On my latest trip to Laos, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of interesting cafes in Vientiane, many just within the touristic zone. This Asian country that is usually off the nomad radar actually has some charming coffee shops with good internet speed.
So if you are looking for a place to chill or work, these are some of the charming cafes I checked out. From themed interiors to quiet corners, got to say I’ve had lotsa fun cafe hopping in the Lao capital.
Beautiful Themed Cafes In Vientiane
While many coffeeshops in Vientiane are nicely designed, you will see that these ones are visually unique once you visit (aka great for photos)
Tree Town Cafe
If you are looking for a super instagrammable cafe in Vientiane, then Tree Town is one of the forerunners. They clearly designed the place for that purpose.
Almost every corner of the cafe is photo worthy and they even place chairs in some areas for the perfect photo op.
A whole tree trunk sticks out in the middle of the cafe, and greenery danging from the roof. At one corner you have walls of roses and a classy Yamaha piano; at another a mirror laced with maple leaves.
Everything is artificial of course (otherwise it will be too hard to maintain), but beautiful nevertheless. There’s also a second storey with more seats + bean bags too.
Food prices here are ok with a quite a big menu. You have the more expensive western style dishes like fancy thick toasts and smoothie bowls, but also classic local meal dishes like stir fry meat with rice etc.
The cappuccino is creamy and they even served it with couple of oreo cookies. I also tried the almond croissant; it wasn’t particularly special but good anyway.
The internet speed is also fast. There are many tables that are great for working. I like the big desk on level 1, especially when the cafe is not crowded.
There’s not a lot of power sockets by the tables, although I saw a couple on the 2nd level, so you want to come with your laptop charged.
Overall a great place to chill or work either way. They do not accept card payment.
Internet Speed (Download/Upload): 118/58 mbps
Senglao Cafe & Restaurant
A beautiful retro themed cafe that’s nestled in a quiet alley. I think most people come here intentionally since it’s not exactly a foot traffic place. It is about 15mins walk from the famous Pha That Luang, so might be one you want to slot in with your visit to that attraction.
The whole cafe restaurant is movies and Hollywood themed; there are cars and figurines around which makes it a good spot for photos. You even get popcorn serve to you as a table snack.
Staff here are attentive and friendly. Not all of them speak English but they try their best to help. Prices here are slightly more expensive, and there is also a service charge, but sort of what is expected of a restaurant.
I did not have a proper meal here, since I just came from trying out another restaurant nearby. But I have had their pizza at the Viengtara restaurant in Vang Vieng and really enjoyed it. It is said that they are ran by the same owner, thus part of the Senglao menu is available there.
I had my dessert session here with a green tea latte and chocolate pie. The way they serve the Green Tea Latte is interesting and you can tweak the sweetness to taste. The chocolate pie is not particularly special but still nice. Top marks for visual presentation all round.
They are usually not very busy, especially in the daytime, so it’s not a bad place to sit around to do some work. The indoor is cozy and well decorated, the outdoors has a pond right next to it. Both are pretty awesome places to sit.
They do take card payment with a 3% fee.
Internet Speed (Download/Upload): 25/39 mbps
The Cubano By Phanhsy Cafe
While this Cubano themed cafe might not be as visually bright and striking as the above 2, it is very distinctive in its own right as well.
This is ran by a friendly lady and her daughter. The whole place is decorated with photo frame collage, vinyl records and other classic items. Some corners are great for photos as well.
The cafe has 2 levels with more seating on the top floor. Regardlss you want to check out both storey to admire the decorations around.
They have a decent menu serving both local and cuban food. I tried the urban sandwich which is served with a crispy baguette and rather flavorful, tangy sauce. The ice vanilla latte was sweet and strong, almost like Vietnamese coffee in my opinion.
Prices here are comparable to other cafes in Vientiane.
The lounge area on the 2nd floor Is best for working. Most of the tables here are of good height for laptops. They also have floor cushion and sofa seats for those looking to chill. There are some power sockets around.
This coffeeshop also opens till quite late. In fact, I often see a good crowd here in the evenings. For other late night options in Vientiane, look further down the article, I have classified a section on that.
Internet Speed (Download/Upload): 25/39 mbps
Great Cafes For Working In Vientiane
Sili Cafe
The cafe doesn’t look striking from the outside and the interior is sorta an old school classic design. But it’s a chill and quiet place, like a hidden gem. They serve both coffee and cooked meals, prices here are very affordable.
I love that the coffee here is super strong, so if that’s your jam, make sure to grab a coffee here. If I had to choose, this is probably my favourite place for coffee in Vientiane.
I also tried the spicy fried boar with rice, which packed quite a punch! So beware if you can’t handle spice; they have plenty of other options, as well as sandwiches and western style food.
The cafe is also great for working on your laptop. At over 100mbps, the internet speed is the fastest I have seen in Laos. There are also power sockets at almost every desk.
The place is not so big, there’s around 4 tables inside that are good height for working. But they also have an outdoor patio area which faces the Wat Ong Teu Temple.
Payment only by cash or Lao QR code.
Internet Speed (Download/Upload): 103/101 mbps
Naked Espresso Misay
Naked Espresso is kind of a coffee chain and has a significant presence in Vientiane. There are several branches even just within the touristic zone.
When I visited the Misay branch, there was a lot of people on their laptop. This is clearly a favourite spot for remote workers. They even have meeting rooms on the 2nd level.
Another reason for this is probably because the place feature modern set up mixed with some traditional vibes. So you get practical, comfy seatings surrounded by cultural elements.
This one has amazing hand paintings on the wall reflecting Lao culture. Just beautiful.
There are quite a lot of tables, all of which are suitable for working. Some seats will have access to pocket sockets, so you should look around the cafe if you need them.
They serve a variety of beverages from coffee, tea to smoothies and juices. Similarly for food, they have western options is pasta to common regional dishes like Pad Thai and Krapao etc.
Meals here are more expensive since many of these dishes can be found in other cafes at lower prices. Because of that, I didn’t plan to using up one meal here, but I have tried the cakes in Naked Espresso Vang Vieng and it was great! The cakes here are quite regularly priced.
I did end up having the fruit parfait yoghurt smoothie here since I asked the staff what he liked. It was refreshing and good for a snack up before I go for a meal.
Service here is good; the staff seem more professionally trained. They both provide & refill your glass of water.
The cafe also take card payment without extra fees.
Internet Speed (Download/Upload): 91/52 mbps
Sailomyen Cafe & Hostel
This is a cafe and hostel that is located just on the edge of the touristic zone. It is very modern and beautifully decorated, with chill music playing in the background.
This was one of the accommodations I was considering, but their private rooms were fully booked on the dates I wanted.
Many of the tables are suitable for working, and a few of them have access to power sockets. They also provide a flask of drinking water on each table.
Having visited in the morning, I realised some of the hostel guests will show up here for breakfast. So maybe avoid visiting during breakfast times or come earlier to grab a seat.
That said, they do serve an all day breakfast menu along with plenty of local dishes. The menu is quite big, and prices here are comparable to other cafes.
I tried the Eggs Benedict, it turned out to be sort of a fusion dish, served with Asian style stir fried mushroom/veg, and what I believe is a tangy fruit sauce, both of which I didn’t mind. Those tasted pretty good. The eggs though needed more work.
Nevertheless, it’s still a nice breakfast dish overall, I just wouldn’t compare it to the standard Egg’s Benedict. The coffee was good as I indulge in my last few Americano Coconut before leaving the country.
The cafe operates till around 5pm and then place turns into a bar instead.
They do take card payment with a 3% fee.
Internet Speed (Download/Upload): 22/33 mbps
Late Night Cafes In Vientiane [Open Past 8pm]
Balance Bar & Cafe
Past by this cafe bar a few times and finally visited during a rainy afternoon. They are actually two spaces right across each other, with an open terrace in the middle.
The bar only opens later in the evening, but the cafe operates from day time and goes into the night. So this is one of the cafe in Vientiane that remain open after dark if you’re looking for a late caffeine hit.
I imagine you can order coffee and alcohol from both areas. During good weather days, the open terrace is a seating area with live music in the evenings.
I have only sat in the cafe area but both spots are comfy and modern. The internet speed is one of the fastest I have seen, and there are many power sockets around. The seats are all very comfy with spacious tables. Really great spot for working.
The prices here are comparable depending on what you order. Some food are expensive, but some are really cheap. Like I got a very fancy and tasty brownie for only around US$1.50. And the Matcha Latte was pretty decent.
Note that they do have a 7% service charge in addition to menu prices. They also accept credit card without extra fees.
Internet Speed (Download/Upload): 178/87 mbps
Drip 1920s
Another late night cafe in Vientiane that you can visit. It’s part of the Barn1920s hostel, which kind of explains its late hours.
The theme of the cafe is as its name suggest, back to the early 1900s. Although it only takes up a small space, the decor fits the theme very well with furnishings like old school fans, lamps, telephones that take you back in time. So it’s a warm tone, cozy vibe especially at night.
The cafe is quite known for their drip coffee. They do have single origin coffee from different countries. Can’t say I’m someone who can deeply appreciates original flavors of beans so I just had their in house pour over.
Since they open till late, they also operate as a bar serving alcohol and cocktails.
It’s a pretty good place to get some work done. While the wifi speed might not be as fast as some of the cafes mentioned here, it is still decent. And there are power sockets around the cafe area.
On the second floor, there’s a room with cushions, low tables, and lots of power sockets. They also provide some board games there if you are chilling with a group.
They do take credit card payment with 2.8% fee for Visa/Mastercard.
Internet Speed (Download/Upload): 21/17 mbps
Tipsy Elephant
Ok you might guess from the name that this is not exactly a cafe. It’s a bar and a rooftop bar with probably the best city views, thus I have to mention it.
Tipsy Elephant is located on the 10th floor of the SureStay Hotel. You get a view of the city or the Mekong River, depending on where you sit. But it’s a great spot for catching the sunset.
The bar only opens from 5pm onwards, and they serve both food and drinks. I only tried several variations of Beer Lao here, since I wasn’t particularly interested in other items. Too many places I still want to try.
Prices are higher here due to the location, and since it’s a hotel bar. But worth coming for the views during the golden hour.
The place was not very busy when I went, so you can actually sit and do some work. It’s more of a relaxing place with modern music, rather than a party bar. Some tables have power sockets, but the internet connection varies quite a bit depending on where you are seating.
They do accept credit card payment with a minimum spending of over 300K kip (will change with inflation)
Cafe Scene In Vientiane
That’s a wrap on some of my favorite cafes in Vientiane, and there’s more marked out on my maps that I didn’t even manage to visit! They’re like little pockets of charm in this laid-back city, perfect for an escape from the Southeast Asia sun.
The cafe scene in Vientiane is definitely starting up and the coffee shops can be quite distinctive depending on the owner and his/her origins. Whether you are looking for a caffeine fix, a cozy spot to work, or a cool backdrop for your Insta feed, some of these places fit the bill.
Be sure to check out some of the best things to do in Vientiane or tasty food places you can try in the Lao capital.