A Food & Drink Guide to Hanoi, Vietnam
everywhere we ate & drank in the vietnamese capital!
Hello friends! Happy Sunday! Welcome to the latest edition of my Vietnam based travel posts: A Food & Drink Guide to Hanoi, Vietnam! I’m so excited to be sharing this guide - my first foodie-centric one from our trip! - because holy moly, we ate so well in Hanoi! In case you missed it, this is the companion piece of sorts to my Four Days in Hanoi, Vietnam post, except this one will deal exclusively with all things edible and delicious! You might remember that we ventured down the road of food-&-drink-only-guides for the first time earlier this year - Kyoto / Osaka - and I’m so excited to be adding some Vietnamese cities to that list! Shall we get into it?
For ease, I’ve divided the ginormous list of eateries/drinkeries listed below into the following categories: where we had coffee & pastries, where we ate, and where we drank. Naturally, the where we ate section is further broken down into bánh mì / phở / ice cream & doughnuts, and the where we drank section is divided into beer / cocktails. Sorry, but the Virgo in me just loves to sub-categorize everything!
Enjoy!
where we had coffee & pastries
An An Coffee // located along the tracks at Train Street, this was our first ever taste of Vietnamese coffee. Husband opted for a hot black coffee, while I dove straight in and went for a hot egg coffee; both were good, but wow Vietnamese coffee takes a minute to get used to! The black was so sweet and super strong, it was honestly like a kick in the face after our long 18-hour travel day. The egg coffee was foamy, not too eggy or sweet, and overall quite tasty! The real draw about this place is obviously being sat right on the tracks at train time, but we also really enjoyed just sitting and people-watching for a while — but maybe that was the jetlag kicking in? Address: 5 P. Trần Phú, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Cafe Giảng // a Hanoi institution! This hidden gem - no literally, it is so hard to find the tiny door entrance to this spot! - is the birthplace of the world-famous Vietnamese egg coffee, and, *spoiler alert*, it totally lives up to the hype! I don’t know if you can really tell from the photo above, but the egg coffee I had here was unlike any I’d had elsewhere: super creamy, perfectly sweetened, not at all eggy tasting, and delightfully cold thanks to the tiny pebbles of ice piled high in my glass. It was so good! Husband was egg coffee-ed out by this stage, so he opted for a refreshing glass of iced chocolate milk, which was a real sleeper hit! A must visit! Address: 39 P. Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Cafe Phố Cổ // I genuinely have no idea how we found this place, but I’m so glad we did - it’s such a cool spot overlooking Hoàn Kiếm Lake! Literally hidden at the back of a fabric store, looking for a seat here feels like something out of a video game. You keep going up, up, up the most uneven rickety stairs, and finally when you think you’re at the top and happy to sit and stop exercising in the crazy humidity, there’s one last (wibbly) spiral staircase that leads out onto the rooftop — it’s insane! The staff must have buns of steel, because I cannot imagine the pain of ferrying coffees up and down all day, but fun for a visit! Our iced black coffees were strong & punchy, the view over the lake was fab, but the breeze on our necks was the best of all. Would recommend. Address: 11 P. Hàng Gai, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Tiệm bánh Triều Patisserie // on the hunt for pastries, Husband did some solid research and found this cute nook for breakfast in Hanoi. More of a European style spot, we both had an americano, and shared three pastries between us: a plain croissant, an almond croissant, and the daily special, a chocolate painted croissant; everything was so good! The coffee was delicious, and the pastries were delightfully buttery, light, and flavourful. Predictably, my fave was the almond croissant, but the chocolate painted one was a very close second! Would warmly recommend. Address: 23 P. Hàng Nón, Hàng Gai, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Tranquil Books & Coffee - 19 Cao Bá Quát // my favourite coffee experience in Hanoi! A bloody nightmare to find - located along an insanely busy street overflowing with sidewalk mechanics, barking dogs, broken roads and footpaths, mopeds zooming all around - turning into the courtyard of this cafe was one of the most tranquil moments we experienced in Vietnam; how apt! I had a cappuccino, Husband had an americano, and together we devoured a croissant and pain au chocolat; everything was delicious! The coffees were strong, and the pastries were suuper flaky! They have a few different locations around the city, but if you’re able to visit this exact one, there was truly something magical about it. A must visit. Address: 19 P. Cao Bá Quát, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Vivienne Cafe Restaurant // located right in front of St. Joseph’s Cathedral, this spot is a little overpriced and touristy, but we needed to pass some time before the cathedral opened in the afternoon. We sat upstairs to enjoy the leafy view over the cathedral plaza. I had an iced cappuccino, Husband had an americano, and while both were good, there was nothing special about the place. Address: Số 4 P. Ấu Triệu, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
where we ate
On to the goods: where we ate in Hanoi! Eating your way around a city is the best way to get to know it, and I will defy anyone who says otherwise — hence why this section is by far the longest!
Read on and enjoy, and apologies in advance if this makes your stomach grumble.
bánh mì
Banh Mi 25 // famous for a reason, we had the best bánh mì of our whole trip here! We both went for the classic Bánh mì Pâté Xá Xíu - BBQ pork with pâté - with all the trimmings: pickled carrot, sliced cucumber, chili, mayo, papaya, and coriander for Husband. Spoiler alert: they were amazing! The baguette was so fresh and crispy, the pork inside was smoky & tender, and the pâté was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before - so delicious! We enjoyed ours with some Hanoi beer and it was perfect! An absolute must visit. Address: 25 P. Hàng Cá, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Bánh mì Phố // a very close second to the above! We both ordered the bánh mì thịt xay nướng - grilled minced pork - with the same trimmings as above and sweet lord it was so! good! Piping hot, super juicy, crunchy, crispy, and tender in all the right places; aka, divine! Part of the deliciousness probably had something to do with how authentically Hanoian this experience was - passed over the counter hot from the oven, and devoured on tiny green plastic stools on the side of a very busy road - but still! It’s one of my favourite memories of the trip! Would recommend. Address: 64 P. Hàng Bông, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Bánh Mì Ngọc Thuốc // another solid choice, but third on this list for a reason. We mostly stopped in here because it was close to our hotel and jetlag was kicking our butts, but it was actually a very good bánh mì spot. We had a Bia Việt beer each, Husband went for the heo nướng bánh mì and I went rogue with a gà nướng bánh mì - grilled pork and grilled chicken thighs, respectively. Both were really very good! Light crunchy baguette, flavoursome filling, and perfect for a quick meal. Address: 100-C2 Tập thể, 34A P. Trần Phú, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
phở
Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư // widely regarded as the best phở spot in the city, this busy little restaurant has actually been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand title for quality and value! We queued for maybe 20-minutes before getting a seat, but both felt it was absolutely worth it! The menu is simple and straightforward, and Husband & I both went for tái bắp - beef fillet with noodles - and a bottle of Hanoi beer. Now, I’m not much of a phở girlie — but this was so good! The meat was tender, the broth was super flavourful, and the noodles were delightfully slurpy! A must visit. Address: 10 P. Lý Quốc Sư, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Phở Thìn 35 Hùng Vương // a solid second choice if you’re not bothered queueing at the above! We stopped here for a late lunch on our way home from the HCM Mausoleum, and we were literally the only non-Vietnamese people in the building, which is always a good sign! Again, we both opted for the same thing - well done beef phở and a Hanoi beer - and while there was nothing wrong with it, the phở just wasn’t as good as the above. That said, if you were in the area and looking for a bowl of phở, this is the place for you. Address: 35 Hùng Vương, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
dinner
Tầm vị // my favourite culinary experience of our whole trip — we loved it so much that we went back two nights in a row! The first night, we went pork crazy & shared: fried pork spring rolls, side-roasted pork, and five-spice pork stir fry. Friends, everything was AMAZZZINGG! Like, so far beyond delicious that we both essentially sat at the table moaning! The second night we barely resisted the urge to get the exact same meal again and branched out ever-so-slightly by getting the fried pork spring rolls, side-roasted pork, but this time with a side of stir-fried choy sum with garlic for health — everything was just as amazing as the night before! The crispiness of the pork spring rolls blew our minds, the flavour of the side-roasted pork was ON POINT, and everything was so tender and delicious. Added bonus: the restaurant - which, btdubz, has one Michelin star! - is housed in a quirky old teahouse and it’s! so! cute! Also! It’s exceptionally good value, especially for a restaurant with a star! On both nights our total bill, including alcohol, came to no more than €25! A must visit! Address: 4b P. Yên Thế, Văn Miếu, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Pizza 4P’s Bao Khanh // listen, sometimes you need a pizza no matter where you are and that’s just the way it is! In this case, we somehow lucked out and seem to have stumbled across one of the best pizza places maybe ever? A Japanese-Italian-fusion joint - I mean, come on, is that made for us or what?? - we had some genuinely life changing pizza here. We shared chicken karaage to start because IYKYK, and then shared a margherita and a soy garlic beef pizza for mains, all washed down with some Sapporo — everything was divine! My phone note from that night actually says ‘OMG BEST PIZZA EVER?’, and I still think that’s true! The karaage was perfectly crispy + juicy in all the right places, and it came with a kickin’ jalapeno salsa. The pizzas were wood-fired, the dough was thin & chewy, the flavours were insane - especially on the beef! - , and each pizza was inspected by a designated ‘crust checker’! It was so! good! A must visit! Address: 11B P. Báo Khánh, Alley, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
ice cream & doughnuts
Kem Trang Tien // one of the wackiest places I’ve ever been in my whole life. Walking through the laneway and entering into the world of this crazy ice cream parlor kind of felt like stepping into a Disneyland type of place? The music was insane, there were many different queues, and there were balloons and characters you could take photos with? All that aside, I thought my vanilla soft serve was pretty good! I mean, it gave me perhaps the worst brain-freeze I’ve ever had after I rammed the whole thing in my mouth to stop it melting everywhere, but that’s the risk of eating ice-cream! Would recommend. Address: 35 Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
LỊM DONUTS HANOI // such a solid doughnut spot! We sought LỊM out on our last day for some much needed sugar and it was so good! Husband went for their triple choco, I went for their apple strudel, and we both had a white coffee - everything was so good! The doughnuts were delightfully messy, stuffed to the brim with filling, and so tender and flavourful! Would recommend. Address: 21A P. Hàng Da, Phố cổ Hà Nội, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
where we drank
Everywhere* we stopped for a drink during our time in the city is listed below. You might notice a distinct lack of wine watering holes, and that’s not an accident - we didn’t have a drop the whole time we were in the country! We try to eat & drink local as much as possible when traveling, and while we saw loads of local beers, we didn’t once come across a local wine and weren’t fussed to have a glass of import. Sad, but beer goes much better with Vietnamese food anyways!
*well, everywhere except the rooftop bars at the two different hotels we stayed at. I mean, the hotel bars were nice enough - but the places listed below are far more worthy of your time. That said, if you’re interested in reading more about where we stayed, including their bars, click here.
beer
Bia hơi Số 9 Trần Phú - Lẩu bò // such a lovely locals-only spot! Husband was determined to try bia hơi - a ridiculously cheap fresh beer that’s brewed & consumed daily - and this is where we did that! We were literally the only non-locals there, but we loved it so much we went back a couple times! The bia hơi was mercifully cold and easy to drink, the free peanuts were a perk, the owner/staff were so friendly, and the ambiance was so surprisingly romantic! Be warned: all of the tiny spots on this street seem to have literally the exact same address so good luck finding this, but hopefully the above photo helps! Would very warmly recommend. Address: 9 P. Trần Phú, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
Odéon Bistro // a great option for watching the chaos of Train Street, without actually being on Train Street! Literally located overlooking the crossing where road and train-tracks merge, we had a prime seat on the sidewalk, watching them close the gates seconds before the train came and the insane traffic buildup - of cars / mopeds / bikes / cyclos / pedestrians / tour buses - that followed; it was wonderful! The bistro itself is cute, very French, and the Trúc Bạch beer was very good! Address: 5 P. Trần Phú, Điện Biên, Ba Đình, Hà Nội
cocktails
The Haflington // ranked The Best Bar in Vietnam 2024 and No. 47 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024, having a drink here was more than a little exciting! We both went off menu - Husband had a revolver and I had a whiskey sour - and yet our drinks were superb! Expertly whipped up by a smartly dressed bartender, they were perfectly strong, punchy, smooth, and every other complimentary word you can think of for a cocktail — namely, yum! The space of the bar is also very cool; inspired by the British Museum, there are fossil displays within the actual bar, and a dinosaur skeleton suspended from the ceiling! A must visit. Address: 94 P. Hàng Mã, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Polite & Co // no titles to speak of, but we enjoyed our drinks here just as much as at the above! We coincidentally visited during happy hour (😉), during which you get 2for1 cocktails, so we got to try a whole host of drinks: an old fashioned, a whiskey sour, a margarita, and an Oaxaca old fashioned. Everything was so good, but the classic old fashioned was the standout! Seeing as we were unexpectedly getting sloshed in the early evening, we also decided to share a mixed snack board of nuts, Gouda, and olives; it was so tasty! A must visit. Address: 5b Ng. Báo Khánh, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Bamboo Bar // located in the super fancy 5-star Sofitel Metropole Hotel, going for a drink here felt like it should be an event. The space was nice & swanky, the staff and service were impeccable, but we just didn’t feel like the drinks lived up to the hype. Husband had The Graham Greene cocktail - a gin martini with raspberry sorbet on the side that you add to taste for sweetness - and I had the Tonkin Express, which was kind of like a mash-up of an egg coffee & an espresso martini. We both thought the drinks were really nice, but nothing special — and at ₫310,000 each + 5% service charge and vat, they were sadly our most expensive and disappointing drinks of the trip. Maybe our opinion would’ve been different if we hadn’t already experienced the spots above? Address: 15 P. Ngô Quyền, Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
BEE’ZNEES 1920s // a fun speakeasy in the old quarter! We splashed our way through the torrential rain to get here, and then proceeded to spend the next few hours drying out at a window table overlooking Train Street; how idyllic! We had two cocktails each - a margarita & a cosmopolitan for me, and an old fashioned & 21st century for Husband - and each was as good as the next! The ambiance in the place was lovely & chill, the lighting was dark & moody, and they were playing our favourite Norah Jones album — fun! Address: 163 P. Phùng Hưng, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
And there we have it: A Food & Drink Guide to Hanoi, Vietnam! Every single place that we ate and drank at in Hanoi — phew, it sure was a lot! I hope you enjoyed it, and if you’re Hanoi-bound, I hope you found some good foodie inspiration for your trip! Clearly, we ate so well there!
Huế guide coming next week,
Vicki xo
*Date of trip: 7th - 11th, and 19th - 20th September, 2024*
related posts
Four Days in Hanoi, Vietnam
Two Weeks in Vietnam | Our Top Tips & Itinerary
Makes me want to do it all over again;) xo