8 Best Restaurants in Myanmar

Enormously charming and truly unique in Mandalay, this pint-size, family-run café is near Mandalay's jetty, an area otherwise devoid of much in the way of dining. The sweet owner and his son speak English well and are passionate and knowledgeable about organic food, the environment, and the use of MSG. There are delicious Chinese-style pastries, some ice cream and, like manna from heaven, proper coffee, available in several variations including iced and even cappuccinos. On the savory side are traditional Shan noodles, which the locals eat for breakfast, house-made dumplings, and simple stir-fry dishes like chicken with rice and vegetables. 35th Street runs the length of downtown Mandalay, so be sure to indicate to whomever is driving you that you want to be near the jetty.

A charming little restaurant, Be Kind to Animals the Moon is constantly packed with ravenous temple-goers. The menu offers traditional Burmese dishes like a refreshing tea leaf salad alongside gussied-up backpacker staples. Dip papadums into a chutney and cool down with refreshing shakes or the restaurant's top-notch lime, ginger, and honey juice.

On New Bagan's restaurant row, Black Rose serves up Burmese, Thai, Indian, and Chinese food to tourists staying in the nearby hotels. Most dishes are quite mild, so tell your waiter if you like your food on the spicy side. The chicken curry is excellent. The restaurant owners, a husband-and-wife duo, speak English well and are on hand, but service is extremely slow. Order a drink to start and sip slowly while you wait for your food.

Of the cluster of restaurants just north of Ananda Temple, Golden Myanmar 1 and 2, owned by the same family, are the most popular with local drivers and guides, and offer the most authentic Burmese food. Sit down, smile expectantly, and dishes will begin appearing on your table faster than you can wash the grime from your face. Mutton, pork, and an array of chicken curries, fried fish, sautéed vegetables, Burmese salads (pickled tea leaf), and rice will leave you stuffed, but then dessert comes out—short, squat bananas and sweet little tamarind candies. The friendly staff will keep refilling your plates unless you say otherwise. The buffet is K3,000 per person, excluding drinks.

Inle Lake is unlikely to be your first stop in Myanmar, and so by this time a break from Burmese food is likely a top priority. Pancake Kingdom is a classic backpacker restaurant, with friendly service, inexpensive sweet and savory pancakes (really somewhere between crepes and American-style pancakes), Wi-Fi, and computers. Proximity to the docks, indoor and outdoor seating, and a general laid-back and quiet atmosphere make this popular with tourists looking for a little western flavor.

This diminutive, family-run space fills up quickly, and with good reason. Salads, which utilize pickled tea leaves, coriander, bits of chili, and other assorted delicious odds and ends, have great texture and go down nicely alongside the restaurant's curries. Round out the meal with a refreshing fruit plate and a chat with the friendly owner.

Burmese, Indian, and western dishes pack the vegetarian menu at this Sri Lankan family place. The all-day breakfast, with dishes like muesli and pancakes, are big with backpackers staying nearby, but most come here for lunch and dinner, snagging coveted seats on the upper-level balcony. The menu includes dal and curries (the pumpkin is the best), guacamole and eggplant dip, and tart, fresh tomato salad. Wash it all down with lassis or chocolate–peanut butter milk shakes. Service is friendly but there have been reports of bill discrepancies; check yours carefully.

Pull up a chair near one of the fans here and order an avocado shake to enjoy while you peruse the menu. Once you're finished, order another; you'll need something to cool your mouth down after a bite of the rice noodles in a fiery broth. Once your sinuses have been cleared, move on to the delectable grilled seafood; there's crab, oysters, prawns, squid, and shellfish to choose from, and all come to the table expertly charred.