Dalat is a charming mountainous city in Vietnam, well-loved for its cool breeze and mild climate with an average temperature of around 20°C. The city is accessible by direct flights from Kuala Lumpur via AirAsia, or by land from other parts of Vietnam, making it a fairly easy getaway spot. Known for its natural beauty and slower pace of life, Dalat is an ideal destination for travelers who appreciate scenic landscapes, flower gardens, and tranquil surroundings. Unlike the bustling coastal cities, Dalat offers a quieter escape—perfect for those seeking a peaceful retreat away from the crowds.
1) Com Lam- Ga Nuong Tay Nguyen
Business Hours: 9 am to 9 pm. Opens Daily.
Vietnamese Lemongrass Grilled Chicken with Glutinous Rice (VND 210,000/ half bird)
Chicken Skewer (VND 17,000 each)
Complimentary Pickled Cucumber
A popular and must-try local delicacy in Dalat- Com Lam Ga Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Chicken with Glutinous Rice). You can find it in any parts of Dalat but this particular place specializes in serving this dish. It opens as early as 9 am and the crowd starts to flood in before noon. The Grilled Chicken is first marinated with Lemongrass so it has this herbaceous aroma in it. Lightly seasoned but the texture is somewhat dry. The locals often enjoy the Grilled Chicken with a unique Chili dip (which can be very hot to some). The Glutinous Rice is grilled and cooked in Bamboo but unseasoned. The right way to enjoy is to dip with spiced Salt. Not a bad experience and definitely something special.
2) Oh Ngon Qua Banh Cuon
Business Hours: 6 am to 8 pm. Opens Daily.
Vietnamese Rice Rolls with Prawn Roe (VND 50,000)
Vietnamese Rice Rolls with Crab Sticks (VND 45,000)
Banh Cuon- Vietnamese Rice Rolls... resembles the Cantonese Chee Cheong Fun, is not unique to Dalat but if you are up for something light and easy on the palate, Oh Ngon Qua Banh Cuon is probably one of your best bets. Rice rolls are steamed to order but generally, Pork is included. Skip this place if your diet does not allow Pork to be included. Classic ones are available but we opted for something new- with Prawn Roe (Ebiko) and Crab Stick. The rice rolls are to be enjoyed with the Vietnamese Fish Sauce dips, together with Sprouts and fresh Herbs. Nothing overly exciting but this is something that we can definitely relate to.
3) Tiem Cafe- Specialty Coffee and Roastery
Business Hours: 7 am to 7 pm. Opens Daily.
House Blend Matcha Latte (VND 80,000)
Banh Tiramisu (VND 100,000)
Dalat is known as a mountainous city blessed for its countryside charm and one of the best ways to enjoy Dalat will be to spend a leisure afternoon enjoying a cup of Joe while looking at the breath-taking view. Tiem Cafe is one of the cafes that offer such view in Dalat, it is approximately 15-min drive away from Dalat city and deep in the residential neighborhood. Grab does not drop you right in front of the cafe, due to the nature of the narrow entrance, you will need to walk for a little less than 5 mins to reach this place. You will then be rewarded with an amazing view, which you can complement with either Vietnamese Coffee or in our case, we opted for Matcha Latte and their homemade Tiramisu. You can also take plenty of amazing photos given the natural sunlight.
4) Dalat Market/ Cho Dalat/ Night Market
Dalat Market is definitely a must-visit spot in Dalat. During the day, the place gathers vendors selling fresh produce. They would scattered around the building while the ones inside are selling dried goods like Nuts, pickled stuff. On the upper floor, you will find vendors selling apparels but do not expect to find sports tees here. They are usually winter clothing, jackets, wind-breakers or cardigans. There are some shoes as well but generally... thick outerwear.
In the evening, the place is turned into a vibrant Night Market with an amazing crowd. There are vendors selling apparels as well as street food. You can find various Vietnamese street food here but the popular ones are the Vietnamese Rice Paper Pizza. There is also this steamed Glutinous Rice served with sweet syrup and nuts too. Suggest to visit this place during both daytime and evening, the vibe is totally different.
5) Dalat Pho
Business Hours: 9:30 am to 9:30 pm. Opens Daily.
Vietnamese Braised Fish with Rice (VND 99,000)
Chicken and Boiled Egg Spring Rolls (VND 69,000/ small)
Avocado Smoothie (VND 49,000)
Ironically, this restaurant with a name Dalat Pho... does not serve Pho on its menu. It has a Vietnamese home-cooked menu, featuring some basic homecooked dishes. The environment is cozy with a lot of Vietnamese knick-knacks. It requires approximately 10-min walk from the Dalat Night Market. We had the Vietnamese Braised Fish- which was good. The sauce carried a sleek sweetness and went well with the rice; something that my Chinese tastebuds can relate to. Nothing spectacular- but great service (the servers speak basic English and they have an English menu), reasonable prices and decent quality.
6) Lau Ga La E Nhan Quan
Business Hours: 10 am to 11 pm. Opens Daily.
Lau Ga La E/ Vietnamese Chicken Stew with Lemon Basil Leaves (VND 200,000/ small)
Shrimp Spring Rolls (VND 130,000)
A region-specific delicacy, the Vietnamese Chicken Stew is a common yet favorite delicacy by the locals. It can be found in many restaurants in Dalat. The broth has a good meaty flavor with Bamboo Shoots, Bird's Eye Chilies and various Herbs. It is quite an exquisite flavor-combo. It took us a while to get used to the taste, it has a sleek acidity, spicy and that unique flavor profile from Bamboo shoots. Vermicelli Noodles will be served to go with the broth; for the dip- it will be spiced Salt with Calamansi. This particular restaurant is within walking distance from the Dalat Night Market.
7) CHAM Cafe and Kem Bo Dalat
Business Hours: 7:30 am to 10 pm. Opens Daily.
Avocado Ice Cream with 4 toppings (VND 65,000)
Toast with Avocado Ice Cream (VND 75,000)
Said to be Dalat's No. 1 Avocado Ice Cream brand- CHAM draws an amazing crowd every night (we passed by this place every single night as we headed back to Mercure Dalat Resort). It is probably the most convenient and smartest way to enjoy local Dalat Avocado Ice Cream. CHAM has presence in various locations in Dalat, including the city center (walking distance from the Dalat Market) as well as Go! Dalat. The signature Avocado Ice Cream with 4 toppings will be your best bet- it has fresh Avocado paste, dried Coconut, fresh Cream and some bread crumbs. The flavor-combo is beyond amazing and packs a powerful Avocado-punch. Let's put it this way- if you enjoy Avocado, it is almost guaranteed that you will like this. Skip the Toast though, nothing out of the ordinary.
8) Dalat Railway Station
Business Hours: 7 am to 5 pm. Opens Daily.
Entrance Fee: VND 50,000/ pax
Less than 3 min drive away from Mercure Dalat Resort, the Dalat Railway Station is a charming colonial-era landmark with its quirky French design. There is not much to see here but more for the historical side of Dalat and old-school trains in display. Even though the station is small, the vintage vibe made it a fun little stop. If you have the time- check out the small cafes housed in the trains. You can get some really cool pictures out of it.
9) Lien Hoe Bakery
Business Hours: 5 am to 12 am. Opens Daily.
Chicken Banh Mi (VND 25,000)
Grilled Pork Banh Mi (VND 25,000)
One of the busiest breakfast spots in Dalat city will be Lien Hoa Bakery, an old-school bakery that withstood the test of time. This is also the go-to place for locals for a quick and inexpensive breakfast fix. Not only that they are famous for their Banh Mi but their freshly baked bread, pastries and local snacks too. They have a big list when it comes to Banh Mi filling- from the traditional ones to the those with a modern touch... unbelievably affordable at VND 25,000 (around RM4) each. There's a space on the upper floor dedicated for guests to dine-in. Simply grab your Banh Mi and enjoy from there. We also took some of their Dalat Yogurt and Milk to complement with the Banh Mi. A very delicious and satisfying breakfast that costs a little less than RM10 per pax.
10) Crazy House
Business Hours: 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. Opens Daily.
Entrance Fee: VND 80,000/ pax
One of Dalat’s most iconic attractions is the Crazy House (Hang Nga Guesthouse), a surreal architectural marvel designed to resemble a fairytale treehouse. The location is a little off the beaten track so the best way to travel there will be via Grab. The pull factor of this place is the architecture and the excitement to try out different paths not knowing where it leads to. It is fun but scary at the same time- especially for those who have fear of heights. Yours truly did not enjoy this place for the very same reason.
Where To Stay?
Mercure Dalat Resort
Mercure Dalat Resort is definitely one of the prettiest Mercure hotels in Asia Pacific. The resort has many Villas and offers an European vibe. With the average temperature of 20'C, the whole experience is just beyond amazing... you would not believe that you are in Vietnam. The resort's location is around 10 min drive from the city center but in return, you get this serene-quiet environment. The resort is huge and depending on the location where you will be staying (some villas can be quite far from the concierge), there are buggies around chauffeuring hotel guests.
The resort has good facilities (like all Mercure hotels do), including but not limited to Gym and Swimming Pool. The Gym is fairly small with a couple of treadmills and some weight-lifting equipment. The Swimming Pool is fine but due to the weather, the water gets a little too chilly especially in the mornings and evenings; it is not a warm water pool.
For rooms- they are all equipped with full amenities. If possible, try to get those with private balcony. It is definitely a wonderful moment to enjoy the breeze at the balcony while trying to read some books. We must say that we could not enjoy Dalat more thanks to our 3-night stay in Mercure Dalat Resort. For your benchmarking- we paid a little less than RM400 per night per room, excluding breakfast.
Huge Comfortable Bed
Amenities
Sofa and Television
Bathroom
Bathroom Amenities
Welcome Platter
Gym
Children's Playground
Swimming Pool
Compound and Surroundings of Mercure Dalat Resort
Lobby and Check In Concierge of Mercure Dalat Resort
Breakfast Buffet- VND 399,000 per pax
Complete your stay in Mercure Dalat Resort by enjoying their Breakfast Buffet. Our room did not include the daily breakfast but we topped up to enjoy on one of those days. We were glad that we did so. The breakfast spread includes a good range of both Vietnamese and International delights, from the usual International spread (Egg-Ham-Toast, Salad, Pastries) to local Vietnamese favorites like Banh Mi, Vietnamese Noodles and stir fries. For beverages- on top of the healthy fresh fruit juices, guests are treated to Sparkling Wines too. For the prices- we thought they offer a good selection of breakfast items and offer great values in return.
Vietnamese Beef Noodles
Live Station- Vietnamese Beef Noodles and Eggs
Bacon
Cheese Platter and Yogurt
Appetizers and Cold Cuts
Vietnamese Banh Mi
Waffles and Pancakes
Bread and Pastries
Fresh Fruits
Fresh Fruit Juices
Sparkling Wine
Cereals and Milk
Have Fun Exploring Dalat!
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