Cha Ca Thang Long
Cha ca Thang Long serves only one dish – Cha Ca, and they serve it well. It is a speciality of Hanoi, and there is no doubt that it is a must-try dish when visiting the capital of Vietnam. It is made from Hemibagarus (Ca Lang), a species of catfish. Fish is seasoned with turmeric, covered by banana leaves and grilled over coal. It is served with rice vermicelli noodles, roasted peanuts, coriander, spring onion, chilli and fish dipping sauce. Cha ca is traditionally finished at the dining table. The waiter will bring out a little flame burner and a pan in which you will saute grilled fish with fresh dill and spring onion. After that, you will put some vermicelli noodles in the bowl and top it with sauteed fish and other condiments provided on the table. The staff will tell you when the dish is ready and how to assemble it. Cha ca is very fragrant and aromatic, the combination of flavours is spot on. The whole dining experience is very enjoyable and fun, don’t miss it!
Address: 21 Duong Thanh Street, Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam
Pho Gia Truyen
If you are looking to try some of the best pho in Hanoi, head to Pho Gia Truyen. There is always a long queue outside, but it moves quite quickly. You order at the same counter where they assemble the bowls of pho and carry the soup yourself to one of the crowded tables where you will find fresh chillies and chilli sauce. They only have three soups on the menu, Pho Tai (Raw sliced beef), Pho Chin (Cooked beef brisket) and Pho Tai Nam (Combination of raw and cooked beef). Don’t forget to order fried dough and soak it in the broth, for Andrew it was the best part 🙂
Address: 49 Bat Dan , Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam
Noodle & Roll
If you are looking for a cheap, vegetarian pho soup head to Noodle & Roll. It’s not a vegetarian restaurant, but they have a good selection of vegetarian versions of traditional Vietnamese dishes. This place caters mostly to foreigners; they have an English menu with pictures, air-conditioning and free wi-fi. It’s cheap, and the portions are generous. It’s not the best food you will try in Hanoi, but it’s a decent option, especially if you are vegan or vegetarian.
Address: 39C Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam
Bun Cha Huong Lien
Bun Cha Huong Lien has become famous since Anthony Bourdain had a meal there with President Obama in 2016. In fact, you can find pictures of them everywhere in the restaurant. If you want to eat exactly what they had, order Obama set, it consists of bun cha, seafood roll and Hanoi beer. Bun Cha itself was very tasty. Sugar, vinegar and fish sauce broth was served with bbq pork and a generous helping of rice noodles, fresh herbs, garlic and chilli on the side. The menu is limited to bun cha, seafood roll, crab roll and pork skewer. Although the place is now very popular among the tourists, it is still frequented by locals, as it remained very affordable.
Address: 24 Le Van Huu, Hanoi, Vietnam
Bun Cha Ta
Vegetarian Bun Cha was one of the best dishes I had in Hanoi. The ambience of the restaurant is nice and cosy, especially area upstairs with the wooden sunken tables where you have to take your shoes off. It also has AC and Free-Wifi. The spongy tofu with tomatoes tasted amazing with the intense broth, rice noodles and generous selection of fresh herbs, garlic and chilli. The whole dish was a perfect combination of sweet, salty, sour and umami, combined with freshness. If you are trying bun cha for the first time, the staff will explain to you how to eat it properly. Spring rolls were very tasty too.
Address: 21 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Old Quater, Hanoi, Vietnam
Bún Riêu Cua 11 Hàng Bạc
Bún Riêu is a traditional Vietnamese rice vermicelli soup. The light stock is made from fresh tomatoes and crab shells. Various freshwater paddy crabs are pounded with the shell on into a fine paste. This paste is then strained, and the crab liquid is used as a base for the soup along with fresh tomatoes. The tangy stock is served with rice noodles and topped with different ingredients like crab and egg paste, fried tofu, congealed blood or pork. It’s served with chilli paste, shrimp paste and a basket of fresh herbs. Bún Riêu Cua on 11 Hàng Bạc is one of the most renowned vendors of this soup in the Hanoi’s Old Quarter. This tiny, humble place can be easily missed as there is only small signage and very little room to sit down. A typical Hanoi eatery.
Address: 11 Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Dong Thinh Nha Hang Mien Luon
If you would like to try a more unusual local food than pho, banh mi and bun cha try Dong Thinh Nha Hang Mien Luon. It specialises in crispy fried eel and has only six items on the menu. We tried clear vermicelli eel soup with fried dough and fried vermicelli topped with crispy eel, shallots, herbs and cucumber. It is more of a street food experience than a restaurant. This place is located on the side of a busy road. Take a seat on a tiny stool, watch the Hanoi’s traffic and enjoy the authentic vibe.
Address: 87 Hang Dieu, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi 10000, Vietnam
Banh Mi 25
Banh Mi is very popular street food in Vietnam. It consists of a Vietnamese baguette filled with a variety of savoury ingredients including meat, egg, tofu and cheese. Accompanying vegetables typically include shredded carrots, daikon, cucumber, coriander and chilli. Banh Mi 25 has a good selection of fillings including vegetarian and vegan options. You order your Banh Mi on one side of the road and then go and sit down at the cafe across the street where you can order your drinks, and once your baguette is ready, they will bring it to you. The baguettes were warm, crispy on the outside and soft inside, the filling was delicious. It’s also very cheap, perfect for a quick lunch.
Address: 25 Hang Ca Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Banh Mi Pateta
It’s definitely not a must visit place, but a decent spot if you happen to pass by and want to sit down and relax. They have a nice balcony upstairs overlooking the old town streets, where you can chill out and watch the world go by and a quite extensive drink list (for Hanoi ;).
Address: 23 Dao Duy Tu Street, Hang Buom Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Banh Cuon Gia Truyen
This place is famous for Banh Cuon, a steamed thin rice pancake with a choice of fillings. By itself it’s quite bland, it acquires the taste of its filling, toppings and dipping sauce. If you are interested in how they are made, you can watch the girls making fresh pancakes right at the front entrance. Banh Cuon was delicate and soft, topped with crispy shallots and coriander, served with light fish dipping sauce.
Address: 14 Pho Hang Ga, Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam
Quan An Ngon
Quan An Ngon is a restaurant with a great concept of trying to replicate the country’s impressive street food scene. The open-air dining area is surrounded by small food stalls. Before ordering you can walk around and see the chefs preparing different dishes. It may not be the best Vietnamese food you will taste in Hanoi, but it is a great introduction to the country’s cuisine. They have a huge menu so you can sample a range of typical dishes all in one place. A colonial villa setting is charming, the atmosphere is buzzing and service friendly. A Vietnamese pancake is a must try dish. Ask the waiter, and he will show you exactly how to eat it. Be aware that towards the end of the evening they usually run out of the most popular dishes on the menu.
Address: 18 Phan Boi Chan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Duong’s Restaurant & Cooking Class
Duong’s serves upscale Vietnamese food, at a reasonable price. Every dish was beautifully presented and very tasty, the vegetarian pho was the best I ever had. They also have a solid selection of wines and cocktails; a passion fruit mojito was delicious. The setting was pleasant and the service very attentive. We ended up going there twice, as we really enjoyed the experience. It’s a great restaurant for a relaxing dinner and would be good enough to celebrate a special occasion.
Address: 27 Ngo Huyen, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Ngon Villa Restaurant
Ngon has a regular a la carte menu as well as a degustation option, which allows you to order a “small plate” of any dish from the main menu for a fixed price. You can opt for a standard option priced at 360.000 Vnd per person or premium priced at 580.000 Vnd per person, which additionally includes ingredients like crab, soft shell crab, geoduck and eel. It’s a great restaurant if you want to try many different dishes. The ambience is fantastic and the service excellent. Make sure to make a reservation in advance, as the restaurant is full each night.
All You Can Eat – 360.000 Vnd/Pax
Address: 10 Tong Duy Tan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Giang Cafe
The recipe for egg coffee was developed in days when milk was scarce in Vietnam, so whisked egg yolks were used as a replacement. Giang Cafe is the birthplace of this speciality, and its recipe remained almost unchanged with ingredients including Vietnamese coffee powder, chicken egg yolk, sweetened condensed milk, butter and cheese. The coffee is brewed in a small cup with a filter before the addition of sweet, creamy, egg foam. The cup is placed in a bowl of hot water to keep its temperature. It tastes almost like a liquid tiramisu and has no egg flavour. It is quite tricky to find this cafe as it is hidden behind a narrow alley, with only a small sign. Keep looking because it’s definitely worth it. The ambience admittedly isn’t the nicest, but the egg coffee was the best we have tried in Hanoi.
Address: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Cafe Pho Co
Cafe Pho Co may be a bit difficult to find. You enter a silk shop and then go through a dimly lit alley leading to a backyard where you will find the counter. You place your order there and then you climb narrow, spiral stairs. At the top, you will find a nice patio overlooking the lake. They will serve your drinks upstairs. Great stop if you want a break from wandering around the old quarter. The atmosphere is peaceful, and egg coffee very nice.
Address: 11 Hang Gai (4th floor), Hanoi, Vietnam
Mojito Bar & Lounge
If you are looking for a nice bar with a chill out atmosphere, we would highly recommend Mojito. It’s a great spot to have an aperitif or after-dinner cocktails. You must try their signature Pho cocktail, made from Gin and Cointreau infused with pho spice blend. The taste is unique, refreshing with subtle sweetness and spiciness, watching a bartender making it with a little fire show is a nice bonus. All the other cocktails we tried were also delicious.
Address: 19 Nguyen Quang Bich, Hanoi, Vietnam
Always Cafe
A cute little bar with a Harry Potter inspired decor. They serve themed drinks like butterbeer, which was interesting but very sweet. Worth a stop if you are a Harry Potter fan.
Address: 8b Hang Tre Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
S’Patisserie
S’Patisserie has a nice selection of cakes, coffees and smoothies. It’s located just opposite the lake and is a good option if you want a break from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi.
Address: 17 Hang Khay Street, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi, Vietnam
