Madame Hien Restaurant, Hanoi

It’s often the case in Vietnam that setting and food quality don’t align - grubby street restaurants serve up exquisite cuisine while stunning spaces get everything right but the food.

Madame Hien’s is the happy exception where setting and cuisine come together just right.

The focus here is on traditional Vietnamese cuisine - the kind of dishes you’d be served as a guest at a Hanoian home. You get a sense there have been some tweaks for the foreign palate. This is a tourist restaurant after all.

Nonetheless, the formula works well.

Madam Hien’s was the second Hanoi project of celebrated French chef Didier Corlou. His first effort, La Verticale, is an excellent tribute to spice and fusion cuisine. He's since opened two more restaurants including Porte D'Annam which is only a short walk from Madame Hien's.

Set in the former Spanish Embassy, Madam Hien’s is a great place for lunch and dinner. The set lunch is tasty and good value for the setting.

The courtyard is also a great spot for a quiet break from Hanoi's intensity when the outdoor temperatures are right.


Disclosure
Rusty Compass listings are always independent. We list the places we think are worth visiting. That's it. We've always paid our way at Madame Hien's and have received no inducement financial or otherwise for this listing.