Best Instagram Worthy Vietnamese Restaurants in Chicago
6 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen
Modern Vietnamese small plates with signature wings and crab fried rice in a polished room.
Notable Picks
8.6
A modern Vietnamese dining room in Pilsen that leans into shareable plates and bold, fish-sauce-forward flavors rather than a pho-only playbook. The kitchen’s best hits land with real wok char and punchy herbs—order a tight spread of a few signatures and let the table eat family-style.
Must-Try Dishes:
Fish sauce wings, Crab fried rice, Green papaya salad
What Makes it Special: Modern Vietnamese small plates with signature wings and crab fried rice in a polished room.
8.6
Vibes:
Group Dining Gatherings
Family Friendly Favorites
Instagram Worthy Wonders
Quick Bites Champions
Joy Yee Noodle’s Chinatown flagship is a high-volume pan-Asian stalwart where Thai noodle dishes share the stage with a sprawling menu and one of the city’s largest bubble tea lineups. Since the mid-1990s, it’s been a default stop for groups looking to combine Thai staples like pad thai and basil chow fun with smoothies and fruit freezes in the heart of Chinatown Square.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pad Thai Noodles, Thai Spicy Basil Chow Fun (Pad Kee Mao), Thai Milk Tea
What Makes it Special: Pan-Asian Chinatown institution where Thai noodles and an enormous drink menu anchor the experience.
8.6
Husband-wife duo Son Do and Chinh Pham bring elevated Saigon-style cooking to this bright Lakeview space, earning multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand recognitions. The kitchen emphasizes ingredient sourcing and technique, delivering dishes with layered flavors that reward slow, deliberate eating.
Must-Try Dishes:
Slap Yo Mama Crab Fried Rice, Shaking Beef with Bone Marrow Rice, Original Egg Rolls
What Makes it Special: Michelin Bib Gourmand Vietnamese from high school sweethearts who tell Saigon stories through every dish
#4
Pasteur
8.3
A polished Vietnamese-leaning dinner spot that works best as a paced, shareable meal rather than a maximalist order. Start with one starter and a bright salad, then pick one main that shows off the kitchen’s sauces and herbs.
Must-Try Dishes:
Pho, Shaking beef (bo luc lac), Fresh spring rolls (goi cuon)
What Makes it Special: Vietnamese flavors in a date-night-ready room with a cocktail-friendly rhythm.
8.1
A Pilsen cafe that blends Vietnamese coffee drinks with a tight menu of pho, bánh mì, and cravey wings that skew salty-sweet with fish sauce. It’s strongest as a casual, counter-leaning meal: one bowl or sandwich, one wing order, then a coffee to finish.
Must-Try Dishes:
Beef pho, Fish sauce wings, Lemongrass pork bánh mì
What Makes it Special: Vietnamese coffee and fish-sauce-wing energy paired with legit pho and bánh mì.
8
A smaller Argyle dining room that leans into Central Vietnamese specialties and strong coffee drinks. It’s best when you anchor the table with mi Quang or another regional noodle, then add one snacky plate to share.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mi Quang, Banh khot, Egg coffee
What Makes it Special: Central Vietnam dishes (especially mi Quang) plus serious coffee program.