While the primary draw for this mountainous Vietnamese city are the stunning views and hiking, you’ll find that there’s not just a vibrant street food Sapa scene, but also the absolute gem for feasting that is the Sapa Night Market.
And it doesn’t stop there. There are a number of local delicacies, restaurants serving up Hmong and Dao food, as well as the usual Vietnamese fare you’d expect. Make no mistake — you will not go hungry in Sapa.
What the Sapa?
Sapa is a town tucked into the far north of Vietnam, not too far from the Chinese border and surrounded by rice terraces, steep valleys, and the kind of mountains that make your knees regret the hike. It’s colder than most of the country, especially at night, and you’ll often find the whole place swallowed in mist.
What sets Sapa apart isn’t just the landscape, but the mix of ethnic minority groups who call it home — mostly Hmong, Dao, Tay and Giay. That means more than just colourful clothes and markets, it means different ingredients, different cooking styles, and a totally different flavour from the food you’ll get in Hanoi or Saigon.
Sapa Cuisine
Sapa cuisine is all about warmth and simplicity — dishes that make sense when it’s cold, wet and you’ve just walked half a mountain. It’s earthy, meaty, and usually grilled over charcoal or stewed slowly. Not fancy, but full of flavour.
You’ll still get the usual Vietnamese staples — noodle soups, rice dishes, spring rolls — but it’s the local stuff that makes it interesting. Think smoked buffalo, mountain mushrooms, and herbs you probably couldn’t name if you tried.
Five must-try dishes in Sapa:
- Thắng Cố – A local stew usually made with horse meat and organs. Intense, traditional, and not for picky eaters.
- Lợn Cắp Nách – Literally “armpit pig” — small black pigs carried under the arm and later roasted whole.
- Sapa Sausages – Local pork sausages packed with herbs and grilled over open flame.
- Cơm Lam – Sticky rice cooked in bamboo, best eaten with grilled meats.
- Dried Buffalo Meat – Smoky and chewy, often sold at markets and eaten with beer or corn wine.
Street Food Sapa
Being high up in the mountains and often a bit chilly, Sapa doesn’t have the same street food buzz as Saigon or Hanoi. You’re not going to find 24-hour pho joints on every corner, and there aren’t a hundred carts competing for space on the pavement.
But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to eat. Banh mi is everywhere, and during the day you’ll see vendors selling grilled corn, skewers of meat, sticky rice in bamboo, and sweet potatoes roasted on charcoal. The stuff is simple and cheap, usually cooked right in front of you.
And while there aren’t street food vendors on every street, there are loads of small, proper local restaurants tucked away — usually with no English menu but full of flavour. They’re the kind of places you duck into when it’s raining and come out stuffed, steamed up, and wondering why you ever paid more than $2 for dinner.
Sapa Night Market
Despite only being open on weekends, the Sapa Night Market is the place to sample street food in Sapa. The main draw is the BBQ zone — smoke in the air, locals squatting on tiny stools, and just about everything you can think of being grilled.
The star of the show is Thắng Cố, the traditional horse stew, bubbling away in giant pots. Right next to it? Piles of Sapa sausages — heavily seasoned, slightly spicy, and grilled to perfection. The lot is usually served with lettuce, herbs, a salty dipping mix and hot sauce. Wrap it up, dip, eat, and repeat.
For drinks, there’s the usual line-up of cheap beer, but the more interesting option is Rượu Ngô Sapa — corn wine. Bright green, strange tasting, and somewhere between a mountain spirit and a dare. It’s got a bit of a kick and a lot of attitude. Definitely deserves its own article.
Close second to the BBQ is the jerky scene. You’ll see vendors selling buffalo meat in various states of dryness, with samples passed out to anyone walking by. At around $20 a kilo, it’s not cheap, but worth a try. And if you’re tight, just keep walking in circles grabbing free tasters.
Other highlights? Strawberries. Grown locally and sold fresh or dried. Locals eat them with chilli salt — dâu tây muối ớt — which sounds completely wrong but somehow works. Don’t ask me how, just try it.
And yes — knives. Loads of them. Big knives, little knives, machetes. Who’s buying all these? Foreigners, mostly. Maybe they just like souvenirs with a bit of edge, or perhaps they like to kill people, either way the model works.
Opening Times:
- Friday to Sunday, from around 5 PM until things wind down by 10 PM or so.
Location:
- Next to the Sapa bus station, on the main road heading back towards Lao Cai and Hanoi. Follow the smoke and you’ll find it.
Click to read about street food in Dalat.
Best Restaurants in Sapa
Sapa has no shortage of restaurants, ranging from homely family kitchens to tourist joints trying to serve pizza with ketchup. Stick with the local stuff and you’ll do just fine.
Five restaurants worth checking out:
- A Quỳnh Restaurant – The go-to for Thắng Cố. No frills, all flavour. 15 Thạch Sơn.
- Red Dao House – Dao minority food in a wooden stilt house. Feels touristy but the food is legit. 4B Thác Bạc.
- Little Sapa Restaurant – Great local dishes, quick service, friendly staff. 18 Phạm Xuân Huân.
- Good Morning View – Solid food with a decent view. Mixed Vietnamese and Western menu. 047 Thạch Sơn.
- Moment Romantic – Terrible name, good food. Local BBQ, hotpots and the occasional curry. 26 Mường Hoa.
Conclusion
Yes, Sapa is touristy. You will get offered treks, massages, and motorbike rides about a hundred times a day — but that’s par for the course in Vietnam. What you get in return is fresh air, insane views, and a food scene that’s way more interesting than it first looks.
It might not be the street food capital of Vietnam — this isn’t Hue (read more about that here) — but it’s got heart. And when the weekend night market fires up, it becomes one of the best places in the north to eat, drink, and soak it all in.
Just maybe don’t leave with three knives and a bag of dried buffalo meat unless you’ve got room in your bag.
Click to read about my tours to Vietnam with Young Pioneer Tours!