Home to the Temple of Literature and two of Hanoi's three Michelin-starred rooms: Gia on Van Mieu street and Tam Vi a short walk away on Yen The. Quieter, more residential than the Old Quarter.
Tam Vi in Hanoi holds one Michelin star for Northern Vietnamese home cooking, served in a vintage Yen The villa near the Temple of Literature in Dong Da.
Signature: Pickled eggplant with shrimp paste, Caramelised river fish, Crab and water-spinach soup
Order: The set menu rotates Northern home-cooking classics: caramelised fish.
Tip: Book a week ahead online; the room only seats around 40 and the vintage-furnished upstairs is the preferred section.
Gia in Hanoi holds one Michelin star for chef Sam Tran's modern Vietnamese tasting menu, served opposite the Temple of Literature in Van Mieu, Dong Da.
Order: The 12-course set menu rotates seasonally; trust the kitchen and pair with the optional Vietnamese.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Tran was named Michelin's Young Chef Award winner; reservations open about three weeks ahead online.
Tam Vi in Hanoi holds one Michelin star for traditional Northern Vietnamese home cooking, served in a vintage Yen The villa near the Temple of Literature.
Order: The set menu: pickled eggplant with shrimp paste, caramelised river fish.
Tip: Bookings open about a week ahead. The upstairs vintage room is quieter than the ground floor.
KOTO in Hanoi has run a 24-month hospitality training programme for at-risk youth since 1999; cooking classes at the Van Mieu flagship help fund the charity.
Order: The half-day Vietnamese basics class teaches pho, fresh rolls and Hanoi-style bun cha.
Tip: Classes fund KOTO's training programme; over 1,200 graduates since opening. Closed Sundays.