Align 3D
POPULAR VIETNAMESE
1 Ma May, Hoan Kiem; 10A Khuc Hao, Ba Dinh
7am to 11pm
Popular with young Vietnamese, the Align cafes are always busy. The younger venue on Khuc Hao is hidden down a bamboo alley and has three outdoor seating areas, one of which makes you feel like you’re sat under a waterfall. The other two are on the roof, and from the middle of this embassy-type street, the sound of motorbikes is replaced with tweeting birds. 3D pictures on the walls of each floor take you back to the old city, before KFC and Parkson. Even to times before the French.
Avalon Café
LAKE VIEW LOUNGE
73 Cau Go; 9 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3926 0801
www.avaloncafelounge.com
7am to 11.30pm
Popular for its views of Hoan Kiem Lake, this lounge and bar is always busy. With comfy seating and balconies, the lounge and sky garden offer a pleasant escape from city-centre chaos. The smoothies are creamy and renditions of popular street dishes are spot on. Elsewhere in the eclectic menu, pizzas and pastas cost around VND100,000 and steak in red wine sauce goes for VND179,000. Classic pop instrumentals play by day, and come night, the chilled vibe is tainted slightly with electro pop.
Café Lam
91 Nguyen Huu Huan
Tel: 3824 5940
Always busy, the café has traditional charm in old quarter. Lining the walls, old world drawings line the walls floor to ceiling. They serve a variety of teas and coffee, as well as many jars of pickled looking vegetables and less identifiable things. Grab a seat on the low wooden tables and take advantage of their strong Wi-fi.
Chill Out Cafe
TEEN SCENE CAFÉ
89A Ly Nam De, Ba Dinh
Tel: 3223 3246
9am to 10pm
This hangout spot is styled for locals in their teeny-bop years and early twenties. The décor is kitschy and cozy, there is even a piano, used occasionally in live music shows. They serve sweet drinks at a reasonable price along with lots of treats like brownies in a variety of new-wave flavors.
Ciao Café
RESTO LOUNGE
2 Hang Bai, Hoan Kiem. Tel: 3934 1494
7am to 11pm
A stone’s throw from the shores of Hoan Kiem Lake, this Saigonese franchise tries it’s hand with a variety of different western dishes at reasonable prices, especially considering the location. Loaded with booths and a steady, young Vietnamese crowd, the establishment is a great place to squash a sandwich or bowl of pasta and people watch. Oh, and they also do coffee, too.
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
INTERNATIONAL COFFEE HOUSE
28 Thanh Nien, Tay Ho Tel: 3715 4240
www.coffeebean.com
7am to 10pm
Finally the newest addition to the Hanoi coffee scene has opened a little closer to town than the first outlet in Pico Mall. Famous for the exceptional quality of the coffee and tea, the latest Coffee Bean is a multilevel, indoor/outdoor café overlooking Westlake. With its LA coffee and office feel, when you walk in you might just forget that you’re in Westlake.
Cong Caphe
LEFTIST ARTSY CAFE
152D Trieu Viet Vuong, Hai Ba Trung
8am to 10pm
With a kitsch, communist-driven theme saturating this quaint cafe, most patrons are young Vietnamese bohemians and artsy expats. Sip on a blended cup of joe with beans from the Central Highlands, knock back one of the many different types of tea available or sip on freshly squeezed juice from the Spartan cups in one of the hippest cafes on 'cafe street'. If you like pre-doi moi nostalgia, here is the place to go.
Espressamente Illy
ITALIAN COFFEE
75 Cau Go, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3935 2065
8am to 11pm
International standard, Italian-style espresso drinks are the name of the game at this undeniably chic chain coffee shop. Boasting a wide range of drinks, including spirit coffees with tequila, and a small selection of pastries and panini sandwiches, the café’s clientele is a mix of tourists and Vietnamese who are tired of ca phe nau da. It is connected to a tour agency and in the central hub of the Old Quarter.
Hapro Café
CAFÉ / RESTAURANT
6th floor, 38-40 Le Thai To, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3826 7984
7.30am to 11pm
Take the dilapidated elevator to the 6th floor and emerge onto a balcony with one of the best views of Hoan Kiem. The big draw to this café is the vantage point — the drinks are a secondary concern, though there is about every coffee and juice concoction known to mankind on the menu and plenty of yoghurt and smoothie options too. Graze on French fries, sandwiches, salads and typical Vietnamese rice plates. Perfect for watching the city wake up or catching a sunset.
Highlands Coffee
CONTEMPORARY / COFFEE CHAIN
6 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3938 0444
www.highlandscoffee.com.vn
7am to 11pm
As with any chain that attempts self-replication, there is a tried and tested formula. At Highlands it is comfortable seating, good Wi-Fi, unobtrusive music and a mid-range, generic atmosphere. It works, too. The Starbucks of Vietnam, a French-influenced, international and pan-Asian food menu sits alongside the teas, coffee and cakes. Has other locations at 49 Hai Ba Trung, The Opera House, The Syrena Centre, Pacific Place and more.
Joma
COFFEE/BAKERY
22 Ly Quoc Su, Hoan Kiem. Tel: 3747 33 88
54 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho. Tel: 3718 6071
www.joma.biz
7am to 9pm
With two branches, Joma has brought a little slice of “home” to Hanoi for expatriates with a contemporary western feel to the counter-style service and atmosphere. The food is all there too: breakfasts, salads, soups, ice cream, muffins, cakes, cereals and bagels. Starting in Laos in 1996, Joma moved to Hanoi in 2010 and is looking to open in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011. Has a play area for kids up in the West Lake café and bakery.
Kinh Do
PATISSERIE / SIMPLE CAFE
252 Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3825 0216
7am – 8pm
A must-go-to place on a lazy day, Mr Chi’s long-standing patisserie is somewhat famous for its honest, home-cooked food, no frills-but-relaxing environment and sour yoghurt fit for celebrities — Catherine Deneuve ate here daily during her time shooting Indochine. Hot fresh milk, exclusive coffee, awesome croque madames and local dishes, too. Replace WiFi with a book and aircon with ceiling fans; eat in, take away, the pastries are great and the price is always right.
La Place
CONTEMPORARY / VIETNAMESE
6 Au Trieu, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3928 5859
7.30am to 10pm
This tall, narrow lounge café with rooftop seating is a quintessential Hanoi spot. The decoration is bright and casual and the all-day menu has food from both the east and the west. Draw with crayons on brown paper covering the tables as you while away the hours over coffee or cocktails, and take in the view of St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Has some interesting food options including spinach fried rice along with old standbys like tuna salad sandwiches and coconut chicken curry. No MSG is used here.
Love Chocolate Cafe
QUIRKY CAFE
26 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Tel: 3243 2120
www.lovechocolatecafe.com
10am to 10pm, Closed Sundays
Bathed in pink and decorated to mimic a French salon, Love Chocolate Cafe carries decadent chocolate desserts like mocha lava cake, espresso pepper brownies and tons of cookies. It doesn’t end there, hot chocolates, shakes and even coffee blends like minty java are on the menu. The sign out front reads, “All you chocoholics, We are open!”. A rare but terrific find in Hanoi.
Moca Cafe
CAFE / INTERNATIONAL
14-16 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3825 6334
moca@netnam.vn
8am to 10pm
Set in a deliciously attractive slightly run down colonial villa, the tourist friendly location gives Moca a large amount of guidebook-driven clientele. But don't let this put you off. The faded but charmingly run down French-styled retro interior, good WiFi and some of the best coffee in town makes this a great spot to while away a couple of hours. The food menu mixes Vietnamese fare with sandwiches, western and pan-Asian mains.
Marilyn Cafe
ROOFTOP CAFE
4 Au Trieu, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3938 1949
www.marilyncoffee.com
Considering the amount of flat rooftops in this city, it’s a crime that most go under utilized. However, the top floor of Chim Yen boutique and Marilyn Cafe is home to one of the more pleasant spaces in the Old Quarter. With a great, stone’s-throw-view of St Joseph’s cathedral, food and beverages, this spot can turn a temperate afternoon into something a bit more special.
OChao Teahouse
TRADITIONAL TEA ROOM
25 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho
Tel: 01887 785977
ochaoteahouse@gmail.com
8am to 10pm
A stylish, two-storey traditional but contemporary tea house with great views of West Lake. Specialises in “precious” Vietnamese tea from the northern hills, handpicked by ethnic minority tribes and presented to the public by a passionate French owner. Well worth your time hanging out here on a lazy day.
Panacea Cafe
MUSIC CAFE
25 Quang Trung, Hai Ba Trung
Tel: 0909 061982
panaceacafe@yahoo.com
8am to late
Slightly rough around the edges and with an artsy vibe, this is nonetheless a place that welcomes all comers. There’s live music four nights a week (Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat), but it’s not uncommon to find someone strumming away at the piano here at any time of the day. Friendly staff, good coffee, juices and cold beers.
Paris Deli
CAFÉ / BOULANGERIE
6 Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3934 5269
7.30am to 11pm
Time has been good to this airy, bistro-style café and patisserie opposite the Opera House. One of the original international-style establishments to hit the capital, despite its prime location prices remain reasonable — espresso-style coffees cost around VND40,000 — and the cakes and croissants are moreish. Also does filled baguettes and a larger café-cum-restaurant menu. Has a second establishment at 13 Nha Tho, Hoan Kiem.
Saint Honore
CAFE / BOULANGERIE
5 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho
Tel: 3933 2355
st.honorehn@gmail.com
7am to 10pm
Decked out in maroon, dark browns and cream, this cafe and French-style boulangerie is best visited in the morning when that Gallic, fresh-cooked aroma of bread, croissants and patisseries hits you as you walk through the door. Serving all day long, the downstairs space is split into the bakery on one side with a small non-smoking dining space on the other. The homely upstairs lounge area has standard tables as well as sofa seating. Simple but tasty French and international fare is served at meal times.
Segafredo
ITALIAN CAFE
36 Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho
Tel: 3719 1476
www.segafredo.com.vn
7am to 11pm
Names of some of the world's greatest cities cover the front wall of Segafredo, an Italian cafe and eatery serving up some of the best espresso-based coffee in town. Red and white decor, lifestyle black and white coffee drinking images and an open plan space make up the mix. Besides the caffeine-based drinks, also does granita, teas, shakes and modern Italian fare ranging from panini and focaccia through to pizza, pasta, salads and desserts.
Stop Café
FRENCH DELI
11B Ngo Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3928 9433
8am to 11pm
Situated on Hanoi’s not-so-serene ‘Pub Street’, Stop sponges up the surrounding atmosphere, which gives the French delicatessen a relaxed vibe that avoids pretension. The spot specializes in serving a mixture of western, French and Vietnamese fare, along with coffee, shakes and juice. The venue is more affordable then it’s sister location upstairs, Café de Arts, and is prime real estate to nibble on some quiche and quaff a juice on a sunny day.
Thai Café
PAVEMENT / VIETNAMESE
27 Trieu Viet Vuong, Hai Ba Trung
Walk by this old café and you’ll see why it’s favoured by the locals. Grab a stool on the sidewalk to enjoy the lemon-y tea and sunflower seeds, or a strong drip coffee and people watching.
The Cart
SANDWICH SHOP/CAFÉ
18 Au Trieu, Hoan Kiem (entrance on street behind Au Trieu)
8B, Lane 1, Au Co, Nghi Tam Village, Tay Ho
Tel: 3928 7715
www.thecartfood.com
7:30am – 5pm
Small a cozy café hidden on the quietest of Hanoian streets, with a new outlet on Nghi Tam, which is more like the big-windowed coffee shops you expect to see in Europe. The Cart serves and delivers tasty baguettes, homemade juices, quiches, pies, muffins and cakes. The delivery service is quick and reliable, which makes this lunchtime favourite ideal for when you need to eat at the desk.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
Picomall, 229 Tay Son, Dong Da
Tel: 6276 1004
www.coffeebean.com
8.30am to 9.30pm
Known for the quality of its coffee and tea, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf has landed in Hanoi — in the form of an air-con, western-style drinking space in Hanoi’s newest shopping mall. The five first coffee shops in Vietnam started in Ho Chi Minh City, and this the first one in the capital. Hanoians are finally able to taste the beverages already quenching the thirst in 20 countries across the planet. New stores to open on West Lake soon.
The Doll House
26 Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3935 2539
8am – 10am
This new café, which fills a coffee-shop-shaped gap in the market for this area, has the feel of half green house, half design-conscious doll house, and is a welcome alternative for when your favourite hang out begins to get samey. Focusing on fresh ingredients to suit the fresh design, the Doll House also has a garden terrace, and is open for party bookings and private events. Enter through the shop out front.
The Hanoi Social Club
6 Hoi Vu, Hoan Kiem
Tel: 3938 2117
8am to 11pm
Situated on one of the quieter Old Quarter streets just off Hang Bong, The Hanoi Social Club is a cozy midsize café/restaurant where you can forget the heat and bustle of Hanoi. The atmosphere is relaxed and you can imagine, for a second, that you’re sitting in a European café. The food is fresh and internationally inspired, and the design is complimented by the work of Tadioto’s Nguyen Qui Duc. To top it off, the coffee here is said to be up there with the best in the country.