Sapa, the emerald of Northwest Vietnam’s mountains, captivates visitors not only with its majestic natural landscapes and ethereal clouds but also with its unique and flavorful cuisine. Especially in Sapa’s characteristic chilly weather, there’s nothing better than finding a cozy restaurant to enjoy hot, flavorful dishes that dispel the cold and warm the hearts of travelers. If you’re planning to explore Sapa and seeking a distinctive culinary experience in the cold air, let Discovery To Wonders guide you through a list of restaurants serving typical cold-weather dishes, where you can fully savor the flavors of the Northwest mountains and forests.
1. Do Quyen Restaurant – Dining Atop Fansipan Peak
Do Quyen Restaurant is renowned not only for its unique location atop the legendary Fansipan peak but also as an ideal destination to enjoy Sapa cuisine in a warm space amidst the clouds. With reasonable prices, this restaurant attracts a large number of visitors with its diverse menu of local specialties, especially suitable for the cold climate.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Black Chicken Hotpot: A famous hotpot with sweet Sapa black chicken, rich broth, fragrant with mountain forest spices, is a perfect choice to warm up in the chilly weather.
- Grilled Chicken with Green Pepper: Fresh, delicious free-range chicken marinated richly with fragrant green pepper, grilled over charcoal, retaining its natural sweetness and appealing aroma.
- Com Lam (Bamboo Rice): Rice cooked in bamboo tubes, carrying the characteristic flavor of the mountains and forests, fragrant and filling.
Restaurant Information:
- Address: 86 Ngu Chi Son, Sa Pa, Lao Cai
- Reference Price: 150,000 VND/person
Do Quyen Restaurant in Sapa with a cozy atmosphere and diverse menu
2. Red Dao Restaurant – Flavors of the Red Dao Ethnic Cuisine
At Red Dao Restaurant, visitors will experience a culinary space imbued with the cultural identity of the Red Dao people. The restaurant is famous for its highland dishes made from fresh, typical Sapa ingredients, especially suitable for enjoying in the cold atmosphere.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Smoked Buffalo Meat: A renowned specialty of the Northwest, buffalo meat smoked over a wood stove, with a rich, spicy flavor, is a great snack in cold weather.
- Sturgeon Hotpot: Fresh sturgeon raised in Sapa, with firm, sweet meat, cooked in a hotpot with wild vegetables and signature spices, creating a refreshing, nutritious, and warming dish.
- Stir-fried Wild Vegetables with Garlic: Fresh wild vegetables of Sapa such as mustard greens, rau sang, rau ngót rừng… stir-fried with fragrant garlic, green and lush, carrying the characteristic flavor of the mountains and forests.
Restaurant Information:
- Address: 4b Thac Bac, Sa Pa, Lao Cai
- Reference Price: 220,000 VND/person
Red Dao Restaurant in Sapa with famous smoked buffalo meat
3. Vua Ca Hoi Sapa Restaurant – Highland Salmon Specialties
Vua Ca Hoi Sapa Restaurant is a must-visit destination for those who love the fresh, nutritious flavor of salmon. Sapa salmon is raised in a cold water environment, with firm meat and even marbling, carrying a distinctive flavor, very suitable for preparing warm dishes in winter.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Salmon Hotpot: A hotpot with a sour, flavorful broth, fresh salmon dipped in the hotpot just cooked, retaining its natural sweetness, served with vermicelli and raw vegetables, is an ideal dish for a cold day.
- Grilled Salmon: Fresh salmon grilled over charcoal or baked in foil, retaining its moisture and natural sweetness, served with grilled vegetables and special dipping sauce.
- Salmon Sashimi: A Japanese dish transformed with fresh Sapa salmon, fully experiencing the sweet, fatty flavor of fresh salmon.
Restaurant Information:
- Address: 15A Le Van Tam, Sa Pa Town
- Reference Price: 200,000 VND/person
Vua Ca Hoi Sapa Restaurant famous for salmon hotpot and sashimi
4. A Phu Restaurant – Northwest Flavors in the Heart of Sapa
A Phu Restaurant is located right in the center of Sapa town, convenient for visitors to move and enjoy cuisine. The restaurant is famous for its Sapa specialties, carrying the bold flavors of the Northwest mountains and forests, especially suitable for warming the hearts of visitors in the cold weather.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Thang Co: A traditional dish of the H’Mong people, made from horse, beef, or pork meat and offal, stewed until tender with many signature spices, carrying a rich, warm flavor, very suitable for enjoying in winter.
- “Cap Nach” Grilled Pork: Free-range local pigs, with firm, delicious meat, grilled whole or in parts, retaining their natural sweetness and crispy skin.
- Grilled Black Chicken: Sapa black chicken is famous for its firm meat, black skin, grilled fragrant, served with xoi nep nuong (grilled sticky rice) or com lam.
Restaurant Information:
- Address: 15 Fansipan, Sa Pa town, Lao Cai
- Reference Price: 200,000 VND/person
A Phu Restaurant in Sapa with the famous Thang Co dish
5. Thang Co A Quynh Restaurant – Enjoy Authentic Thang Co
Thang Co A Quynh Restaurant is a familiar address for many visitors who want to enjoy the famous thang co dish in Sapa. The restaurant has a space imbued with Northwest culture, cozy and intimate, creating a comfortable feeling for diners in the chilly weather.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Horse Thang Co: The restaurant’s special thang co is made from fresh horse meat, with a secret family recipe, bringing a rich, irresistible delicious flavor.
- Lao Cai Specialties: In addition to thang co, the restaurant also serves many other specialties of Lao Cai such as wild game meat, black chicken hotpot, xoi nep nuong, meeting the diverse needs of diners.
- Cultural Space: On weekends, the restaurant also organizes ethnic music performances, bringing a unique cultural experience to visitors.
Restaurant Information:
- Address: 15 Thach Son Street, Sapa
- Reference Price: 100,000 VND – 300,000 VND
Thang Co A Quynh Restaurant in Sapa with a warm space imbued with Northwest style
6. Street BBQ Stalls – Warming Up with Sapa Grilled Food
In the chilly weather of Sapa, nothing is more appealing than enjoying hot, fragrant grilled dishes. Street BBQ Stalls are the ideal place for you to enjoy a unique street BBQ culinary experience in Sapa.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Skewered BBQ: A diverse menu of skewered BBQ dishes such as pork belly, beef, grilled ribs, grilled pork udder… marinated with rich spices, grilled over charcoal, extremely fragrant.
- Mushroom Hotpot: In addition to BBQ, the stalls also serve hot mushroom hotpot, with a sweet broth, fresh mushrooms, a great choice to balance the taste after enjoying BBQ.
- Cozy Atmosphere: The stalls have a cool outdoor space and a cozy indoor space, decorated with sparkling string lights in the evening, creating a romantic, warm atmosphere.
Restaurant Information:
- Address: 434 Dien Bien Phu Street, Sa Pa town, Lao Cai province
Sapa Street BBQ Stalls with diverse BBQ and hotpot dishes
7. BBQ Tra Phuong Quan – Sapa BBQ Paradise
BBQ Tra Phuong Quan is known as “Number One BBQ” in Sapa, attracting a large number of diners with its rich, diverse, and quality BBQ menu. The restaurant has a spacious, airy space, very suitable for gatherings of friends and family in the cold air.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Local BBQ: The restaurant is famous for BBQ dishes made from local pork such as local pork with mushrooms, local pork belly, local pork stomach… marinated with special spices, bringing an irresistible delicious flavor.
- Premium BBQ: In addition, the restaurant also serves premium BBQ dishes such as beef with mushrooms, beef with mustard greens, beef skewers… and fresh grilled seafood.
- Northwest Specialties: Diners can also enjoy other Northwest specialties such as com lam, tao meo wine, cham cheo… to fully experience highland cuisine.
Restaurant Information:
- Address: 26 Ngu Chi Son, Sapa
BBQ Tra Phuong Quan in Sapa with a rich and appealing BBQ menu
8. H’mong BBQ Restaurant – Warm Space, Rich Flavors
H’mong BBQ Restaurant is an ideal destination for those who want to find a cozy space, imbued with H’Mong cultural identity and enjoy delicious grilled dishes in the cold weather of Sapa.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- H’Mong BBQ Set: A BBQ set combining signature dishes of the restaurant such as local grilled pork, grilled chicken, grilled vegetables… beautifully presented, rich flavor, suitable for large groups.
- H’Mong Hotpot: Hotpot with a special broth, stewed from bones and mountain forest spices, served with black chicken, local pork, and fresh wild vegetables.
- Cultural Space: The restaurant is designed in the traditional architectural style of the H’Mong people, cozy and unique, bringing a distinctive cultural experience to visitors.
Restaurant Information:
- Address: 33 Cau May, Sapa
H'mong BBQ Restaurant in Sapa with a cozy space and distinctive BBQ dishes
9. Sapa Night Market – Explore Hot Street Food
Sapa Night Market is not only a place to shop for souvenirs but also a paradise of attractive street food. In the chilly atmosphere of Sapa evenings, strolling around the night market and enjoying hot, delicious dishes is an unmissable experience.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Night Market Skewered BBQ: Fragrant BBQ stalls with all kinds of skewers such as grilled eggs, grilled meat skewers, grilled pork intestines… affordable prices, appealing flavors.
- Grilled Corn and Sweet Potatoes: Hot grilled corn and sweet potatoes, sweet and starchy, are familiar and popular snacks in Sapa winter.
- Hot Drinks: Hot drinks such as ginger tea, hot soy milk, hot coffee… help you dispel the cold and replenish energy to explore the night market.
Food Court Information:
- Address: 19A Dong Loi, Sa Pa town, Lao Cai province
- Reference Price: 15,000 VND – 20,000 VND/person
Sapa Night Market a street food paradise with hot dishes
10. Food Areas at Highland Markets – Unique Traditional Flavors
Highland markets are not only places of trade but also where the culinary quintessence of Sapa’s ethnic minorities converges. Coming to the market fair, you will have the opportunity to enjoy unique traditional dishes, made from fresh ingredients of the mountains and forests, carrying the characteristic flavor of the cold region.
Cold-Weather Signature Dishes:
- Thang Co at Market Fair: Thang co cooked at the market fair carries a distinctive, rich flavor, prepared according to the traditional recipes of ethnic people.
- Men Men (Steamed Corn Flour): A dish made from plain corn flour, a familiar dish of the H’Mong people, often eaten with soup or stir-fried dishes.
- Five-Color Sticky Rice: Sticky rice dyed natural colors from forest leaves, fragrant, beautiful, often used in festivals or market fairs.
Food Court Information:
- Bac Ha Market Fair: Bac Ha town, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai (Every Sunday)
- Coc Ly Market: Coc Ly commune, Bac Ha district, Lao Cai (Every Tuesday)
- Sin Cheng Market Fair: Sin Cheng commune, Si Ma Cai district, Lao Cai (Every Wednesday)
Enjoying Sapa Cuisine in Cold Weather – An Unforgettable Experience
Sapa in winter offers a unique and memorable culinary experience. From luxurious restaurants to street food stalls, from traditional thang co to fresh salmon hotpot, all blend in the chilly atmosphere, creating a distinctive and unforgettable flavor of this land. Don’t forget to plan your Sapa culinary exploration and choose suitable restaurants to fully enjoy your trip. Let “Discovery To Wonders” accompany you on your journey to discover the warm flavors of Sapa in the cold season!