Restaurants in Hue

Hue cuisine is unique, featuring light ingredients in popular fresh spring rolls, or try bun bo Hue, a noodle soup with pork, beef, and shredded green onions; or banh khoi, a thin, crispy pancake filled with ground meat and crispy vegetables. Local dishes are best at streetside, and there are a few good spots with English menus along the river and in the backpacker area, along Hung Vuong.

Across from the major riverside hotels is the DMZ Café (60 Le Loi St.; tel. 054/382-3414), which stays up late in a sort of beer-swilling frat-party style, and along Hung Vuong you'll find a few backpacker bars open 'til midnight, but this is a pretty sleepy town. Pomten's Bar (22 Pham Ngu Lao; tel. 054/381-0310) has a pool table and a chic bistro bar setup, with a gallery space next door. Brown Eyes (56 Chu Van An; tel. 054/382-7494) is a late-night bar and cafe that's a short taxi ride from the town center.