Best Vietnamese in Melbourne 2026: Footscray vs Springvale vs Richmond

If your Melbourne Vietnamese dinner plan is just “somewhere good”, you’ll waste half the night crossing town. Pick the precinct first: Footscray for pho and banh mi, Springvale for bun bo hue and groups, Richmond for central date-night Vietnamese.

The Verdict

Footscray is the best first pick if you only want one Melbourne Vietnamese precinct, with Pho Chu The on Hopkins Street as the safest one-venue answer. It gives you the cleanest version of the thing most people are actually chasing: fast, serious pho at A$14-A$18, close to the train, with enough turnover that lunch does not become a two-hour project. Hopkins Street also gives you the best backup plan in the same walk. If the pho queue is wrong, Hung Vuong Sandwiches at Little Saigon Market is there for a A$7-A$9 banh mi, Co Thu Quan is there for northern dishes like bun cha, cha ca and banh cuon, and Saigon City works when someone in the group wants a broader family dinner menu.

Springvale is the better decision for a south-east group in cars, especially if Co Do and bun bo hue are the point of the trip. Richmond is the better decision when you need to stay close to the CBD, want the 109 tram, or want Hanoi Hannah’s A$22-A$32 mains and cocktail-list energy instead of a quick noodle bowl. But for the one precinct that gives you price, access, history, and a proper spread of Vietnamese eating styles in a short walk, Footscray wins. Don’t treat “best Vietnamese in Melbourne” like a single restaurant ranking; you’ll end up picking the wrong suburb for the wrong night and wondering why dinner felt harder than it needed to.

Local Reality

Footscray works because Hopkins Street and Little Saigon Market are tight enough to walk properly. Footscray station puts you about four minutes from the strip, and the tram does the same job if you are coming from the inner west. Pho Chu The is the obvious anchor, but the real advantage is how close the alternatives sit: Hung Vuong Sandwiches for cheap banh mi, Co Thu Quan for northern Vietnamese, and Saigon City when the group needs a wider menu. The catch is Saturday lunch. Parking around Hopkins Street gets tight from about 12-1 pm, so drive in expecting a lap or two, or just take the train.

Springvale feels different. Around Buckingham Avenue, Springvale Road and Springvale Asian Market, the rooms are bigger, the menus stretch wider, and the parking is much less painful. Co Do Springvale is the move for bun bo hue: chilli beef, pork, blood jelly and a deeper savoury bowl than the safer pho order. Co Thu Quan Springvale gives you the northern-Vietnamese chain in a bigger room than Footscray, while Pho Dzung is a solid family-style pho option. Skip Springvale if you are starting near the CBD without a car and only want a quick bowl; Richmond or Footscray will make more sense. If you are west of Footscray station already, do not drive to Springvale just to prove a point.

Richmond’s Victoria Street is the inner-east classic because it is central. West Richmond station and the route 109 tram put you close, and Lennox or Church Street are the parking fallback. Pho Thin is the distinctive order here because the garlic-stirred beef pho changes the usual pho decision, while Hanoi Hannah is the modern Vietnamese room for a date-night version of the strip.

Who This Suits

If you are an inner-west local who wants the most reliable bowl, pick Pho Chu The on Hopkins Street. If you are hunting the cheapest serious banh mi, pick Hung Vuong Sandwiches at Little Saigon Market and keep the order simple. If you are a south-east family or a group of six arriving in two cars, pick Springvale and start with Co Do. If you are close to the CBD and need Vietnamese that still feels like a night out, pick Richmond and book Hanoi Hannah. If you are specifically curious about northern Vietnamese dishes, compare Co Thu Quan across Footscray, Springvale or Richmond rather than pretending all three precincts serve the same brief.

Cost stays friendly unless you choose the modern rooms. Pho Chu The and Pho Dzung sit around A$14-A$18 for pho, Co Do and Co Thu Quan mostly land around A$16-A$22, and Springvale Asian Market food court keeps noodle bowls around A$10-A$16. Saigon City pushes a broader family dinner into the A$16-A$24 main range. Hanoi Hannah is the outlier, with A$22-A$32 mains before drinks, which is fine if the point is date-night Richmond, not cheapest Vietnamese in Melbourne.

Time of day matters more than people admit. Footscray is best when you can walk from the station and avoid the Saturday lunch parking squeeze. Springvale is strongest for weekend family meals when free parking around Buckingham Avenue actually changes the night. Richmond is easiest after work or before something near the CBD, but Victoria Street parking can still be annoying. In winter, Co Do’s bun bo hue makes more sense; in a summer lunch window, Hung Vuong’s banh mi is the cleaner play.

What to Do Next

Start with Footscray unless your group or calendar says otherwise: Pho Chu The for pho, Hung Vuong for banh mi, Co Thu Quan for northern dishes. For another food-first suburb decision, read Footscray food guide.

Side by side

Sources: Time Out Melbourne best Vietnamese 2026, Urban List Melbourne best pho 2026, in-person sampling Q1 2026.