Best Vietnamese Restaurant Paris: Where I’d Eat as a Vietnamese Person

Searching for best vietnamese restaurant in Paris? Save this guide, especially if you want a Vietnamese point of view, not just another tourist list. Paris has plenty of phở, nem and bò bún, but the real test is whether the broth has depth, the herbs feel fresh, and the food tastes close to home. 

Best Vietnamese Restaurant Paris: Ha Noi 1988 – Île de la Cité

It is small. Tables are close together. If you come at lunch or dinner, you may queue, and even mid-afternoon is not always empty. I would not bring a big group here without planning ahead. For two people, it is easier. For three or four, book if you can. 

I’d start with Phở Du Chef. The sautéed beef and onion give the broth a little sweetness, but it does not feel greasy. Some bowls of phở outside Vietnam lean too hard on seasoning; this one tastes more balanced. If you like a stronger bowl, Phở Hà Nội Garlicky is the better pick. Garlic, beef, hot broth. Not subtle, but that is the point. 

If you visit on Saturday, check whether Phở Thứ Bảy is available. This one comes with rare beef, beef meatballs, marrow and oxtail. Richer. Beefier. 

There is also Phở TNT, served in a hot stone pot. Slightly dramatic, yes, but useful when Paris is cold and you want your soup to stay hot until the last spoon.

The starters: Nem Gà, Nem Bò Nấm or Nem Maison if you want something crisp. Gỏi Cuốn for something lighter.

I also like that the menu has rice dishes with Vietnamese ST25 rice. Chicken curry, shrimp curry, black pepper beef, tofu with mushroom.

Dessert: Bánh Trôi in warm ginger syrup. Or Bánh Nếp Chuối if you want banana, sticky rice and coconut milk. Both make more sense here than a generic sweet. 

Quick details

• Address: 72 Quai des Orfèvres, 75001 Paris

• Best for: phở, bò bún, nem, rice dishes, lunch near the Seine

• Good to know: small space, possible queue, casual atmosphere

• Vegetarian options: Phở Chay, Bún Chay, Nem Chay, tofu dishes

• My order: Phở Du Chef, Nem Maison, Bánh Trôi. 

• Saturday order: Phở Thứ Bảy, Nem Maison, Bánh Trôi 

This is the Paris best Vietnamese restaurant option I would choose when I want something central, comforting and easy to recommend.

Best Vietnamese Restaurant Paris: Ha Noi 1988 Sao Vàng - Île Saint-Louis

Sao Vàng is the address I would choose first for phở.

It is more focused than the Île de la Cité restaurant. The menu is built around Phở Hà Nội.

The phở menu: rare beef, cooked beef, mixed beef, beef sautéed with onions, beef sautéed with garlic, beef in Vietnamese-style red wine sauce, and Phở TNT served in a hot pot. There is also chicken phở, vegetarian phở with tofu and mushrooms, and dry phở served with broth on the side.

My pick would be Phở Sao Vàng with garlic-sautéed beef. It has more personality than a plain bowl. If you want something classic, choose Phở Bò. If you want something more French-Vietnamese, try Phở Bò Sốt Vang.

Sốt vang has a French influence, but Vietnamese people made it our own: warm, beefy, aromatic, and very good with noodles or bread. 

The same idea appears in Bánh Mì Sốt Vang and Bánh Mì Chảo. If you only know bánh mì as a sandwich, bánh mì chảo may surprise you. It is served hot in a pan with beef, lacquered pork belly, pâté, egg and sauce, with bread on the side.

Rich. Messy. Very satisfying.

For starters, order Nem Cua Bể. Crab spring rolls feel more special than regular nem and pair well with phở. 

For dessert, I would choose Bánh Trôi Tàu in warm ginger syrup or Bánh Bao Kim Sa with salted egg filling. Both feel much more Vietnamese than a generic sweet ending.

Quick details

• Address: 16 Rue le Regrattier, 75004 Paris

• Best for: Hanoi-style phở in Paris, phở sốt vang, bánh mì chảo

• Vegetarian options: Phở Chay, Phở Chay Trộn, Cơm Chay, Nem Chay

• My order: Phở Sao Vàng, Nem Cua Bể, Bánh Trôi Tàu. 

This is my pick if phở is the priority.

Sneak Peek: Two More Ha Noi 1988 Concepts to Watch

Ha Noi 1988 is not only doing phở, they are going to launch these two.

Ha Noi 1988 Gác Manger

This restaurant is inspired by Cơm Nhà — Vietnamese family meals — reimagined for Parisian life. I would watch this one if you want something more home-style: rice, shared dishes, comfort, and the feeling of eating like a Vietnamese family rather than just grabbing a noodle bowl.

• Address: 110 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris

• Concept: Vietnamese family meals reworked for Paris

• Best for: cơm nhà, shared dishes, homestyle Vietnamese comfort

Ha Noi 1988 Streets

Ha Noi 1988 Streets is the street-food side of the group. The idea is to capture the energy of Vietnamese streets, where the rhythm of Hanoi meets the soul of Paris.

This sounds like the more casual, lively address. Less sit-down comfort meal, more quick bites, movement and street-food mood.

• Address: 74 Quai des Orfèvres, 75001 Paris

• Concept: Vietnamese street food with Hanoi energy

• Best for: casual bites, street-food atmosphere, quick Vietnamese food

Final Verdict

So, what is the best Vietnamese restaurant in Paris?

For me, it depends on the craving.

Choose Ha Noi 1988 – Île de la Cité for an easy central meal near the Seine: phở, bò bún, nems and rice dishes.

Choose Ha Noi 1988 Sao Vàng if you are serious about Hanoi-style phở in Paris.

Keep Gác Manger in mind for Vietnamese family-style meals, and Streets for the street-food side of Vietnam in Paris.