Bar at Angelina, Hanoi, Vietnam

Angelina

The best Italian food in Hanoi can be found at the Sofitel Metropole. The sexy red dining room draws a cocktail crowd, businessmen and those craving a break from French and Asian food.

Bar at Bamboo Bar, Hanoi, Vietnam

Bamboo Bar

Located in the Sofitel Metropole, Bamboo Bar is one of the best-known hotel bars in the city. The Metropole, located in the “French Quarter” of Hanoi, houses two additional bars, Parisian La Terrasse (an al fresco terrace), and the elegant Le Club. Bamboo bar is as it sounds, crafted of authentic bamboo and wood. This poolside bar is ideal for unwinding, people watching and enjoying the view.

Cha Ca La Vong

Despite being written up in nearly every guide book (not to mention the U.S.’s Vietnamese Embassy Web site), this classic spot in the Old Quarter still draws loads of locals, who mingle with the lunchtime crowds of tourists. There’s no menu, since the only dish is cha ca: a white fish (often grouper or catfish) that is marinated in a mixture of saffron, fermented rice and fish sauce, then grilled in chunks until tender at your table in a small cast-iron pan atop a charcoal-clay burner. Once it is tender, the gooey fish is mixed with chives and cilantro and served over vermicelli rice noodles, with shrimp sauce, peanuts and pickled vegetables. The place gets packed, so it’s best to arrive early and ask to be seated upstairs in the original dining rooms, which the locals prefer. Be prepared: there’s nothing fancy about this place.

Editors' Picks

DC Bistro

Hanoi restaurateur Didier Courlou has opened his first traditional French brasserie in a town where his fusion cuisine has set the standard for fine dining for years. In addition to the set menus, which are a steal for three courses, there are snack and à la carte menus featuring favorites like escargot, sausage with potato and lentil, farmer’s omelette, steak frites and one of the best profiteroles outside of Paris. The wine list is much more extensive than you would expect from the décor, which feels a bit thrown together as is the Hanoi way. But if the ambiance is not polished or professional, the staff is. The restaurant is on the second floor of a classic shop house in the Old Quarter so look up or you might miss it.

Ice Cream at Fanny Ice Cream, Hanoi, Vietnam

Fanny Ice Cream

A local favorite serving frothy ice cream and sorbet, Fanny (which has three more branches in Ho Chi Minh City) is the spot for a refreshing snack while sightseeing. Unique flavors include young rice, avocado, durian, soursop, anise and salt caramel.

Ginger

Ginger is set in a restored French villa that was spruced up with contemporary interiors and a stunning art collection. The seafood-leaning menu includes salted prawns, crabs stuffed with crabmeat and baked with cheese (an odd-sounding combination but delicious), and a hot pot with caramelized fish served over rice (a traditional Hanoi dish). For dessert, enjoy purple sticky rice with mango and homemade coconut ice cream.

Exterior View - Highlands Coffee, Hanoi, Vietnam

Highlands Coffee

This is the Starbucks of Vietnam, with branches all across the city. If you’ve maxed out on the strong Vietnamese coffee served at the local cafés with condensed milk, Highlands is a good spot for a latte-and-pastry break.

Food at Koto, Hanoi, Vietnam

Koto

With a name that translates as “know one, teach one,” this not-for-profit eatery follows a model similar to that of Jamie Oliver’s renowned Fifteen restaurants where street kids have been trained in the kitchen arts so they can go on to have careers in the restaurant business.  The 120-seat Koto, right across the street from the Temple of Literature and near Craft Link, is staffed entirely by Hanoi street kids and disadvantaged youths, who enroll in a two-year training program in hospitality, cooking and English. Most of the Vietnamese-Continental cuisine is quite good, and the staff is eager to please.

Food at La Badiane, Hanoi, Vietnam

La Badiane

Opened by three French expats, La Badiane is considered one of the best French restaurants in Hanoi. The space has a contemporary casual atmosphere with an interior patio for eating outside in nice weather and a series of dining rooms decorated in an airy fashion with splashes of bright colors, rattan chairs and large photographs and Vietnamese art. The chef, Benjamin Rascalou, trained at some legendary restaurants in Paris before coming east to prepare global fusion cuisine. Among the specialties that you might find on the tasting menu are crab remoulade in ginger oil with beets and asparagus and pan-fried duck breast with tamarind red wine sauce. Reservations are recommended as this is an extremely popular spot.

Dinning Area at Le Club, Hanoi, Vietnam

Le Club

Situated in the light-filled winter garden of the Sofitel Legend Metropole, Le Club is a calm place for breakfast, lunch, high tea in the afternoon or for pre-dinner cocktails or dinner. The menu mixes Vietnamese cuisine with Western favorites like a club sandwich, hamburger, croque monsieur or pizza. The hotel’s pastry chef excels at French delicacies, making afternoon tea a delight for kids with a sweet tooth, especially those who love chocolate as they have a special buffet with Belgian and French chocolates. Cocktail hour conjures the hotel’s glory days with a list of drinks named after such famous past visitors as Graham Greene, Somerset Maugham and Charlie Chaplin, who honeymooned here. There’s nightly jazz (except Monday).

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Ly Club

Ly Club is named after King Ly Thai To, an 11th century king that established a site on the bank of the Red River to build his capital. This popular restaurant is located in a three-story French colonial building comprised of a cocktail and cigar bar, a main dining room, and a theater bringing together food and performance. The main dining room features antique furniture from the French colonial period, and it feels a bit like entering a musty, but authentic time warp. This fusion restaurant blends Asian cuisine with folk opera music. Performances available on the 2nd floor dining room only.

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Madame Hien

Set in an old courtyard house, Madam Hien complements French chef Didier Corlou’s more well-known fusion restaurant in Hanoi, Verticale. Corlou’s Vietnamese wife, Mai, runs the kitchen here and her traditional dishes like pho, a delectable noodle soup often prepared with beef slices, bean sprouts, scallions and mint, are a testament to the authenticity of this home-style restaurant.

Dessert at Mochi Sweets, Hanoi, Vietnam

Mochi Sweets

In the same way that the French love their macarons and have created a global craze for that special sweet, so are the Japanese exporting a taste for mochi. The rice donuts with fillings like mango yogurt, red bean, chocolate mousse and green tea are heavenly treats. Mochi Sweets is like the Ladurée of Japan. There are a number of outposts in Hanoi, and this one in the heart of the Old Quarter is the perfect place for a pick-me-up treat when shopping, but also worth an excursion just to taste this particular dessert craze.

Food at Press Club, Hanoi, Vietnam

Press Club

If you’ve reached your Asian-food limit or have kids who are craving some home cooking, the Press Club is a good option for a light lunch of soups or sandwiches. It has a nice third-floor terrace that offers respite from the Hanoi bustle and a convenient spot, right across the street from the Sofitel Legend Metropole, for lunch, dinner or afternoon coffee or pre-dinner cocktails. Several expats also swear by the weekend brunch.

Interiors at Quan an Ngon, Hanoi, Vietnam

Quan an Ngon

Perfect for lunch or a casual dinner this spot is continuously filled with both Vietnamese and tourists. The concept is the same as its Ho Chi Minh sister restaurant, gather some of the best street food and serve it in a restaurant setting where foreign travelers will feel more at ease about trying local specialties. The food is great, and lunch or dinner costs about $10. The outdoor eating area is surrounded by food-preparation stations where you can choose what you want to eat and also watch it being prepared. It is a great way to experiment with a variety of Hanoi specialties.

Diners are encouraged to take a walk past the offerings before settling at their tables and ordering. Though not encouraged, it’s best to ask your waiter to accompany you as you take the tour and point to the dishes you would like.

Editors' Picks

Seasons of Hanoi

A classic Vietnamese restaurant popular with both locals and visitors, Seasons of Hanoi combines the elegance, charm, and romance of French colonialism with elevated Vietnamese cuisine. Warm interiors and local furnishings make the setting as appealing as the food itself.

Wild Lotus

The younger, sexier sister of Wild Rice, Wild Lotus opened in 2004 in a multilevel colonial villa that was transformed into an Asian-chic dining venue. The entrance is framed by dramatically lit lotus ponds and the décor of the dining rooms, spread across two upper floors, boldly mixes countries and periods, from Buddha sculptures and Balinese furnishings to lacquer accents and contemporary Vietnamese art. While Wild Rice focuses on upscale interpretations of Vietnamese cuisine, Wild Lotus features dishes that draw inspiration from across Southeast Asia. The lounge on the top floor is a great stop for pre-dinner cocktails.

Dinning Area at Wild Rice, Hanoi, Vietnam

Wild Rice

The first eatery in Trinh Hanh’s mini empire (she also co-owns Wild Lotus and Ginger), Wild Rice opened in 2002 and was an overnight sensation. Located in a restored villa not far from the Metropole Sofitel, it has gorgeous interiors replete with tiled floors, a dark-wood staircase and Art Deco French doors. Thanks to the owners’ shared passion for contemporary art, the many dining rooms contain striking works by such artists as Nguyen Thong. The menu is upscale Vietnamese, including original interpretations of the traditional spring roll and grilled tuna on banana leaf. All the dishes are delicious and offer a glimpse into the country’s immensely rich culinary heritage in a refined and beautiful setting.

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