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Most of the busier hotels have reasonably priced cafes, which get more popular as the weather worsens. There’s a string of popular restaurants worth checking out below the market on Tue Tinh Str as you head in the direction of Cat Cat village.

Baguette & Chocolat

Add: Thac Bac Str - Cakes 6000 - 15,000d - Breakfast, lunch & dinner

On a cold and wet day, this place is a welcome retreat for a warm cocoa and delectable gateaux. The menu keeps growing and now includes some Asian greatest hits for around 40,000d. Or indulge in comfort food from home, with pizzas, salads and baguettes. Takeaway picnics are a smart option for trekkers.

Nature Bar & Grill

Add: Pho Cau May - Meals 15,000-50,000 - breakfast, lunch & dinner

It’s easy to sink into the comfy furnishings and while away an afternoon or evening. The extensive menu includes authentic Vietnamese cuisine and a few Western exiles for good measure. Speaking of measures, they also shake up a good cocktail.

Vict Emotion

Tel: 872 559 – Add: 25 Pho Cau May - Mains 20,000-40,000d - Breakfast, lunch & dinner

A smart new cafe-restaurant on the main drag, this place has an original menu of specials, including goose. If that sounds too exotic, there are good shakes and more familiar food.

Gerbera Restaurant

Tel: 871064 - Pho Cau May - Mains from 20,000d - Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Set just a staircase above the main drag, this restaurant has an unending menu of Vietnamese favorites. From the upstairs panorama room, there are some great views over town and the mountains beyond.

Ly Ly Restaurant

Add: 36 Pho Cau May - Mains US$1-5 - Breakfast, lunch & dinner

It may not be obvious from the name, but this little eatery has morphed into the town’s first and only Indian restaurant. Curries, dhal, nan and lassis, it’s possible to indulge in a Mumbai masterclass here.

Gecko

Add: Ham Rong - Mains around US$ 5 - Lunch & dinner

The original French restaurant in Sapa, not counting the 1920s of course, this is authentically housed in old colonial-era property. The set menus are good value at just US$6 for something simple or US$10 for a banquet of Vietnamese cuisine. The bar is a possible retreat on a cold night.

Delta Restaurant

Tel: 871 799 - Pho Cau May - Mains US$5 - Lunch & dinner

The taste of Italy in Sapa, Delta turns out the most authentic pizzas in town. Pastas and ome-cooking complete the picture.

Tavan Restaurant

Tel: 871522 – Main US$4-12 - Lunch & dinner

The restaurant at the Victoria Sapa Hotel is one of the best in town, with a full complement of fine European food and the best in Asian fusion. Open to nonresidents, you can finish off with a local liqueur at the bar.