Vegan and vegetarian cafés in Nha Trang: where to eat and how to order "chay"
Eight vegan and vegetarian places in Nha Trang with addresses and hours, the word "chay" on the sign, five phrases for ordering in an ordinary café, and why meat-free canteens get busy on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month.
To find vegan food in Nha Trang, look for the word chay, not "vegan". A sign saying "Quán chay" or "Nhà hàng chay" means no meat, no fish, no fish sauce, and usually no eggs or dairy either. In the tourist centre, try the vegan cafés Phyto Bistro and Sweet Secret; Vietnamese meat-free canteens are on Huỳnh Thúc Kháng and Lê Đại Hành.
Where should I go?
| Café | Address | Hours | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phyto Bistro | 8/16 Nguyễn Thiện Thuật, centre | Mon–Sat 11:00–15:00 and 17:00–21:00, closed Sun | vegan café; cash only |
| Sweet Secret | 35/97–35/99 Nguyễn Thiện Thuật, Lộc Thọ | check evening hours | vegan and gluten-free: breakfasts, desserts, cashew cheese; English and Russian spoken |
| Senta Vegetarian | 11 Yersin | daily 10:00–22:00 | moved; the old address at 46 Lý Tự Trọng is wrong |
| Shakti Veggies Bistro | 31 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng | call ahead | hot dishes, soups, salads, delivery; English spoken |
| Nhà hàng chay Bụt Việt | 74–76 Đống Đa, centre | from the afternoon | table booking and delivery via their page |
| Nhà hàng chay Hoan Hỷ | 47B Lê Đại Hành, Tân Lập | 6:15–21:30 | hot dishes and soups; group lunches on order |
| Ẩm Thực Thuần Chay Bồ Đề Sao | 11 Huỳnh Thúc Kháng | call ahead | strictly vegan canteen: rice and noodles, no eggs |
| Quán chay Cô Tấm | 5 Lạc Long Quân | 6:30–13:00 and 16:00–20:00 | small meat-free canteen, home cooking |
| Quán thuần chay Thong Dong | 15/25 Nguyễn Thiện Thuật, Lộc Thọ | until 20:00 | fully vegan: sourdough pizza, tempeh rolls, kombucha; cash only |
| Yên Nhà Hàng Chay & Yoga | 46/9 Lê Thánh Tôn, near Vincom Plaza | lunch until 14:00, again from 16:00 | Vietnamese meat-free food, two floors; yoga classes on site |
| Nhà hàng chay An Lạc | 15 Lý Thánh Tôn, centre | until 21:00 | vegan Vietnamese food: soups, noodles, rice; delivery |
| Quán cơm chay Âu Lạc | 1 Bạch Đằng, Tân Lập | midday break, reopens at 16:00 | canteen where locals eat: phở, soups, rice with tofu, picked from the counter; busy at lunch |
| Cơm Chay Thiên Phước | 63 Dã Tượng, Phước Long, south | until 20:00 | vegan canteen: rice, noodles, phở, hot pot; soup and tea with lunch; second branch at 699 đường 2/4 |
Every address is in the vegan and vegetarian cafés section.
What does "chay" mean?
It is Buddhist meat-free cooking, and it is stricter than Western vegetarianism: no meat, fish, eggs or milk, and often no onion or garlic either. For vegans that is handy — what you would have to ask about at home is the default here.
One quirk: Vietnamese meat-free cooking loves mock meat made from soy and mushrooms — "chicken", "pork", even "prawns". It is all plant-based. If you would rather skip substitutes, order vegetables and tofu.
How do I order in an ordinary café?
In an ordinary café the trap is fish sauce (nước mắm) and shrimp paste (mắm tôm): they go into almost everything, even vegetables and salads. The second trap is broth: phở and soups are usually made with bones. Show the waiter a phrase:
- "tôi ăn chay" — I eat meat-free;
- "không thịt, không cá" — no meat, no fish;
- "không nước mắm" — no fish sauce;
- "không trứng, không sữa" — no eggs, no milk;
- "chay hoàn toàn" — completely meat-free.
Why are meat-free cafés busy on certain days?
On the 1st and 15th of the lunar month many Vietnamese eat meat-free, even if they are not vegetarian. Those days "chay" canteens are crowded and some dishes run out by lunch. If you land on one, go early.
How do I choose if nobody speaks English?
Family canteens often have no menu — the food is laid out at the counter. Everything at the counter of a "chay" canteen is meat-free, so you can simply point. They open early: Cô Tấm, for example, opens at 6:30 and closes for a break at 13:00.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I eat vegan in Nha Trang's tourist centre? Phyto Bistro (8/16 Nguyễn Thiện Thuật) and Sweet Secret (35/97 Nguyễn Thiện Thuật). Phyto Bistro is cash only and closed on Sundays.
How do I say "I'm vegetarian" in Vietnamese? "Tôi ăn chay". Add "không nước mắm" — no fish sauce.
Does "chay" food contain eggs or dairy? Usually not, but check: "không trứng, không sữa". Bồ Đề Sao is strictly vegan.
Where can I eat meat-free early in the morning? Hoan Hỷ opens at 6:15, Cô Tấm at 6:30.
Is Senta Vegetarian still open? Yes, at its new address — 11 Yersin, daily 10:00–22:00. The old address on Lý Tự Trọng still appears in guidebooks.
Which vegan cafés speak English? Sweet Secret and Shakti Veggies Bistro say they serve in English.
How much is a meal in a meat-free canteen? We do not publish prices; the menu in these canteens changes every day.
Sources and checks
Cafés in the table come from the "Vegan and vegetarian cafés" section: addresses, hours and languages are from Google Maps and the cafés' own sites and pages; sources and dates are on each listing. Languages are listed only where the café states them itself. We do not publish menus or prices: food in meat-free canteens changes daily. Updated 07.10.2026.