say "không lòng"
- Bánh mì xíu mại — pork meatballs in warm tomato broth; you dip the baguette in the broth. $1–1.60 at the stalls on Hoàng Diệu
- Phở Đà Lạt — Hanoi pho plus a plate of highland herbs and leaf salad the French introduced. $1.80–2.80 at Nhật Lý, the oldest pho counter in town
For the French register, Le Café de la Poste on Trần Phú occupies the old post office: Asian-French cooking, a real wine and coffee list, dinner $20–48 a head.
Seafood in the mountains
The paradox: Da Lat sits at 1,500 m and still gets fresh seafood daily, trucked 90–130 km up the mountain road from Phan Rang and Cam Ranh. The rule is simple — the drier the season, the wider the choice. In the wet June–August months stick to freshwater snails and squid.
Order snails (ốc, boiled or baked, $2.40–6), grilled squid (mực nướng, $4.80–8), prawns steamed in beer ($8–14 at Bluewater by the lake) or oysters baked with cheese ($1–1.60 each).
Desserts and snacks
Sweet things here are not cloying. The local avocados are buttery enough to become ice cream; the yoghurt comes with parmesan (a French legacy); hot soy milk is sold on the street instead of tea. A day of desserts costs $4–8.
- Kem bơ — Da Lat avocado purée with coconut ice cream, condensed milk and sometimes black sesame. $1–1.80 at Thanh Thảo on Nguyễn Văn Trỗi
- Sữa đậu nành nóng — hot soy milk with ginger and pandan, $0.40–0.80 at the night market and the stalls by Hoà Bình square after 17:00
- Yaourt phô mai — thick yoghurt under grated parmesan: fresh, sharp and faintly salty. $1.40–2.20 at Yogurt Plus
- Trứng nướng (eggs charred with chilli oil, $0.20–0.40), ngô nướng (grilled corn, $0.80–1.20) and khoai lang nướng (baked sweet potato, $0.60–1)
Da Lat coffee
Traditional cafés brew through a metal phin filter and serve it over condensed milk; the newer specialty places do pour-over, V60 and espresso. A cappuccino is $1.40–2.40, a filter $1.60–2.80. The full breakdown of varietals, the Cầu Đất farms, roasting and the barista scene is in the Da Lat coffee and wine guide; the national picture is in Vietnamese coffee.
| Café | Address | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| An Café | 63B Đường 3 Tháng 2 | Flower garden, the best latte, breakfast set |
| La Viet Coffee | 200 Nguyễn Công Trứ | Former factory, roasting on site, tours |
| Vcafe Restaurant | 17/9 Bùi Thị Xuân | Live music, European kitchen, good drip |
| One More Café | 77 Hai Bà Trưng | Loft, smoothie bowls, European breakfast |
| Mountain Town Coffee | 18 Phan Bội Châu | Specialty drip, local roasters |
| Méo Méo | 14 Hùng Vương | Egg-yolk coffee, Da Lat style |
Vang Đà Lạt wine
Vietnam's only mass-market wine brand, made by Ladofoods. The grapes are Cardinal, a hybrid that adapted to the Lam Dong highlands, and Syrah, plus a sweet line blended with Da Lat strawberries. It is simple table wine — nothing like Bordeaux — but as a souvenir and part of the food experience it works.
| Line | Price | When |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Red/White (750 ml) | $4–5 | The basic souvenir |
| Superior | $7–9 | A step up, for dinner |
| Strong / Strawberry | $5–7 | Sweet, the curiosity |
| Chateau Dalat | $14–26 | Premium gift |
Ladora winery (Phát Chi, 6 hectares of vineyard) runs tours with a tasting for about $8. It is half an hour from the centre and pairs well with Linh Phước pagoda and the Da Lat waterfalls.
The vegan scene
After Hoi An, Da Lat is Vietnam's best city for plant-based eating. Cold climate, vegetable farms and a strong Buddhist tradition give you dozens of places with honest "chay" menus and no hidden fish sauce. Expect $2.40–10.
| Place | Address | What it does | Bill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Âu Lạc | 17 Phù Đổng Thiên Vương | Buddhist kitchen, 50+ dishes, hot pot | $3.20–6 |
| LÉGUDA | Mai Anh Đào | Da Lat's first vegetable buffet, 20+ vegetables | $6–10 |
| Rau DAWA | Nam Ban, by Elephant Falls | 50+ vegan dishes, waterfall view | $4–8 |
| Hoa Sen | 62 Phan Đình Phùng | Soy proteins, lunch set | $2.40–4.80 |
| Tu Hạnh | 18 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi | Northern Vietnamese vegan classics | $2.80–4.40 |
The night market
Chợ Đêm Đà Lạt opens at exactly 17:00 every day on Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai beside Hồ Xuân Hương lake. It is the centre of Da Lat street food: dozens of stalls with bánh tráng nướng, grilled corn, hot soy milk, boiled snails and fresh juices. Two people with drinks spend $4–8.
The layout: the central street is the food court, the side streets sell clothes and souvenirs, and the perimeter square is where locals sell fruit, flowers and vegetables.
- 1 Arrive at 18:00 — the food is fresh and there is no crush. After 21:00 tourist prices climb 20–30%
- 2 Ask the price first — food is not haggled over, but the price should be stated before cooking starts
- 3 Watch your pockets in the narrow aisles at peak hour
- 4 No seafood after 22:00 — it has been sitting out
How Da Lat differs from Saigon and Hanoi on street food is covered in the Vietnamese street food guide. What to see near the market is in Da Lat attractions.
What eating costs
From $4 a day on street food to $80 for two in fine dining. The city is noticeably cheaper than Saigon or Hanoi at the same quality — especially on vegetables, fruit and hot pot.
| Category | VND | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Street food, one dish | 25,000–50,000 | $1–2 |
| Breakfast (bánh mì and coffee) | 50,000–80,000 | $2–3.20 |
| Lunch in a local canteen | 60,000–100,000 | $2.40–4 |
| Dinner in a mid-range restaurant | 150,000–300,000 | $6–12 |
| Hot pot (one of four) | 250,000–400,000 | $10–16 |
| Fine dining | 500,000–1,200,000 | $20–48 |
| Specialty coffee | 40,000–70,000 | $1.60–2.80 |
| Bottle of Vang Dalat in a restaurant | 200,000–350,000 | $8–14 |
Currency converter
What to take home
Da Lat is good precisely because you can carry its produce out. A basic set of edible souvenirs runs $32–60 for two people and fits an ordinary suitcase.
| What | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ladophar artichoke tea | Pharmacies, supermarkets, market | $2–3.20 / 100 sachets |
| Vang Dalat Classic or Strawberry | Supermarkets | $4–7 a bottle |
| Whole-bean coffee (La Viet, K'Ho) | Roasteries and their cafés | $8–16 / 250 g |
| Strawberry jam | Biofresh, central market | $2.40–4.80 a jar |
| Artichoke extract | Pharmacies | $3.20–6 / 300 ml |
| Dried fruit (persimmon, mango, berries) | Central market | $3.20–8 per kg |
| Mulberry jam | Market, farms | $1.60–3.20 a jar |
| Artichoke paste | Ladophar shop | $3.60–5.60 a jar |
Da Lat is Vietnam's culinary oasis: the only place in the country where artichokes, Japanese strawberries and wine grapes grow, and where the "Vietnamese pizza" is still made properly — on charcoal, with quail eggs. On a two or three day trip, hit the night market at 18:00, have bánh ướt lòng gà for breakfast on Tăng Bạt Hổ, and sit down to one hot pot with company. The wider national context is in Vietnamese cuisine.
FAQ
What must I eat in Da Lat?
Three dishes minimum: banh trang nuong at the night market ($0.80–1.40), a hot pot — beef lau bo Ba Toa or chicken lau ga la e ($8–16 a head) — and kem bo, the avocado ice cream ($1–1.80). With a spare day, add banh uot long ga for breakfast and a specialty coffee at An Café or La Viet.
How much does eating in Da Lat cost in 2026?
A day on street food runs $8–14 per person for three meals and drinks. A day with dinner in a mid-range restaurant is $16–28. A hot pot for four comes to $40–64 with everything. The same dishes cost 20–30% more in Saigon.
Where is the Da Lat night market and when should I go?
Chợ Đêm Đà Lạt is on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street, on the north shore of Xuan Huong lake, right in the centre. It opens daily from 17:00 until midnight. The window is 18:00–20:00: the food is fresh and the crush has not started. After 21:00 at weekends it is packed and tourist prices creep up.
What is banh trang nuong and why is it called Vietnamese pizza?
A disc of rice paper grilled over charcoal until crisp, topped with quail egg, dried shrimp, beef floss, spring onion, mayonnaise and chilli. Crunchy outside, soft where the egg sets — it genuinely looks like a thin pizza. It costs 20,000–35,000 VND ($0.80–1.40) and was invented in Da Lat around 2012–2015.
Where can I pick strawberries in Da Lat?
Three farms take pickers: Biofresh (Me Linh, organic, $8–12 per kg plus $0.80 entry), Strawberry Garden 88 (by the lake, $3.20–4.80 per kg, closest to the centre) and Nguyen Lam Thanh (Da Thien, hydroponic, $6 per kg). Peak season is December to March, when prices at Garden 88 drop to $1.60–2 per kg.
Do artichokes really grow in Da Lat?
Yes — they are the city emblem. Fields cover 80–100 hectares in the Ta Nung and Xuan Truong communes at 1,400–1,600 m. The plant becomes tea (Ladophar is the leading brand), extract and paste, while fresh hearts go into the lau atiso hot pot. Acreage has shrunk since the 2010s as growers switched to flowers, which turned artichoke into a premium product.
Is Vang Dalat wine worth trying?
Worth trying as part of the food experience, not as serious wine. Vang Dalat Classic is a simple semi-sweet table wine ($4–5 a bottle); Chateau Dalat is a decent premium ($14–26). Do not compare it to Bordeaux, but it works for dinner and as a souvenir. The grapes are Cardinal, a hybrid that took to the Lam Dong highlands, and Syrah.
What coffee should I order in Da Lat and where?
Order ca phe sua da (condensed milk over ice) in a traditional café, and ca phe den nong (black, through a phin filter) on a cold morning. The specialty top three: An Café for the latte, La Viet Coffee for the roastery and tour, Mountain Town Coffee for the drip. A cappuccino is $1.40–2.40, a filter $1.60–2.80.
Is street food safe in Da Lat?
Yes, on two conditions: pick stalls with charcoal and fast turnover where the food is cooked in front of you, and be careful with seafood. At 1,500 m the cool climate slows spoilage compared with lowland Vietnam. Avoid seafood from stalls without ice and pre-cut fruit sitting in ice of unknown origin.
Are there good vegan places in Da Lat?
Yes — after Hoi An it is the best city in Vietnam for plant-based eating. The top five: Au Lac (Buddhist kitchen, 50+ dishes, $3.20–6), LEGUDA (vegetable buffet, $6–10), Rau DAWA near Elephant Falls, Hoa Sen and Tu Hanh. In ordinary restaurants the magic word is "chay" — ask for the vegetarian version of anything.
How is Da Lat food different from Saigon and Hanoi?
Three ways. Less chilli, more sweetness and herbal notes — artichoke, la e basil, mulberry. More hot dishes: hot pot, charcoal grills, hot soy milk, because it is 10–15 °C cooler. And a European accent in half the dishes: rice cakes in French moulds, yoghurt with parmesan, pho served with leaf salad — a colonial inheritance.
Current as of June 2026. Prices and opening hours change — check on the ground.
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