Best Vietnamese Restaurants in Lower East Side (10002)
5 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: January 2026
Our Top Pick
Mắm
A hyper-focused Central Vietnamese menu with dishes rarely seen elsewhere in NYC.
Notable Picks
#1
Mắm
8.9
Mắm is a tiny Lower East Side spot specializing in Central Vietnamese street food, known for intensely funky, layered flavors and a short, constantly changing menu. Opened in 2022 and now ranked among the New York Times’ best restaurants in the city, it’s where serious diners come for bún đậu mắm tôm, snails, and offal-driven plates that rarely show up elsewhere in Manhattan.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bún đậu mắm tôm platter with housemade tofu and pork belly, Stuffed snails with pork and aromatics, Crispy tofu and fermented shrimp paste bites
What makes it special: A hyper-focused Central Vietnamese menu with dishes rarely seen elsewhere in NYC.
8.6
Saigon Social is Chef Helen Nguyen’s modern Vietnamese comfort-food restaurant, where garlic noodles, oxtail fried rice, and bun cha–inspired plates anchor lively, reservation-friendly dinners. Locals use it for nights when they want Vietnamese flavors with cocktails, polished service, and a dining room that feels more like a downtown bistro than a traditional pho shop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Garlic noodles with seared protein, Oxtail fried rice, Bun Cha Ha Noi with grilled pork and herbs
What makes it special: Chef-driven Vietnamese comfort food with strong cocktails and a lively downtown room.
Nam Son is a long-running Grand Street institution where big bowls of pho, rice plates, and family-style dishes come out fast in a bright, tightly packed dining room. With hundreds of reviews over many years and a loyal following, it’s a default option for groups who want classic Vietnamese combos at fair prices in the Chinatown–LES borderlands.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho bò with eye round and brisket, Gỏi cuốn (shrimp and pork summer rolls), Shaking beef over rice or watercress
What makes it special: A high-volume pho house that has quietly fed neighborhood families for years.
#4
Pho Grand
8.2
Pho Grand is a longstanding Chinatown favorite where a sprawling menu covers multiple pho styles, fried appetizers, and rice dishes in a no-frills, always-busy room. With hundreds of reviews and steady traffic, it’s a go-to when you want a reliable bowl of beef noodle soup near the bridge.
Must-Try Dishes:
House pho with mixed beef cuts, Summer rolls with shrimp and herbs, Curry chicken over rice
What makes it special: A high-traffic pho specialist with a big menu and fast kitchen.
8.1
Sen Saigon is a vegan and kosher Vietnamese restaurant on East Broadway where Chef An Nguyen Hawks reworks the dishes she grew up with into fully plant-based pho, cơm, and bánh mì. It has quickly become a destination for diners who want Vietnamese flavors with a lighter, vegetable-forward approach in the heart of the Lower East Side.
Must-Try Dishes:
Vegan pho with aromatic vegetable broth, Plant-based bánh mì with house-made fillings, Rice plates with marinated tofu and seasonal vegetables
What makes it special: NYC’s only fully vegan, kosher Vietnamese spot, led by a Vietnam-born chef.