Where to Go for a Drink During a Night Off in Vientiane
When you find yourself at Vientiane in the Laos capital and you’re in need of a night on the town, where do you go? This is the question that seasoned travelers and new arrivals alike ask when they want to make the most of the nightlife and meet new people in this exotic part of the world.
Thankfully, we have some useful suggestions to get you started.
Elephant Lounge, Crowne Plaza
When considering the bars in Vientiane, the Elephant Lounge cuts a different style in its ground floor lounge area. It’s all about the decadence as one would expect at this center of sophistication. Try a cocktail to dazzle your taste buds and sample some interesting tidbits to avoid getting too hungry before heading out for a late-night meal back in town.
Also, if you’re interested in blended whiskeys, then the lounge has their own bottles which are worth trying to see if they beat your favorite for flavor and aroma. Popular with whiskey lovers, friends who enjoy something more upmarket, and locals who like to expand their horizons and network, the Elephant Lounge is worth checking out.
Chok dee Café & Belgian Beer Bar
The Chok dee (meaning: good luck) café and bar is ideal for visitors who enjoy nothing more than downing a few beers of an evening. It opens at 5pm but gets busy later over at Quai Fa Ngum near the mighty Mekong river.
The claim to fame of this beer bar is its substantial range of foreign beers (over 40 at the last count) with the likes of Leffe, Guinness, and, of course, Beer Lao. The food isn’t half bad either with a choice of spring rolls, burgers, a selection of cheeses, mussels, steaks and more. Some of the meals are designed to not overwhelm your stomach, but merely to let the beer go down much easier. And who can argue with that? But if you pick through the menu, you can find more substantial offerings to have a good feed either in the afternoon or at night.
Samlo Pub
The Samlo Pub holds center stage in the middle of Setthathirat, on the main drag. It’s a classic pub with some unusual twists including pub games like pool. There are sports playing loudly on big screen TVs on the wall. The décor is colorful and not ostentatious. The pub pulls in a good mixture of locals, expats and tourists looking for something a bit different.
There’s a line a tuk-tuks outside waiting to take the inebriated home safely. Next door is a basic noodle soup restaurant that does a brisk business through to the wee hours. It offers tasty fare for low prices which keeps its table turns active. There’s also dim sum outside to eat in or take away. The M Point Mart convenience store a couple of doors down is open until midnight to stock up on basic essentials while passing through too.
Whatever your needs are for a beverage along with perhaps a snack or a full meal, Vientiane has you covered.
