This café-restaurant is run by the people behind L’Elephant and has a largely Western-inspired menu, including such French dishes as croque monsieur. With rustic wooden tables, ceiling fans and wicker chairs, Bat Vat Sene has a relaxed ambience and is a favorite spot for breakfast (it opens at 6:30 a.m.) and lunch.

This tiny bar, run by an artist, is a nice spot for a pre-dinner cocktail. The owners’ Hungarian roots are visible in such touches as the presence of Unicum liquor on the menu. The cozy spot is close to Tamarind and L’Elephant restaurants.

Located near the entrance of the night market, Joma is the kind of place where everyone seems to be working on a novel or blogging for Lonely Planet. It has delicious pastries, sandwiches, soups and salads, and a menu of coffee beverages that would make Starbucks jealous. Snag a table upstairs by one of the open windows that look out over Luang Prabang’s mix-and-match rooftops.

Considered the best in town, the menu has both French and Lao food. Not only is the décor charming but so is its setting at an intersection of two small twisting roads. We each had soup to begin: onion and cream of pumpkin with bergamot leaf–flavored coconut cream followed by si kry (lemon grass stuffed with pork – I couldn’t get enough of this dish with any filling!) and kranab pa (river fish stuffed with pork and herbs and grilled in a banana leaf). It was all delicious.

This charming breakfast spot, opposite Wat Sop and close to Xiengthong temple serves incredible croissants, pain au chocolat and chausson pomme. It’s the perfect place to spend an early morning, once the monks’ Tak Bat has passed.

Located in the Barlow complex in Sebastopol, Tamarind is an elegant clothing store that stocks boho-chic apparel, plus a great selection of fine jewelry.