Vegan in Vientiane, Laos

If you should find yourself visiting the capital city of Laos, my guess is that it isn’t through a choice of your own. It isn’t really on the tourist trail, it’s more like a springboard place for other destinations. More commonly, if you’re visiting from Chiang Mai you’re probably doing a visa run. Even though it’s still almost as sleepy as when I first visited around fifteen years ago, there have been a few interesting additions in the last couple of years. So try to make the most out of your trip here as there are a few places to be enjoyed. It’s certainly not as hard as it used to be traveling as a vegan in Vientiane.

Vegan Center Cafe

In the summer of 2019 this basic ‘jey’ style cafe opened up next door to Reunion Cafe and is possibly co-owned by them. There is no buffet, dishes are made fresh. They are also open late, until 9PM every night which is unusual for a local place. The menu is huge and full of Thai, Laos and some western dishes. Don’t be put off by all the words such as duck and chicken in the menu. This is all vegan meat make from soy protein, which is clarified in the menu. If you’re not a fan of fake meats like I’m not, don’t worry as there are plenty of dishes that naturally don’t contain any.  For example, I had a Laos salad, curry puffs and pad Thai.

I wasn’t expecting much from the dishes I ordered, I was happy that they are open late and are cheap. The dishes surpassed my expectations completely.  I wondered how they make such simple dishes taste so good. Better than what I’ve gotten in top notch places. 

You probably won’t want to spend loads of times here particularly but for cheap and tasty food it cannot be faulted. It’s all 100% vegan too! Every vegan in Vientiane should visit here.

Bacan Cafe

I came across this cafe on HappyCow and gave it a go after the coffee and cake at Coco & Co left me unsatisfied.  This place has two whole pages in the menu dedicated to vegan dishes which includes a smoothie bowl, tortillas, a burger, stir fries, salads and lots more.

They do a small or large latte with soy or almond milk. I personally always appreciate the large coffee option. For food, I tried the smoothie bowl which was good but a bit thin and needed some topping such as granola. I didn’t try the savoury dishes although they had a lot. What you really need to come here for is the cake!

Be aware that the cakes are not labelled vegan so you will need to ask. This was a conscious decision by the owner as he didn’t want to put non-vegans off from trying them. I came here twice so I tried two cakes which I believe are the typical ones available. One is a coconut bundt cake (very good) and the other is a chocolate cake which is pure chocolate heaven!! It is a slice of rich, smooth, chocolate lover’s dream. Best thing I have tasted in Laos and anywhere at all for some time.

You simply MUST try it. With the Wi-Fi, extra seating and library upstairs, you might find yourself spending a whole afternoon here. Great way to pass time while waiting for your visa. Although it is not fully vegan do not visit Vientiane without coming here for the coffee and cake.

Easy Restaurant

I noticed this place pop up on HappyCow when browsing since my last visit. I had never in my life tried Egyptian food before but have heard that this cuisine is naturally vegan-friendly. I don’t know anywhere that sells vegan Egyptian food in Chiang Mai so I was particularly excited.

This place has actually made the effort to clearly specify the vegan options in green, with the veggie options in purple and others in red. The owner is very friendly and will give you recommendations of dishes. I tried the Egyptian style moussaka which came with either rice or French fries. This is an awesome tasting dish and I really enjoyed the pickles and the fresh chilli that came on the side.

It is also a bar with a really cool vibe and sells a wide range of alcoholic drinks for reasonable prices.

My only regret was leaving it until my last night to try here as I couldn’t go back and try any of the other vegan dishes.

Vegetarian in the Golden Age

This is a fairly large place that is open until 8PM. I believe there is a lunch buffet but we went in the evening when it is an a la carte menu. There is a lot to choose from and although they use a fair bit of fake meat you could avoid it if it’s not your thing. The dishes are good quality but are cooked in a lot of oil in typical Asian jey food style. We didn’t see any dishes that weren’t vegan. Staff don’t speak much English, nor did they even seem to understand Thai. However the menu is in English and we had no problem ordering.

Coco & Co

This place looked promising since it has Vegan Café on its board outside and has also sprung up since I was here last time. The previous reviews on HappyCow though did not paint a good picture. Despite this, it is the only western style all vegetarian cafe in the city so I wanted to try it. I first tried to order the soup which is vegan, but the bread it’s served with isn’t, it contains egg. The lady was not very helpful with offering an alternative to the bread but rather blankly told me that none of the dishes with bread are vegan, which cancels out half the menu. I could have ordered an Asian dish but the point of going there was to get a western dish. Then at the end of the menu I saw smoothie bowls. I ordered one and to my surprise it was a huge bowl piled up high and overflowing with chopped fruit, nuts and seeds. I also had a coffee with soya milk and a raw vegan slice for dessert which was great although a small slice. So I would recommend going for the smoothie bowl if nothing else, it certainly gave me my fruit and nut fix.

Reunion Café

This is a very basic local place that’s small and cosy. Has Wi-Fi. They have a large range of Thai/Laotian food but also a few western style salads. The food is incredibly cheap as well as tasty. They also have cold pressed juices that they will make fresh in front of you. I believe it’s fully vegan.

Osaka

I don’t normally choose to eat Japanese food but noticed this place appeared on HappyCow so thought I’d try it out for something different. They have a large section of vegetarian dishes in the menu although it doesn’t specify which are vegan. However, neither eggs nor dairy feature in any of the dishes that I could see and when I checked with the waiter they confirmed the dishes I ordered were vegan. They speak English and seem to understand vegan. I tried a noodle dish which came with a thick and tasty sauce as well as gyoza. Both were great. They also have an all day special offer on wine, which was also very good. Have heard they also have a vegan buffet on certain days of the week.

Pomodoro

This place offers pizzas as well as hummus and falafel dishes. They even have an interesting vegan falafel and hummus pizza which is something I have never seen before. I didn’t try it but I did enjoy the little pieces of potato that came up on the one that I did try. They don’t have vegan cheese though. The venue is a bit basic but has a fun atmosphere with music and they sell alcohol including beer and wine.

Chez Joseph

I came to this Mediterranean restaurant for something different. However, I found the pitta, falafel and hummus dish rather uninspiring compared to the ones I’ve got in other places.  I wouldn’t recommend you come here unless you have a particular craving for this type of cuisine. It was also quite over-priced. The atmosphere and décor was pleasant though as it felt almost European.

Joma

This is a modern, clean, western-style café that is popular with nomads. I didn’t actually eat a proper meal here but the coffee with soy milk was good, and there aren’t many places around here that offer soy milk. I was also pleased to see dairy-free sorbet and when I checked if it was vegan he actually pulled out what seemed to be an allergens folder! Something that is common in the west but a first time for me to see in this part of the world. He confirmed there is no egg so the sorbet so it is in fact vegan. Great place to come if you have work to be done and fancy a refreshment. They have other vegan dishes including a veggie hummus wrap and, unknown to me at the time of visiting, they even have a vegan menu if you ask for it, which gives you suggestions on meals you can make by swapping things. Anything you’re not sure about, just ask them to check their folder!

House of Fruit Shakes

This modest little cafe is not fully veggie or vegan but actually has a menu with the advertising ‘are you vegan?’ There are two baguette choices and you could have any of the shakes. The baguette I tried came with avocado, other veggies and a delicious dressing and made a perfect brunch before getting my flight back to Chiang Mai.

Benoni

Not to be confused with their nearby café which isn’t vegan-friendly, Benoni has a guest house and coffee shop just a few doors down from House of Fruit Shakes. I have to mention this place as they offer a vegan coconut ice-cream which is delicious. It’s advertised as vegan on the board in English which is unusual around here especially in a non-veg café.

We hope you’ll find these listings useful if you are visiting Vientiane as a vegan! There are more places that I didn’t get to visit, find them on HappyCow!

Have questions about getting your visa for Thailand in Vientiane? Please message me and I’ll try to help.