Best Vietnamese Restaurant in Paris: The First-Time Visitor's Complete Guide

Planning your first visit to a Vietnamese restaurant in Paris? A short walk from Notre-Dame and Île Saint-Louis, Hanoi 1988 offers one of Paris’s most memorable Vietnamese dining experiences. Here is what to know before you visit. 

Why Vietnamese Food Is One of the Best Meals to Have in Paris

Paris is a city of long lunches and considered dinners. Vietnamese cuisine fits that rhythm better than most people expect.

It is light enough to eat before an afternoon of sightseeing without slowing you down, yet satisfying enough to carry you through a full evening. Every dish is designed to balance rather than overwhelm.

Vietnamese food, which was brought here by waves of immigration that began in the mid-twentieth century, has been part of Parisian daily life for decades. It is something Parisians eat regularly, at lunch, on weeknights, whenever they want something nourishing and well made. 

Where to Find the Best Vietnamese Restaurant in Paris

Most visitors to Paris who search for Vietnamese food are directed to the 13th arrondissement. It is a reasonable suggestion, but it is not the whole story.

Hanoi 1988 operates in the historic centre of the city. The kitchen is built around the culinary traditions of northern Vietnam and has been recognised with a Vietnam’s national award for the country’s finest pho chef - Hoa Hồi Vàng. Two addresses serve the full restaurant menu:

Hanoi 1988 - 72 Quai des Orfèvres, 75001 Paris Steps from Notre-Dame, on the banks of the Seine. The original flagship, with the broadest menu and the most flexibility for walk-ins. 

Hanoi 1988 Sao Vàng - 16 Rue le Regrattier, 75004 Paris On a quiet street on Île Saint-Louis, a ten-minute walk from Notre-Dame. This is the most kitchen-focused address in the group: 24-hour pho broth, fresh daily noodles, and the Phở Bò Sốt Vang which is a dish unavailable anywhere else in Paris. The room is small and intimate, designed after the neighbourhood tea shops of 1980s Hanoi. Reservation is strongly recommended. 

What Visitors Say

The reviews speak for themselves.

"Clearly the put a lot of thought into to the decor and equipment here, making everything evoke the feel of a slice of old Vietnam. The food was fantastic and the team were attentive and helpful. Couldn’t ask for more!" Max C, The Fork

"The pho was spot on. The broth was a light, lingering beefiness, not overtly murky or over-flavoured. Shows the chef has great taste balance. Properly authentic. And the atmosphere really transported us back to Hanoi." Leslie G, The Fork

"First time I came here was January 2025. Great food, service and atmosphere. I came back a year later because of how good it was and was not disappointed. Definitely a go-to spot." Nirvana D, Tripadvisor

What to Order on Your First Visit

A Vietnamese restaurant menu can look unfamiliar at first. Here is a simple guide to ordering well.

Start with fried spring rolls (Nem Rán) - top 50 best food in the world ranked by CNN. Hand-rolled in rice paper and fried to order, spring rolls arrive golden and crackling, filled with pork, shrimp, and fresh vegetables. This dish tastes the best when they are hot with the dipping sauce on the side.

For your main, choose between pho and bun bo. Pho is a slow-cooked broth with fresh rice noodles, thin-sliced beef, and herbs you add yourself at the table. It is warming, deeply nourishing, and the dish Hanoi 1988 is most celebrated for. The beef pho comes with a side of Beignets frits, or quẩy nhà làm (house-made fried dough sticks) for dipping into the broth. Bò Bún is the lighter alternative with rice vermicelli at room temperature, layered with stir-fried beef, fresh vegetables, roasted peanuts, and homemade sauce. You mix everything together before eating.

If you want something different, try Bánh Mì Chảo. This Vietnamese pan-baked bánh mì, which is crispy, warm, and deeply savoury, is the kind of dish that surprises people who have only ever had it as a street sandwich.

Credit: Wenkang Shan

For dessert, Bánh Trôi Tàu might come as a surprise. These are small glutinous rice balls with red bean filling, served warm in homemade ginger syrup and scattered with roasted peanuts. Give it a try because it is unlike anything in French dessert culture!

To drink, Cà Phê Nâu Đá (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk). Strong, sweet, and deeply satisfying, Cà phê nâu đá is the perfect way to end a Vietnamese meal in Paris on a warm afternoon.

Plan Your Visit Around the Neighbourhood

Part of what makes Hanoi 1988 work so well for visitors is its location. Each address sits naturally within neighbourhoods many travellers already plan to explore, making it easy to turn a meal into part of the day rather than a separate destination.

After Notre-Dame or Sainte-Chapelle

A morning spent around Notre-Dame often leads naturally toward the Seine, which makes Hanoi 1988 on Quai des Orfèvres an easy lunch stop. Just a short walk from the cathedral and riverbanks, it suits the kind of unhurried meal that follows a busy morning of sightseeing. Afterwards, the walk toward the Louvre along the Seine feels particularly pleasant.

An Île Saint-Louis Afternoon

For those crossing onto Île Saint-Louis, Hanoi 1988 Sao Vàng fits the quieter rhythm of the island particularly well. After wandering past bookshops, cafés, and small boutiques, lunch or dinner here feels like a natural pause. The slower pace continues after the meal too, with Le Marais only a short walk across Pont Marie.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hanoi 1988 close to the Eiffel Tower? The closest address to the Eiffel Tower is Hanoi 1988 on Quai des Orfèvres in the 1st arrondissement, around 20 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by Métro via line 4 to Cité.

Is there an English menu? Yes. The menu at both restaurant addresses is available in English.

Do I need a reservation? For Sao Vàng on Île Saint-Louis, yes. The room is small and fills quickly, especially at weekends. The Quai des Orfèvres address is more flexible for walk-ins. Book at viet-eat.com.

Is it suitable for children? Yes. The menu includes mild dishes well suited to younger diners, and the staff are welcoming to families.

Is there a vegetarian option? Yes. The Bún Chay is a fully plant-based bun bo bowl made with stir-fried tofu, vegetable-based sauce, and vegetable spring rolls.

Two addresses. One kitchen philosophy. One of the best Vietnamese restaurants in central Paris, steps from where you are already going. Reserve your table and explore the full menu at viet-eat.com.