Hanoi eating guide

An independent selection of the best eateries from fine dining to street food in Hanoi, from Rusty Compass. No paid endorsements.

Hanoi eating guide

Introduction

| 16 Oct 2018
Last updated 16 Oct 2018

Hanoi’s greatest culinary attraction may well be its street food scene. It’s proving remarkably resilient in the face of other changes sweeping the city. Everyone from the elderly to the young, from the rich, to the less wealthy, seems to love to congregate around small tables on plastic stools, day or night, to dig in to the city’s street cuisine. The Hanoians prefer saltier flavours to their southern counterparts. Off the street, Hanoi's restaurant scene is evolving - though at a slower clip than Saigon in the south. The international culinary scene is evolving too - and if you're staying a few days, make sure you head out to the West Lake expat area for more international restaurants, cafes and bars.

 

This independent list of the best dining in Hanoi from the streets to upscale restaurants, was updated in September 2018. Everything is handpicked and no money changes hands for a listing.

4P's Pizza, Hanoi

Saigon’s most popular pizza - Japanese owned 4P’s - moved to Hanoi in 2016. As at early 2022, there are now several across... Read more
4P's Pizza, Hanoi
43 Trang Tien St, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Muoi Tieu Cafe, Hanoi

Muoi Tieu is a friendly husband-and-wife-run cafe serving tasty breakfast and lunch fare - and good coffee. In 2019 it relocated... Read more
Muoi Tieu Cafe, Hanoi
Food Steet, Tong Duy Tan, Hanoi

Casa Italia Restaurant, Hanoi

Part restaurant and part showroom for Italian luxury brands - Maserati, Vespa and Armani - Casa Italia is located in a grand... Read more

Map

Map
Casa Italia Restaurant, Hanoi
18 Le Phung Hieu, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Map

Pho Gia Truyen, Hanoi

Also known as Quan Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan, this is one of those “best pho in Hanoi” places and a fixture in guidebooks for... Read more

Map

Map
Pho Gia Truyen, Hanoi
49 Bát Đàn, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Map

Bun Cha Dac Kim, Hang Manh

Bun Cha is another Hanoi specialty not to be missed and this little bun cha stop on Hang Manh St is one of the dish's best... Read more

Map

Map
Bun Cha Dac Kim, Hang Manh
1 Hang Manh St, Hanoi
043 8285022

Map

Cha Ca La Vong, Hanoi

Hanoi’s original cha ca eatery. Cha Ca is a northern specialty consisting of river fish, turmeric, dill, peanuts, noodles and a... Read more

Map

Map
Cha Ca La Vong, Hanoi
14 Cha Ca St, Old Quarter, Hanoi

Map

New Day Restaurant, Hanoi

A great little local eatery on Hanoi's Ma May St. Packed for lunch and dinner with locals and travellers serving solid northern... Read more

Map

Map
New Day Restaurant, Hanoi
72 Ma May St Hanoi in the Old Quarter

Map

Ngon Restaurant (Quan An Ngon), Hanoi

Ngon - which means delicious in Vietnamese - is a large open festival of street food in the comfort of a restaurant space.... Read more

Map

Map
Ngon Restaurant (Quan An Ngon), Hanoi
18 Phan Boi Chau St, Hanoi

Map

KOTO Restaurant, Hanoi

Koto is a great place for a meal or a drink close by Hanoi’s Temple of Literature. And this is no ordinary restaurant. Founded... Read more

Map

Map
KOTO Restaurant, Hanoi
59 Van Mieu St, Dong Da District, Hanoi - across from the Temple of Literature
+84 4 3747 0337

Map

Food Street - Tong Duy Tan St, Hanoi

Tong Duy Tan St, aka. Food Street, is a strip of mainly local eateries that gets especially busy at night. There are some cafes... Read more

Map

Map
Food Street - Tong Duy Tan St, Hanoi
Tong Duy Tan St, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Map

Mau Dich 37, Hanoi

Mau Dich 37's quirky nostalgia for the impoverished days of Hanoi in the 1970s and 1980s makes for an intriguing and... Read more

Map

Map
Mau Dich 37, Hanoi
37 Nam Trang, Ngu Xa, Ba Dinh, Hanoi
+84437154336

Map

Cong Caphe, Hanoi

Cong Caphe is a popular coffee chain that’s taken Hanoi by storm with its rustic, military chic decor. The capital is now packed... Read more

Map

Map
Cong Caphe, Hanoi
32 Dien Bien Phu St, Ba Dinh, Hanoi

Map

1946 Restaurant, Hanoi

1946 is a busy little Vietnamese restaurant in the Cua Bac area not too far from Ba Dinh Square. Nothing slick. Nothing fancy. Read more

Map

Map
1946 Restaurant, Hanoi
3 Ngo Yen Thanh, 61 Cua Bac, Hanoi

Map

Highway 4, Hanoi

Highway 4 is an old Hanoi favourite that's lost some of its ramshackle edge in recent years. Still a dependable stop for... Read more

Map

Map
Highway 4, Hanoi
5 Hàng Tre, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Map

Manzi Cafe and Art Space, Hanoi

Manzi is cafe - cum - gallery in a beautiful colonial era villa. More about a quiet drink than a meal. Read more

Map

Map
Manzi Cafe and Art Space, Hanoi
14 Phan Huy Ich, Hanoi
+844 3716 3397

Map

Cau Go Restaurant, Hanoi

Cau Go, which means wooden bridge, is a stylish Vietnamese restaurant that enjoys spectacular views across Hoan Kiem Lake in... Read more

Map

Map
Cau Go Restaurant, Hanoi
7 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
+84 4 3926 0808

Map

Coffee Culture Hanoi - Hanoi's best cafes

A guide to Hanoi’s best coffee.These cafes are cool little destinations too. Make them part of your Hanoi exploration. Read more

Mediterraneo, Hanoi

Traditional Italian in a perfect location right by Hanoi’s historic St Joseph’s Cathedral. Leonardo has been serving Italian... Read more

Map

Map
Mediterraneo, Hanoi
23 Nhà Thờ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội - right by St Joseph

Map

Tranquil Books and Coffee, Hanoi

Good coffee, peace and quiet, books and occasional unplugged tunes, in a cosy Hanoi space. Read more

Map

Map
Tranquil Books and Coffee, Hanoi
5 Nguyễn Quang Bích, Cửa Đông, Hanoi
+84 98 938 45 41

Map

Uu Dam Chay, Hanoi

Vegan cuisine in a handsome, modern space, not far from Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake. Read more

Map

Map
Uu Dam Chay, Hanoi
34, Hàng Bài, Quận Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
+84 98 134 98 98

Map

Bun Cha Huong Lien - aka. Bun Cha Obama

Bun Cha Huong Lien, aka, Bun Cha Obama, looks set to become a Hanoi shrine to the Obama presidency. It was already a popular... Read more

Map

Map
Bun Cha Huong Lien - aka. Bun Cha Obama
24 Lê Văn Hưu, Phạm Đình Hồ, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam
+84 4 3943 4106

Map

West Lake - a guide to eating in Hanoi's expat enclave

If you’re spending more than a couple of days in Hanoi, it’ll be worth checking out the cafe and restaurant scene in the West... Read more

Street food touring Hanoi - self guided

Street food tours are all the rage in Saigon and Hanoi. The best of them are excellent. But you’d be surprised what you can... Read more

Map

Map
Street food touring Hanoi - self guided
From Duong Thanh to Hang Dieu St, Hanoi

Map

Banh Mi, Hang Ca, Hanoi

Just down the road from the famed Banh Mi 25, Mr Hoan has been on the job making banh mi Vietnamese bread rolls, for the people... Read more

Map

Map
Banh Mi, Hang Ca, Hanoi
Cnr Hang Ca and Cha Ca, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Map

Tripadvisor's Hanoi eating recommendations - things you should know

TripAdvisor’s list of Hanoi’s best restaurants reveals a lot about the world’s biggest and most influential travel website. What... Read more

Cha Ca Thang Long, Hanoi

Cha Ca is one of Hanoi’s legendary culinary specialties. It’s a noodle dish of river fish, turmeric, dill, peanuts. It hasn’t... Read more

Map

Map
Cha Ca Thang Long, Hanoi
19 - 21 - 31 Duong Thanh, Hoan Kiem, Cửa Đông, Hanoi

Map

Maison Marou, Hanoi

Following on from the success of Maison Marou in Saigon, the people from Vietnam’s best loved local chocolate brand have opened... Read more

Map

Map
Maison Marou, Hanoi
91A Thợ Nhuộm, Trần Hưng Đạo, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Map

Cugini Italian Restaurant, West Lake, Hanoi

A new Italian restaurant in Hanoi’s West Lake area. Good food, cool space and reasonably priced for the quality. Opened late in... Read more

Tam Vi Restaurant, Hanoi

Delicious Vietnamese cuisine - the stuff Vietnamese eat rather than a hybrid for tourists - in a cool design space. These places... Read more

Map

Map
Tam Vi Restaurant, Hanoi
4 Pho Yen The, Dong Da District, Hanoi

Map