Restaurant Awards 2026: The Best Vietnamese Restaurants in Vancouver

Gold: Crab Hot Lau

For the third year running, Crab Hot Lau snags the top spot in our Best Vietnamese category. It’s particularly impressive that owner/chef Cherry Pham has remained so consistently excellent in a year that saw two additional openings of her Kingsway family-run spot (one at UBC and another on South Granville). Wherever you find a table, the authentic Northern Vietnamese cuisine is bold and satisfying, served in a bustling, no-frills atmosphere. Highlights include the rice field crab hot pot (with its complex, downright-addictive broth) made with noodles imported from Pham’s hometown, beef carpaccio salad and meaty crab spring rolls. “This place feels genuinely soulful,” said one judge.

Various locations
crabhotlau.ca 

Silver: Lunch Lady

Commercial Drive’s Lunch Lady scoops up the silver for 2026, praised as much for its food (crispy prawn fritters, bone marrow pho) as for its great vibe—fun, energetic and full of colour.

1046 Commercial Dr.
thelunchlady.com

Bronze: Madame Danh

New hot spot Madame Danh has made a strong first impression, nabbing bronze this year: it’s absolutely one to watch. Judges celebrated the kitchen’s modern, innovative take on Vietnamese cuisine, “still preserving deeply authentic flavours” with dishes like charred octopus and grilled pork jowl on rice. 

4288 Fraser St.
madamedanh.com

Honourable Mentions

Bonjour Vietnam
3944 Fraser St.
bonjourvietnambistro.com

Anh and Chi
3388 Main St.
anhandchi.com

Find more of the best Vancouver restaurants on our list of 2026 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Award winners.