Nyaung U, Old and New Bagan Myanmar – Best Places to Eat

We were left a little disappointed by the foodie options in Bagan, especially when compared to the vibrant scenes of Mandalay and Yangon and the Shan flavours on hand in Inle Lake. As the area has developed primarily for tourists much of the food is overpriced for what you get and many of the restaurants are no more than average at best.

Western & International food

The benefits of this are that there are a lot of options for people who are looking for European and western food. Most restaurants will have a decent section of the menu devoted to international food whilst some only serve Western dishes. Expect to pay from around USD6 upwards for a basic meal of pasta or pizza that's of reasonable quality.

A good option is Sharkys which is located on the main road from Nyaung U to Old Bagan and has an extensive pizza option but which is fairly expensive. The roads between Nyaung U, Old Bagan and New Bagan offer just about any type of cuisine you could want for reasonable prices.

Street food

For cheap options and street food where you can enjoy meals like traditional barbecue skewers, noodle dishes and tea leaf salads it's best to try one of the small traditional eateries or the many market stalls in Nyaung U.

These are obvious by the many Burmese people who will be drinking coffee and eating typical noodle dishes. Here you can enjoy a meal from just USD1-2 and try some delicious local dishes.

Another bonus is that they open very early, meaning you can even grab a coffee before you head off to catch sunset at your Pagoda of choice – a real bonus on those early mornings!

Burmese food

Burmese food in Bagan includes Monhinkha spicy fish broth and tamarind leaf salad, both of which are worth trying. We found the best mid range restaurant for Burmese dishes was Shwe Moe in Nyaung U, where we ate several times. It's a simple family owned place with tasty food for prices under USD5 and cheap beers.

Another item you'll see on many local menus is toddy palm juice which is produced in the area from the many toddy palm trees. This can be enjoyed in its natural form as a sweet juice of brewed into a kind of beer. You'll see small stalls outside the larger temples using various contraptions to squeeze the juice from the palms to make this interesting local drink.

Sarabha seem to have a little monopoly of the area on the approach to Old Bagan from Nyaung U and feature prominently on most of the maps that are distributed. Almost all the people we met had eaten at one of their three outlets that serve everything from classic Burmese to Western food. Prices are mid range and the food is tasty so it's a good stop off to enjoy more traditional dishes. Expect to pay USD2-3 for a simple meal of rice and vegetables and around USD5-6 for something more elaborate.

Coffeehouses & cafes

There are many places to stop off and enjoy a coffee to break up the day. Be careful to choose somewhere that has a proper coffee machine as you may otherwise find yourself presented with a cup of hot water and a sachet of 3 in 1 Nescafe!

In Nyaung U the best coffee shop is Cafe Bagan which does great breakfasts and good coffee as well as offering free wifi that's reasonably decent. They're also quite relaxed if you want to stay there a while and take a break from exploring temples, making it a good place to catch up on emails or plan the next part of your trip.