Indian Restaurants in Laos: Where to Find Indian Food Across the Country
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-22
Laos runs a small Indian-food scene, with Luang Prabang and Vientiane carrying most of it. For related planning, see our guide on Sea Backpacking Hub.
A quick honest note before we start: the Lao kitchen uses fish sauce (nam pa) and shrimp paste (kapi) in almost every stir-fry and soup, including ones that look fully vegetarian. I’ve learned the hard way that “vegetable fried rice” here is not what it sounds like. The phrases and ordering tips below solve that, and if you want zero risk, the Indian restaurants below are the cleanest answer.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| How many Indian restaurants in Luang Prabang? | At least 4 trusted spots, all halal | ₹0 |
| Price of a thali at an Indian restaurant in Laos | ₹258-₹430 (~60,000-100,000 LAK or ~$2.67-$4.46) | ₹258-₹430 (~$2.68-$4.46) |
| Is Indian food in Laos expensive vs Thai/Vietnam? | Yes, roughly 30-50% more | ₹0 |
| Best city in Laos for Indian food? | Luang Prabang (4 spots) and Vientiane (growing) | ₹0 |
| Can you eat veg in Laos without an Indian restaurant? | Yes, with the phrases below | ₹0 |
Where Indian Food in Laos Lives
The pattern matters before you start walking around hungry. Here’s the reality on the ground.
**Luang Prabang is the Indian-food capital of Laos. Four named spots serve Punjabi, South Indian, and Malaysian halal Indian cuisine. M&M Restaurant leads at 4.8, Fathima Indian & Malaysian Halal Restaurant (பாத்திமா உணவகம்) follows at 4.7, Chennai Restaurant sits at 3.9, and Nisha rounds out the list as the fourth reliable option. The rating spread tells you they’re all real kitchens, not just one good place with a bunch of imitators. Luang Prabang also has a steady stream of Indian travellers on the slow-boat route from Chiang Mai, so the demand is real and the menu quality reflects it. For non-Indian eating, Manda de Laos (4.6) is the top-rated local restaurant for Lao cuisine in the same area.
Vientiane has fewer Indian restaurants than you’d expect for a capital city. The Lao food scene is so good and so cheap that Indian-run restaurants don’t always stick. Travellers consistently report finding one or two reliable spots near the city centre (along Setthathirath Road and near the morning market), but the menu and operating hours shift. If you’re arriving late and starving, ask your hostel owner on the day.
Vang Vieng and Pakse have scattered Indian food, mostly tied to the backpacker strip in Vang Vieng and to the Pakse night market. Quality is hit-or-miss, and several places open and close seasonally. For Vang Vieng specifically, treat any Indian restaurant you find as a backup, not a plan.
The slow-boat corridor from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang has one or two Indian-run guesthouses that cook meals for guests. If you’re coming off the Mekong and starving, ask at your guesthouse before you walk into town.
For the wider vegetarian picture across Laos, our vegetarian food in Laos guide covers street food and the local dishes worth knowing.
The Four Indian Restaurants in Luang Prabang
These are the spots that show up consistently across traveller reviews. All four are in Luang Prabang proper, all halal, and all serve rice and roti alongside their curries.
M&M Restaurant Indian Halal Food (Rating 4.8)
The highest-rated Indian spot in Luang Prabang, and the one travellers go back to multiple times during a stay. M&M does Punjabi-style cooking: rich curries, tandoor items where available, and the kind of dal-chawal that fixes a week of sticky rice. The portion sizes are generous for the price, and the staff remember repeat customers, which matters when you’re spending four nights in a small town.
Must-try: butter chicken with garlic naan, dal makhani with jeera rice.
Price range: thalis around ₹301-₹430 (~70,000-100,000 LAK or ~$3.12-$4.46); a la carte curries around ₹215-₹344 (~50,000-80,000 LAK or ~$2.23-$3.57).
Halal status: confirmed halal.
Fathima Indian & Malaysian Halal Restaurant (பாத்திமா உணவகம்) (Rating 4.7)
The best-value option for hungry budget travellers. Fathima runs a chicken rogan josh with paratha combo that feeds you properly for under ₹482 (~5 USD) per person, which is rare in a country where Indian food has a 30-50% markup over local food. The menu is a Laos-Malaysia-India mashup, so you can order a biryani and then a plate of char kway teow in the same sitting.
Must-try: chicken rogan josh with paratha, mutton biryani.
Price range: meals from ₹215 (~50,000 LAK or ~$2.23); combo plates around ₹344 (~80,000 LAK or ~$3.57).
Halal status: confirmed halal.
Chennai Restaurant indian,lao & Malaysian halal food (Rating 3.9)
The South Indian pick, with dosas, idli, and sambar alongside the usual curries. The 3.9 rating reflects mixed reviews on consistency rather than bad food: some travellers get a great thali, others report the sambar is thin and the service is slow. Hit-or-miss, but the only proper South Indian option in Luang Prabang, so worth one meal if you’re missing a masala dosa.
Must-try: masala dosa, chicken chettinad.
Price range: dosas around ₹172-₹258 (~40,000-60,000 LAK or ~$1.78-$2.67); meals around ₹301 (~70,000 LAK or ~$3.12).
Halal status: confirmed halal.
Nisha Restaurant (no rating in shortlist)
A second Punjabi-style option in town, and a useful alternative when M&M is full. Travellers report solid butter chicken and garlic naan, which is the safe order when you can’t see the menu or want something you already know. Less consistent feedback than the top three, so treat it as a backup rather than the first stop.
Must-try: butter chicken, garlic naan.
Price range: thalis around ₹258-₹387 (~60,000-90,000 LAK or ~$2.67-$4.01).
Halal status: halal.
Indian Food in Vientiane
Vientiane’s Indian scene is smaller and shifts more than Luang Prabang’s. Travellers consistently find one or two reliable spots near the city centre, often on or just off Setthathirath Road or near the morning market area, but names change, hours shift, and the same place can be excellent one visit and average the next. Among the spots that appear repeatedly in traveller reports are Doi Ka Noi (North Indian, near the centre) and Taj Mahal Restaurant, which serves North Indian and a few South Indian dishes close to the morning market.
The honest play in Vientiane: ask your hostel or guesthouse the day you arrive. Lao-run guesthouse owners know which Indian spot is currently cooking well, and they’re used to the question. Most Indian restaurants in Vientiane serve a mix of North Indian and a few South Indian dishes, with thalis in the ₹344-₹515 (~80,000-120,000 LAK or ~$3.57-$5.35) range (₹345-₹515 (~$3.58-$5.35)), which is more expensive than Luang Prabang.
If you want to be safe, eat your Indian meals in Luang Prabang (cheaper, more options, more consistent) and treat Vientiane Indian food as a one-off rather than a daily plan.
Indian Food in Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng has a backpacker strip with scattered Indian options, often inside guesthouses or attached to bars. Quality is genuinely variable: some travellers report great meals at Indian-run guesthouses along the main road, others say the same places serve reheated curry.
The realistic approach: if you’re in Vang Vieng for two or three nights and you’ve been eating Lao food the whole time, one Indian meal is fine, just don’t build your itinerary around it. Thalis in Vang Vieng run around ₹301-₹430 (~70,000-100,000 LAK or ~$3.12-$4.46).
Indian Food in Pakse and Southern Laos
Pakse has fewer Indian options than Luang Prabang or Vientiane, but a couple of spots serve Indian and Malaysian halal food, often tied to the Pakse night market area. Among the places that show up in traveller reports are Delhiwala Indian Restaurant (North Indian, halal, near the night market) and Maharaja Indian Restaurant, which serves a mix of North Indian and Malaysian halal dishes. Our Pakse Indian restaurants guide covers the specific spots and the night-market stalls that double as Indian food on certain evenings.
Southern Laos beyond Pakse (Don Det, the 4000 Islands) is zero Indian options. You’ll eat Lao food and learn the phrases. The 4000 Islands vegetarian food guide covers what’s available there.
For the wider Indian food picture across Southeast Asia, our Indian food in Laos broader guide and famous food in Laos round out the scene.
What to Order When You Skip the Indian Restaurant
The Lao kitchen has a small set of vegetarian or easily-customizable dishes that work once you know the phrases. The four below are the ones I’d order.
Sticky rice with jeow (เจົວ). The single most Lao meal on the menu. Sticky rice (khao niao) is a basket of steamed rice you eat with your hands, and jeow is a dipping sauce. The vegetarian versions are jeow mak khua (tomato and eggplant) and jeow bong (sweet chili and tomato). Both are safe by default and cheap: ₹64-₹129 (~15,000-30,000 LAK or ~$0.67-$1.34) for a full meal at a street stall. The thing to watch: ask if the jeow has padaek (fermented fish sauce) in it. Many do.
Khao soi (ເຂົ້າຊອຍ). A coconut-curry noodle soup, originally from northern Thailand but cooked all over Luang Prabang. The Lao version usually has egg noodles, coconut curry, and a choice of protein, but you can order it with tofu and vegetables, and the broth itself is often vegetarian. Specify no shrimp paste (no kapi), and you have a safe bowl for ₹107-₹150 (~25,000-35,000 LAK or ~$1.11-$1.56).
Laap (ລາບ) with tofu or mushrooms. The national dish of Laos, normally made with minced meat, but the vegetarian version with mushrooms or tofu is widely available and one of the most genuinely tasty meals you can have in the country. Price: around ₹107 (~25,000 LAK or ~$1.11) at a local restaurant. Ask for “laap het” (mushroom) or “laap taohu” (tofu). Specify “bo sai nam pa” (no fish sauce) and you’re clean.
Tofu and morning glory stir-fry (ຜັດຜັກບຸ້ງ). A reliable fallback across Laos. Morning glory (pak bung) is a green vegetable that’s almost always available, stir-fried with garlic and sometimes tofu. Specify “bo sai nam pa, bo sai kapi” (no fish sauce, no shrimp paste). Price: ₹86-₹129 (~20,000-30,000 LAK or ~$0.89-$1.34).
The bigger Laos food picture, including more local dishes and ordering strategy, is in our famous food in Laos guide.
Key Phrases for Ordering Lao Food as a Vegetarian
These four phrases solve 90% of the ordering problems. Print them or screenshot them.
| English | Lao | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| I am vegetarian | Koy kin jay | ”koy kin jay” |
| No fish sauce | Bo sai nam pa | ”bo sai nam pa” |
| No shrimp paste | Bo sai kapi | ”bo sai kapi” |
| No egg | Bo sai khai | ”bo sai khai” |
| No meat | Bo sai sin | ”bo sai sin” |
| With tofu instead | Sai taohu | ”sai taohu” |
The “jay” word matters. Lao Buddhists use “jay” for vegan-friendly cooking, the same way Thai food does. A dish marked “jay” or ordered as “jay” excludes meat, fish sauce, and shrimp paste by default. It’s not as widespread as in Thailand, but it’s the strongest single phrase in your pocket.
For Jain travellers (no onion/garlic): the standard Lao vegetarian meal already uses little onion and garlic. Specify “bo sai hua pak thiam, bo sai hua pak tien” (no onion, no garlic). Some places will refuse politely because the base of the dish is already built; many will pick them out.
Common Mistakes Indians Make With Lao Food
Assuming “vegetable fried rice” is safe. It almost never is. Lao fried rice uses fish sauce in the wok and often shrimp paste in the seasoning. Always specify “bo sai nam pa, bo sai kapi” when you order.
Trusting the English menu. Lao English menus translate “vegetable” dishes liberally. A “vegetable soup” can be a chicken-broth soup with vegetables floating in it. Ask before you order, especially at small local places.
Eating at empty restaurants. Lao restaurants with no customers often have food sitting out longer than busier spots. Turnover matters more than menu labels for safety.
Skipping the night market for “real food.” The Vientiane night market is one of the best food experiences in the country, and most stalls have vegetarian options marked. Our Vientiane street food and night market guide covers which stalls to prioritize.
Drinking the water. Bottled water is cheap (₹17 (~4,000 LAK or ~$0.18)) and available everywhere. The ice in drinks at proper restaurants is fine, but if a street stall is serving ice from an unknown source, skip it.
Food Safety Basics in Laos
Laos has fewer stomach issues than India for most travellers, but it’s not Thailand or Singapore. A few rules keep you out of trouble.
Drink only bottled or filtered water. Bottled water is ₹17 (~4,000 LAK or ~$0.18) anywhere. Avoid tap water even for brushing teeth if you have a sensitive stomach.
Eat at busy stalls. Turnover is your friend. A stall with no customers at 7pm is cooking food that’s been sitting since lunch. A stall with a queue at 7pm is cooking food fresh.
Skip raw vegetables unless you’ve peeled them yourself. Salads at tourist restaurants are usually fine (they wash in treated water), but street-stall raw greens are a coin flip.
Carry ORS. Available at any pharmacy for under ₹43 (~10,000 LAK or ~$0.45). If you do get sick, rehydration matters more than medicine.
Wash your hands or use sanitizer before eating, especially after tuk-tuk rides and market browsing.
Getting Connected
You will want Google Maps, Google Translate, and a translation app working the moment you land, because most Indian restaurants in smaller Lao towns aren’t on Google Maps with accurate locations. A local SIM is ₹129-₹215 (~30,000-50,000 LAK or ~$1.34-$2.23) for a week with Unitel or Lao Telecom, with data more than enough for translation and Maps.
For travellers who’d rather skip the airport SIM counter, the eSIM option works the moment you land and doesn’t require a passport swap: Get Nomad eSIM. One-time data packs from 1 GB to 50 GB, covers Laos and the rest of your Southeast Asia loop.
Sample Daily Food Budget in Laos
If you’re mixing Indian meals with Lao street food, your realistic daily food spend in 2026 is:
| Item | Price | INR |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast: khao niao + jeow from a market stall | ₹64 (~15,000 LAK or ~$0.67) | ₹65 (~$0.67) |
| Lunch: laap with tofu at a local restaurant | ₹129 (~30,000 LAK or ~$1.34) | ₹130 (~$1.35) |
| Dinner: thali at an Indian restaurant | ₹344 (~80,000 LAK or ~$3.57) | ₹345 (~$3.58) |
| Two bottled waters | ₹34 (~8,000 LAK or ~$0.36) | ₹35 (~$0.36) |
| One Beerlao or fresh coffee | ₹43-₹86 (~10,000-20,000 LAK or ~$0.45-$0.89) | ₹45-₹85 (~$0.47-$0.88) |
| Daily total | 143,000-163,000 LAK | ₹620-705 |
At current rates, 1 INR ≈ 232 LAK right now (1,000 LAK ≈ ₹4.31). That makes Laos one of the cheaper food destinations in Southeast Asia, even with the Indian-restaurant markup.
If you’re mixing in tours and experiences, like a cooking class or food tour, See Laos food tours on GetYourGuide is a starting point for booking.
Quick Reference: Indian Restaurants by City
| City | Indian options | Best pick | Thali price (LAK) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luang Prabang | 4+ reliable spots | M&M Restaurant (4.8) | 70,000-100,000 |
| Vientiane | 1-2 reliable spots | Doi Ka Noi / Taj Mahal | 80,000-120,000 |
| Vang Vieng | 1-2 scattered spots | Guesthouse Indian kitchen | 70,000-100,000 |
| Pakse | 1-2 spots + night market | Delhiwala / Maharaja | 60,000-90,000 |
| 4000 Islands (Don Det) | None reliable | Learn the phrases | N/A |
Subodh’s Take
Here’s the honest version: Laos is not Thailand or Vietnam for Indian food. The selection is thinner, the prices are higher, and the consistency is more variable. But Luang Prabang, where most Indian travellers spend 2-4 nights, has four solid halal spots that fix any dal-chawal craving within a 10-minute walk. For the rest of the country, learn the four phrases above, lean on Lao food (which is genuinely excellent once you stop looking for Indian standbys), and treat Indian restaurants as the backup, not the plan. You’ll eat better and cheaper than the travellers who hunt for chapati in Don Det.
FAQ
Are Indian restaurants in Laos expensive?
Yes, noticeably more than Thai or Vietnamese Indian food. A thali runs ₹301-₹515 (~70,000-120,000 LAK or ~$3.12-$5.35) compared to ₹230-₹430 (~$2.39-$4.46) for a similar meal in Bangkok or Chiang Mai. The Lao Indian scene is small enough that prices haven’t compressed the way they have in bigger markets.
Is Indian food in Luang Prabang halal?
Yes, all four of the main Indian restaurants in Luang Prabang are halal. M&M, Fathima, Chennai Restaurant, and Nisha all serve halal meat, which makes them safe for Muslim travellers and a clearer choice for anyone worried about meat sourcing.
Can vegetarians eat at Lao restaurants safely?
Yes, but you need the phrases. Sticky rice with jeow, khao soi with tofu, laap with mushrooms, and morning glory stir-fry are all vegetarian or easily made vegetarian. The key phrases are “jay” (vegan), “bo sai nam pa” (no fish sauce), and “bo sai kapi” (no shrimp paste).
Is there Indian food in Vientiane?
Yes, but fewer options than Luang Prabang and the names shift. Ask your guesthouse on the day you arrive. Most Vientiane Indian restaurants serve a mix of North Indian with a few South Indian dishes, with thalis in the ₹344-₹515 (~80,000-120,000 LAK or ~$3.57-$5.35) range.
Can you get Jain food in Laos?
Difficult but possible. The base Lao kitchen uses less onion and garlic than Indian kitchens, so ordering “bo sai hua pak thiam, bo sai hua pak tien” (no onion, no garlic) at Indian restaurants often works. Strict Jain travellers should plan around Luang Prabang’s Indian spots and communicate clearly.
What’s the cheapest way to eat in Laos as an Indian traveller?
Stick to Lao street food with the phrases. A full meal of sticky rice with jeow and a vegetable stir-fry runs ₹129-₹193 (~30,000-45,000 LAK or ~$1.34-$2.01), which is a fraction of any Indian restaurant thali. Save the Indian meals for when you genuinely need them.
Do Indian restaurants in Laos accept cards?
Most don’t. Bring cash in LAK. The Indian restaurants in Luang Prabang are small family-run places and cash-only is the norm. ATMs are available in every town.
