Pakse

SéSé Wine and Beer

A small French restaurant and wine bar in Pakse with French recipes, Belgian beer, selected French wine, cheese and charcuterie, and a crowd that mixes Lao regulars, expatriates and travellers.

90s Vintage Restaurant and Beer Garden

A lively Lao restaurant and beer garden on a small central Pakse street, with frequent live music, draft beer, outdoor seating and a rock-and-roll vintage interior that gives the place a real personality.

ITALAO Restaurant

A recent Italian restaurant in central Pakse where a strong Italian-Lao duo works the pizza station in full view of the street, backed by handmade dough, imported Italian products, pasta and a lot of personality.

Lao Burger

A tiny fixed street-food cart in central Pakse where a Vietnamese grandmother serves cheap Lao-style burgers and bánh mì from morning until early afternoon.

The Unexpected

My safest local-food bet in Pakse: a young family restaurant serving fresh Lao and Thai dishes on one of the city’s busiest everyday food streets.

La Boulange Garden

A traditional French bakery and garden restaurant on the quieter edge of Pakse, where serious bread and viennoiserie meet daily dishes, coffee, a small lake, pétanque and the kind of place that rewards staying for a while.

Amor Cafe

A polished central Pakse café with strong green-and-gold styling, comfortable banquettes, proper air conditioning and a small food menu alongside the coffee.

RYN Coffee

One of Pakse’s serious coffee addresses: a small original café with its roaster in view, excellent beans, a leafy interior, a strong local following and a cheesecake I make a point of mentioning.

Sabai ça Baille Guesthouse

A quiet, well-kept guesthouse just off central Pakse’s main road, with clean air-conditioned rooms, strong Wi-Fi and a relaxed courtyard.

Sanga Hostel

A remarkably polished central Pakse hostel with spotless dorms, a restaurant, strong practical services and an owner who seems able to solve almost anything.

Sanga Rooftop Hostel

The newer Sanga hostel in central Pakse, built around the same hands-on hospitality with comfortable dorm beds, a rooftop restaurant and bar, and a fresh first-season feel.

Bolaven Trail Guesthouse

A small, quiet Street 24 guesthouse with private air-conditioned rooms, secure scooter parking and a host whose motorbike knowledge opens up a different side of the Bolaven Plateau.

Samlee's Garden

A tiny Mekong-front guesthouse opposite Pakse night market, with unusually spacious private rooms, river views, a restaurant and a very hands-on local host.

Miss Noy Motorbike

My reference scooter-rental address in Pakse: Yves combines bikes with a daily 18:00 Bolaven Loop briefing, local advice and an unusually useful range of travel logistics from one counter.

Dao Heuang Market

Browse Dao Heuang Market for a grounded view of Pakse’s everyday trade, including southern Lao produce and coffee.

Getting there

Walk or short ride in Pakse

Duration

1–2 hours

Cost

Free

Best time

Morning