Most visitors eat aboard their cruise boats, where meals are included in the package price. The food on better-quality cruises is surprisingly good — fresh seafood brought aboard daily, Vietnamese soups and stir-fries, spring rolls, and grilled fish. On budget boats, quality varies considerably.
On land, Cat Ba Island has the best dining options in the area. The waterfront in Cat Ba town has dozens of seafood restaurants where fresh crabs, prawns, scallops, and fish are displayed in tanks and sold by weight. The quality is generally good and the prices reasonable. Ha Long City, on the mainland, is a more commercial and less atmospheric place to eat, with most restaurants catering to tour groups.