best pho in vietnam (2026)

tldr: out of 12 pho spots across hanoi and saigon, my top 3 are pho thin (stir-fried beef pho, lo duc street, 50,000 VND / USD 2), pho gia truyen (pure traditional beef pho, bat dan street, 40,000-60,000 VND), and pho ga ly quoc su (chicken pho with ovary eggs, ly quoc su street, 50,000 VND). full reviews with prices and the history of pho below.

pho is not just a soup. it is the single most important dish in vietnamese cuisine and arguably one of the most perfect foods ever invented. a bone broth simmered for hours, flat rice noodles, thinly sliced beef or chicken, and a handful of herbs. that is it. and yet the depth of flavour that comes out of those simple ingredients is extraordinary.

i spent time eating pho across hanoi and it changed the way i think about soup. in hanoi, pho is a breakfast dish. the shops open at 6 am, the broth has been simmering since the night before, and by 9:30 am some of the best spots have already sold out. this is a city that takes its pho seriously enough to run out of it before most tourists wake up.

what surprised me is how different each bowl can be. one shop does stir-fried beef in the broth. another keeps it so pure that adding anything beyond a squeeze of lime feels like disrespect. the chicken pho places have their own universe going on with ovary eggs and deboned chicken feet. and then there is dry pho, which is barely pho at all but somehow is brilliant.

no one paid me for any of these reviews. i spent my own money. these are my opinions. if you want the broader hanoi food scene, check out the hanoi street food guide.

the awards (my personal picks)

• best overall: pho thin, 13 lo duc street. the stir-fried beef version is unlike anything else in the city.
• best traditional pho: pho gia truyen, 49 bat dan. the purest, most classic bowl of beef pho in hanoi.
• best chicken pho: pho ga ly quoc su. the ovary eggs alone are worth the visit.
• best dry pho: the alley chicken pho shop on luong ngoc quyen. dry pho with chicken oil, peanuts, and mint.
• most overrated: pho 10 ly quoc su. it is fine, but the tourist crowds and slightly inflated prices are not justified by the quality.
• best budget bowl: the street corner pho near the long bien bridge area. 35,000 VND for a solid bowl.
• best broth: pho gia truyen. that bone marrow sweetness is the best broth i have tasted.
• best for adventurous eaters: the chicken pho shop with organs, blood cubes, and ovary eggs.

a brief history of pho

pho is a relatively recent invention. it dates to the late 19th or early 20th century and originated in nam dinh province, about 100 kilometers south of hanoi. the details are debated but the consensus is that it emerged during the french colonial period.

before the french arrived, water buffalo was the common meat in the region. when french colonists began promoting beef consumption, they would often eat the prime cuts and discard the bones. local vietnamese cooks saw an opportunity and started boiling those bones into broth, creating a rich marrow stock that became the foundation of pho.

the dish spread to hanoi when construction workers building the long bien bridge moved to the capital, bringing their pho vendors with them. in hanoi, the dish adapted to local tastes and the city became the undisputed capital of pho.

then in 1939, the government restricted beef sales on certain days of the week, and hanoians did what hanoians do - they improvised. chicken pho was born out of that restriction, using the same principle of a clean, single-protein broth but with chicken instead of beef.

after the division of vietnam in 1954, millions of northerners moved south, bringing pho with them. in the south, it adapted - the broth became sweeter, more spices were added, and the table was loaded with fresh herbs, bean sprouts, and hoisin sauce. this is why hanoi pho and saigon pho taste so different despite sharing a name.

after the vietnam war, the vietnamese diaspora took pho global - to france, the united states, australia - and it became one of the most recognized foods on the planet.

the full list

the top tier (the legendary bowls)

1. pho thin

13 lo duc street, hai ba trung, hanoi / 50,000 VND (USD 2) / 9.5/10

pho thin is the bowl that changed my understanding of what pho could be. every other pho shop in hanoi boils or blanches the beef in the broth. pho thin stir-fries the beef first. this sounds like a small difference but it transforms the entire dish. the stir-fried beef gives the broth a smoky, caramelised quality that you cannot get from poaching.

the broth itself is still a clean bone broth - you can taste the marrow sweetness and the subtle cinnamon and star anise. but layered on top of that is this wok hei smokiness from the beef. the green onions are cut diagonally and piled generously on top. the noodles are thin and fresh.

the place is always packed. seating is on tiny plastic stools on the sidewalk or inside a cramped room. the operation is a machine - the staff move with military efficiency, bowls appearing and disappearing at impressive speed. they said they have been in this same spot since 1982.

the way to eat this: taste the broth first, plain. then try the noodles. then combine everything. add a squeeze of lime and some fresh chilies. do not add hoisin sauce. this is hanoi - we keep it pure.

what to order: the mixed beef pho with both boiled and stir-fried beef (50,000 VND). add fried dough sticks (quay) for dipping.

verdict: the single most memorable bowl of pho i have eaten. the stir-fried beef is a stroke of genius.

2. pho gia truyen

49 bat dan street, hoan kiem, hanoi / 40,000-60,000 VND (USD 1.60-2.40) / 9.5/10

if pho thin is the innovative one, pho gia truyen is the traditionalist. this is the purest expression of hanoi beef pho you will find. the broth is clear, clean, and deeply beefy. you can taste the sweetness from the bone marrow without any sweeteners added. there is ginger in there, and star anise, but they are whispers, not shouts.

the raw beef version here is my favourite. paper-thin slices of beef arrive slightly pink and cook gently in the scalding broth. the noodles have a slightly stretchy texture that is different from other shops. and the fresh chilies available on the table have genuine heat.

i watched the broth being prepared and you can see the bones in the pot, massive beef bones that look like they have been simmering for hours. the marrow has seeped out completely, giving the broth that rich, slightly oily quality on the surface.

this place gets crowded fast. by 7:30 am there is a queue. by 9:30 am they have sold out of some items. go early. sit on the tiny stools. order quickly. eat.

what to order: pho bo tai (raw beef pho, 45,000 VND). add chili sauce directly onto your bite, not into the broth, to preserve the broth flavour.

verdict: the platonic ideal of hanoi beef pho. if you only eat one bowl of pho in hanoi, this is the one.

3. pho ga ly quoc su (chicken pho)

ly quoc su street, hoan kiem, hanoi / 50,000-65,000 VND (USD 2-2.60) / 9/10

chicken pho is an entirely different experience from beef pho. the broth is lighter, clearer, and has that unmistakable condensed chicken flavour - not like supermarket chicken stock, but like someone boiled an entire chicken for six hours and captured its essence.

the special pho here comes with pieces of chicken breast (still on the skin), gizzards, liver, blood cubes, and the highlight - ovary eggs. these are immature eggs found inside the chicken, about the size of large marbles, with a thin membrane that pops when you bite into it. the yolk inside is silky and rich, like a soft-boiled egg yolk but more concentrated.

the shop recommended garlic vinegar instead of lime juice for chicken pho, and they were right. it adds a subtle citrus acidity without overpowering the delicate broth.

i also had chicken uterus here for the first time. it has a crumbly texture and a mild chicken flavour. not life-changing but worth trying.

what to order: special chicken pho with organs and ovary eggs (65,000 VND). use garlic vinegar instead of lime.

verdict: the most beautiful bowl of chicken pho i have ever seen. the ovary eggs are the highlight.

4. pho suong

24 trung yen, hoan kiem, hanoi / 45,000-60,000 VND (USD 1.80-2.40) / 9/10

pho suong is the spot that was nearly sold out by 9:30 am when i arrived. they had already run out of their beef cooked in wine sauce for the day. what remained was the raw beef pho and it was stunning.

the broth here has an immediate sweetness from the bones. you can taste the ginger clearly. the raw beef is minced differently here - she smashes it and presses it flat before adding it to the bowl, so it cooks more evenly in the broth. the herbs include coriander and green onions plus sliced onions, which i had not seen at other pho shops.

the sidewalk setup is classic hanoi. tiny stools, the kitchen is literally the pavement, and the broth pot with visible bones is right there in front of you. this is not a restaurant. this is a person who has perfected a single dish and serves it on the street.

what to order: pho bo tai (raw beef pho, 50,000 VND). go before 9 am or you will miss the best items.

verdict: the broth alone is worth waking up early for.

5. dry pho (pho tron) on luong ngoc quyen

old quarter, hanoi / 55,000 VND (USD 2.20) / 9/10

this is the pho that is barely pho. the noodles come dry, tossed in soy sauce, chicken oil, and a touch of sweetness. on top: deboned chicken, peanuts, crispy garlic, and fresh mint. the broth is served on the side in a separate bowl.

the noodles melt in your mouth because they are fresh and thinly cut. the chicken oil gives everything a rich, savoury base. the peanuts add crunch. the mint adds freshness. and when you want a change of pace, you sip the broth separately.

the alley setting is perfect - narrow, cramped, with a line of locals on tiny stools. the deboned chicken is a luxury touch that shows the level of care here. every piece of chicken is boneless, the skin is gelatinous and flavourful.

they also serve a spectacular cabbage salad with lime leaf that is somehow sweet, sour, and crispy all at once.

what to order: dry pho with chicken (55,000 VND), plus the deboned chicken feet (20,000 VND) and cabbage salad (25,000 VND).

verdict: a completely different pho experience. if you have eaten three bowls of pho and want something different, this is it.

the solid middle

6. pho cuon (pho rolls)

ngu xa, truc bach, hanoi / 40,000-60,000 VND (USD 1.60-2.40) / 8.5/10

pho cuon is not pho soup - it is fresh pho noodle sheets rolled around stir-fried beef and herbs. think of it as a fresh spring roll made with pho noodles. it is light, fresh, and perfect as a snack or appetiser. the dipping sauce is a light fish sauce with garlic and chili.

verdict: a clever variation on pho. light, fresh, good as a snack.

7. pho bat dan (1982 shop)

bat dan street, hanoi / 45,000 VND (USD 1.80) / 8.5/10

this was the first pho shop i visited in hanoi, arriving at 6:30 am. the handmade noodles were excellent quality and the broth had that clean bone marrow sweetness. the mixed beef (both boiled fatty slices and blanched rare beef) was generous. not as exceptional as pho thin or pho gia truyen, but a very solid bowl.

verdict: a reliable, traditional bowl of pho. good noodles, good broth.

the ones that are fine but overhyped

8. pho 10 ly quoc su

ly quoc su street, hanoi / 55,000-70,000 VND (USD 2.20-2.80) / 7.5/10

pho 10 is the one that shows up in every tourist guidebook. it is fine. the broth is decent, the beef is okay, the noodles are standard. but at slightly higher prices and with a tourist-heavy crowd, it does not offer anything that the top-tier shops do not do better and cheaper. skip this and walk 5 minutes to pho gia truyen.

verdict: tourist-famous, locally average.

vietnam pho tips

• eat pho for breakfast. the broth is freshest in the morning and most famous shops sell out by 10 am. set your alarm.
• in hanoi, keep it simple. northern pho is about the broth. do not drown it in hoisin sauce and sriracha. a squeeze of lime, some fresh chilies, and maybe a drop of fish sauce is all you need.
• the fried dough sticks (quay) served alongside pho are traditional. tear off a piece, dip it in the broth, let it absorb, and eat. it adds a crispy, oily element that works perfectly.
• chili sauce goes on your bite, not in the broth. squeeze it directly onto a piece of beef or a spoonful of noodles. this way you get the heat without altering the broth flavour.
• in saigon, the herb plate is part of the experience. bean sprouts, thai basil, saw-tooth herb, lime, chili - add them all. the southern style embraces abundance.
• a bowl of pho costs 35,000-60,000 VND in hanoi and 45,000-80,000 VND in saigon. if someone charges you more than 80,000 VND, you are in a tourist trap.
• pho is pronounced “fuh” (like “fun” without the n), not “foe”. the locals will understand either way but getting it right is respectful.
• drink the broth. finishing your broth is a compliment to the cook. leaving it behind is not an insult exactly, but drinking it shows you understood what they made.

if you found this useful, check out these other guides:

• hanoi street food guide
• best street food in southeast asia