Ninh Binh has its own delicious specialities, and eating here is cheap, most local meals cost just $1.20-$2.40. Here's what to try and where to learn more.
For a full rundown, see the food guides at Hoa Lu Tourism and Visit Hoa Lu.
Tam Coc village has the widest choice of traveller-friendly restaurants; homestays often serve excellent home-cooked dinners worth staying in for. Venture to a local quan for the best goat and crispy rice. And if you fancy something familiar after a long day, Ninh Binh Pizza delivers hot pizza straight to your hotel or homestay.
A cooking class is one of the nicest ways to spend an afternoon, or a rainy day, in Ninh Binh. You cook a full Vietnamese meal with a local host, from spring rolls to bun cha, and then eat it together. Classes are private for your own group and take one to two hours, in a garden by the water in Tam Coc, a family kitchen in the countryside or with a trained chef.
👩🍳 Cook with a local host. Pick your host, menu and time online and you are confirmed straight away. From 380,000 VND (about US$15) per person for the vegetarian menu, all ingredients and the meal included, plus a free recipe book afterwards.
Note for travellers: goat is the local pride, but if it's not for you, every restaurant has plenty of vegetarian, noodle and rice options. Tap water isn't drinkable, stick to bottled or filtered (more tips).