London’s best Vietnamese spots

This modern yet cosy Vietnamese restaurant in Shoreditch emulates the hustle and bustle of busy Vietnamese life, and is the perfect backdrop to serve up the light and aromatic flavours of Vietnamese cuisine. Enjoy slurping a spicy pho at the pho-bar and delight in the unique menu of authentic dishes and Vietnamese inspired cocktails. Viet Grill prides itself on offering you an authentic taste of Vietnam using well sourced ingredients from the British Isles whenever possible.

East London boasts so many Vietnamese restaurants that Kingsland Road has been nicknamed the pho mile, and it’s along this tempting strip that you’ll find not one, but two BúnBúnBún outposts. As the name suggests, these spots specialise in rice vermicelli noodle salads, and you can choose from 15 variations, including the signature Hanoi Bún, which is served just as it is in the Vietnamese capital — with grilled lemongrass pork and mini grilled pork patties in a meat broth with a crispy spring roll. BúnBúnBún is also a popular place to grab a bánh mì: these artisan baguettes can be packed with lemongrass pork, chicken, beef, mackerel or tofu and topped with mayo, pickles, cucumber, coriander, mint and fresh chillies. At around £8, these make for a very reasonable—and filling—lunch!

The pho mile might be a north London draw, but the south is happily satiated by Bánh Bánh’s two bright and contemporary restaurants located in Peckham and Brixton. The folks behind Bánh Bánh are actually five siblings who grew up in Peckham but decided to set up their own Vietnamese eateries as an homage to their grandmother, who was a chef in Saigon in the 1940s. There’s something about such a lovely backstory that makes the warming bowls of pho here even more comforting and the ambience even more homely… The signature dish here is the bánh khọt pancakes — mini turmeric coconut pancakes with prawns are topped with spring onions and prawn dust, and beautifully presented (still sizzling!) on a bed of fresh salad, herbs and nước chấm. Another menu highlight has to be the irresistible fish sauce glazed sticky wings — best accompanied by an ice-cold beer.

A city stalwart with venues both Old Street and Soho, Cây Tre was one of the first Vietnamese restaurants to open in London and is certainly Hoxton’s favourite Vietnamese restaurant, so it has really stood the test of time! The focus tends to be on the pho here — the broth is simmered for 24 hours before fresh, UK-sourced ingredients are added, from seafood or beef, to vegetables and red chili. While you’ll probably want to guzzle all the pho yourself, there are plenty of other morsels that are brilliant for sharing, such as the satisfying summer rolls and the zesty salads, which awaken the taste buds with flavours of papaya, mango or lemon cured beef.