Da Nang Seafood Guide: Freshness, Price And Must-try Local Dishes

Da Nang, with its long coastline and bustling fishing ports, is Central Vietnam’s premier destination for fresh, affordable, and expertly prepared seafood. Dining here is a lively, choose-your-own-adventure experience where freshness is guaranteed. This is Vietnam Story’s guide to navigating the best seafood spots, dishes, and pricing in the city, ensuring a memorable and safe culinary experience.

Da Nang has many delicious seafood restaurants, from luxury restaurants to cheap beachside eateries.

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Where to find the freshest seafood in Da Nang?

The absolute epicenter of Da Nang’s vibrant seafood scene is the long stretch of Vo Nguyen Giap Street, which runs right alongside the beautiful My Khe Beach. The defining and most exciting feature of most of the top restaurants here is the live tank system. You don’t just order from a menu; you get to walk up to the large tanks filled with seawater and personally select your dinner while it is still swimming! This is where you’ll find the best and most popular seafood spots. Let’s look at our top recommendations.

Top-rated seafood restaurants

Restaurant name	Location/Vibe	Key features and dishes	Price segment
Bé Mặn Seafood	Located right on the My Khe Beach Road. It is a massive, bustling, open-air restaurant that is incredibly popular and very family-friendly.	This restaurant is so good it was recently recognized by the Michelin Guide. It is famous for its incredible live selection of crabs, giant snails, and geoduck. The atmosphere is loud, energetic, and authentically Vietnamese.	Mid-Range to Premium (You pay by weight)
Muối Biển Seafood	Also on the My Khe Beach Road.	This spot is highly recommended for its direct, beautiful ocean views. They specialize in premium items, and their famous Baked Lobster with Cheese is a true indulgence.	Mid-Range to Premium
Năm Đảnh Seafood	Tucked away in a local alleyway, away from the main tourist strip.	This is a true “hidden gem” and is famous among locals for its extremely affordable prices (many dishes are a fixed 60,000–100,000 VND) and wonderfully fresh quality. This is where you go for a budget-friendly and authentic local feast.	Budget-Friendly
Cua Biển / Lão Đại	These are large, spacious restaurants located near My Khe Beach.	These spots are great for groups and offer a wide variety of high-end choices like Abalone and Mantis Shrimp. The service and ambiance are excellent.	Mid-Range to Premium

The high-end and buffet options

Café Indochine (at the Furama Resort): For a truly high-end and luxurious seafood experience, this is the place to go. They offer a magnificent Seafood & Steak Buffet, where you can enjoy an unlimited amount of premium lobster, oysters, and high-quality steaks in a beautiful, elegant setting, often accompanied by traditional cultural performances. This is the perfect, upscale, fixed-price option for a special occasion.

The must-try local seafood specialties

From shrimp, crab, fish, scallops, to oysters, each option is meticulously preserved to guarantee top-notch quality for a memorable meal.

Our Vietnamese seafood preparations are all about highlighting the incredible freshness of the catch, using bold and fragrant seasonings like chili, lemongrass, garlic, and tamarind. When you are here, be adventurous and try some of our essential local flavors. Here are the dishes you must not miss.

Dish name (Vietnamese)	Description snd preparation	The essential local flavor to try
Ốc Hút (Spicy Snail)	These are small sea snails that are cooked in a spicy and fragrant broth of lemongrass, chili, and coconut.	This is a fun and interactive street food. The name literally means “Sucking Snail” because you use your mouth to suck the delicious meat right out of the shell!
Cua Rang Me (Tamarind Crab)	A whole sea crab is stir-fried in a rich, sticky, and incredibly delicious sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce.	The tangy and savory sauce is absolutely fantastic. Our local tip is to order a fresh on the side to soak up every last drop of the delicious excess sauce.
Sò Điệp Nướng Mỡ Hành	Fresh scallops are grilled over hot charcoal and then topped with a fragrant mixture of chopped scallion oil (mỡ hành) and crunchy crushed peanuts.	This is a simple but incredibly fragrant dish that perfectly emphasizes the natural sweetness of the fresh shellfish.
Gỏi Cá Nam Ô	This is a unique and rustic specialty from the nearby Nam O fishing village. Raw sardinella or herring is sliced very thin, marinated in special spices, and served with a big plate of fresh, wild herbs.	This is a dish for the adventurous palate, but it is a true taste of our local fishing heritage.
Lẩu Hải Sản (Seafood Hotpot)	This is a wonderful, communal dish. A simmering, often spicy and sour, broth is brought to your table, and you cook a platter packed with fresh shrimp, squid, clams, fish, and seasonal vegetables right at your table.	This is the perfect dish for groups and is especially comforting and delicious on a cool evening by the sea.

READ MORE: Da Nang local customs and etiquette: A cultural guide for Indian travelers

The seafood ordering masterclass: How to order like a local?

To ensure you have a fantastic experience and get a fair price, it is very important to follow this simple, three-step local system for ordering. This is the secret to getting the best seafood at the right price. Let me teach you how.

Price transparency

Price by weight: In almost all of these restaurants, the seafood is priced by weight (per kilogram or per 100 grams) while it is still alive in the tank, not by the finished dish. The price can vary dramatically depending on the type of seafood, its size, and the season.
Always ask first: This is our most important piece of advice. Before the staff takes your chosen seafood to the kitchen, you must always confirm the price per kilogram and the total weight. Ask them to show you the weight on the scale and tell you the final cost. This simple step prevents any surprises when the bill comes.
A simple language tip: To ask the price in Vietnamese, you can politely say: “Bao nhiêu một ký?” (pronounced Bao-nyoo-moht-kee?). This simply means, “How much for one kilo?”

The ordering process

Select your catch: The first and most fun step is to head straight to the live tanks. Point to the exact fish, crab, lobster, or shellfish that you want to eat.
Weighing: The staff will then catch your selection and weigh it in front of you, confirming the price with you before proceeding.
Choose your preparation: Now, you get to tell them how you want it cooked! Some common and delicious options are:
- Nướng (pronounced Noong) – Grilled (often simply with chili and salt, or with scallion oil).
- Hấp (pronounced Hup) – Steamed (a healthy option, often with ginger or lemongrass).
- Rang Me (pronounced Rahng Meh) – Stir-fried with our delicious Tamarind Sauce.
- Chiên Mắm (pronounced Cheen Mum) – Fried with a savory Fish Sauce.

Hygiene and safety tips

Stick to the busy spots: A restaurant that is crowded, especially with local families, is a very good sign. It means they have a high turnover of their stock, and the ingredients are incredibly fresh.
Look for the live tanks: For the absolute best and safest experience, only purchase the seafood that you have personally selected from a live, clean tank.

Markets, pairings and options for everyone

Tho Quang fishing portis the largest fishing port in Central Vietnam, located in Son Tra district, Da Nang city

Seafood markets (For the true early birds)

Thọ Quang Fishing Port: For the most adventurous, you can visit the main fishing port between 4 AM and 6 AM. This is when the fishing boats return with their hauls, and you can buy seafood directly from the fishermen at the lowest prices.
Local Hải Sản (Seafood) Markets: Smaller local markets like Man Thai Market are great places to see the variety of seafood available throughout the day.

Perfect pairings and local beverages

Bia Larue (The Green Bottle): This is the local Da Nang beer. It is light, crisp, and refreshing, and it is the perfect drink to cut through the rich flavors of grilled or tamarind-sauced seafood.
Fresh Juice: A glass of fresh sugarcane juice (nước mía) or coconut water is always a safe, healthy, and wonderfully refreshing pairing.

READ MORE: Helio Night Market: Da Nang’s ultimate food & entertainment hub

Considerations for family and non-seafood eaters

We know that not everyone in a group may be a seafood lover. Do not worry! Most of these large seafood restaurants will also offer a good selection of standard Vietnamese staples like Steamed Rice, Stir-Fried Morning Glory (Rau Muống), and sometimes even Phở (Noodle Soup). While dedicated vegetarian options are limited in these places, simple vegetable stir-fries or egg fried rice can almost always be requested.

Conclusion

A seafood meal in Da Nang is so much more than just a dinner, it is a vibrant, interactive, and truly authentic cultural experience. It is the excitement of choosing your own live crab from a bubbling tank, the smoky, fragrant aroma of fresh scallops grilling over hot charcoal, and the simple joy of sharing a delicious, communal hotpot with your family by the sea. This is the true taste of our coastal city, a delicious adventure that will engage all your senses and become one of the most memorable parts of your trip.

At Vietnam Story, our passion is to connect you with these kinds of authentic and joyful experiences. Let us guide you to the best local spots and help you navigate the ordering process like a true local. Contact us today, and let’s start planning a culinary journey that is as fresh and exciting as the seafood itself.