The story
Set within a beautifully recreated colonial Indochine mansion on Da Nang's Son Tra Peninsula, La Maison 1888 holds the distinction of being Central Vietnam's only Michelin-starred restaurant — a star it has retained for three consecutive years. The setting alone is remarkable: step in from the surrounding rainforest and find yourself transported to the joie de vivre of Paris, rendered in warm candlelight and layered with history.
The creative force at La Maison 1888 is Christian Le Squer, a venerated three-Michelin-star chef celebrated for his mastery of French haute cuisine. His own words capture the philosophy precisely: "Like perfume or fashion, my cuisine is haute couture — where tradition meets innovation, always with the elegance that defines haute cuisine." He fuses classical French techniques with modern creativity, fashioning flavours that combine tastes, textures, and colours with fresh seasonal ingredients. The restaurant's team describes him as a perfumer or couturier of the kitchen — a fitting image for a chef whose signature dish, Spaghetti Debout, features spaghetti arranged upright and filled with a luxurious black truffle cream, enhanced with black truffles and ham.
Dining here unfolds across several distinct spaces. La Veranda, the candlelit main restaurant on the ground floor, opens onto an expansive outdoor terrace. Upstairs, three private dining rooms each carry a personality of their own — one filled with travel paraphernalia, another styled as an Accountant's Room with antique adding machines, and a third conceived as a glamorous boudoir. Each is themed around fictional siblings said to have inhabited this historic house, giving the space a sense of narrative that goes well beyond décor.
The wine programme is equally serious. Wine Spectator has recognised La Maison 1888 with its Best of Award of Excellence continuously since 2018, and the cellar is widely regarded as the finest in Vietnam. The sommelier team hosts regular wine tasting sessions — Souvenirs de France — on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, pairing guests with some of France's most celebrated vintages.
Beyond its Michelin star, the restaurant has been named among CNN's Top 10 World's Best Restaurants, recognised by the World Travel Awards as the World's Leading Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant, and listed by Architectural Digest among the top ten most beautiful restaurants in the world. For French cuisine at this level, in this setting, Da Nang has become an unlikely but entirely convincing address.
Recognition
Ambience
Location