Residential district south of the French Quarter, anchored by Lo Duc street where Pho Thin invented the stir-fried beef pho in 1979. Uu Dam vegetarian and Vien Dining's modern Vietnamese tasting room sit here too.
Vien Dining in Hanoi is Chef Van Tin's Michelin Selected modern Vietnamese tasting room in Hai Ba Trung, pairing local herbs with seasonal river fish.
Signature: The Hundred Crafts tasting, Junbucha, Seasonal river-fish course
Order: The Hundred Crafts seasonal tasting; pre-book and ask for the open-kitchen ground floor.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Pre-booking is required for the tasting menu; the upstairs private rooms are quieter for groups.
Uu Dam in Hanoi holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for vegetarian Vietnamese cooking on Nguyen Du, with Buddhist-influenced set menus and a serene tea-house space.
Signature: Vegetarian pho, Buddhist banquet set, Vegetarian che sweet soup
Order: The vegetarian banquet set; the che chay sweet soup and vegetarian flan are local favourites.
Tip: Plant-based throughout, no fish or shrimp paste. Bookings recommended on weekends; the meditation-style room books up.
Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi is the Le Van Huu kitchen where Obama and Anthony Bourdain shared bun cha in 2016, with the original table preserved in glass.
Signature: Combo Obama bun cha set, Cha gio fried seafood roll, Hanoi beer pairing
Order: The Combo Obama: a bowl of bun cha, a fried seafood spring roll and a Hanoi beer for 130,000 VND.
Tip: The table Obama and Bourdain sat at is encased in glass on the second floor; the lunchtime queue is the slowest 12:00-13:00.
Pho Thin Lo Duc in Hanoi is the Lo Duc kitchen where Nguyen Trong Thin invented the stir-fried beef pho in 1979, with a richer, garlic-and-onion broth.
Signature: Pho bo tai lan stir-fried beef pho, Garlic and spring onion broth, Quay fried dough
Order: Pho bo tai lan: thinly-sliced beef stir-fried in garlic and oil, then ladled into a rich anise broth.
Tip: One dish only. Stainless-steel tables, fast turnover; if it's full, wait two minutes and a seat opens.
Cong Cà Phê in Hanoi opened on Trieu Viet Vuong, the city's historic cafe street, in 2007 and grew to nearly 100 stores; the flagship still pulls locals.
Signature drink: Coconut coffee
Order: Coconut coffee, the chain's signature: condensed-milk coffee blended with shaved coconut ice.
Tip: The Nguyen Huu Huan branch in the Old Quarter has a three-story open balcony if Trieu Viet Vuong is full.
Cộng Cà Phê on Trieu Viet Vuong roasts a house robusta blend used across 100-plus stores, with the original 2007 cafe still grinding beans on the strip.
Order: The coconut coffee uses Cong's own robusta blend; whole-bean bags at the counter.
Tip: Trieu Viet Vuong is the origin store. The brand exports retail-bean packs across Vietnam and Korea, Canada, Malaysia and Taiwan.
Sources from: Vietnam (Robusta blend)
How they serve: Phin filter, Espresso, Whole bean retail
Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi has poured charcoal-grilled bun cha on Le Van Huu since the 1990s; Obama and Bourdain shared a meal here in 2016.
Try: Bun cha
Order: Combo Obama: a bowl of bun cha with grilled pork patties, a seafood spring roll and a Hanoi beer.
Tip: The Obama-Bourdain table is preserved in glass on the second floor. Cash and card both accepted.
Pho Thin Lo Duc in Hanoi is the Lo Duc kitchen where Nguyen Trong Thin invented stir-fried beef pho in 1979, with a richer broth than any other pho house.
Try: Pho bo tai lan stir-fried beef pho
Order: Pho bo tai lan: beef stir-fried in garlic and oil, then ladled into a deeply aromatic anise broth.
Tip: One dish only. Stainless-steel tables and wooden benches; fast turnover, no waiting list.
Pasteur Street's Bui Thi Xuan taproom in Hanoi occupies a two-floor villa near Vincom Ba Trieu, with private-event space and the full craft-beer menu.
Order: The Saigon Saison and the seasonal lager; full food menu including pizzas and small plates.
Tip: Largest of the three Hanoi taprooms; the upstairs is bookable for private events. Walk-in seating downstairs.
Highway 4 in Hanoi has produced Son Tinh herbal rice wines since 2000, with the Mai Hac De flagship pairing spirits flights with Northern small plates.
Order: A Son Tinh tasting flight of herbal rice wines, with grilled river fish or quail on the side.
Tip: The cooking-class room is on the upper floor of this branch. Three other Highway 4 locations in Hanoi for similar menus.
Cho Hom in Hanoi is the Hai Ba Trung district's dry-goods market on Hue street, a quieter alternative to Dong Xuan with Northern food ingredients and Tet.
Order: Pre-made banh chung wrappers and dried mushrooms during Tet season; tropical fruit through summer.
Tip: Less tourist-heavy than Dong Xuan; bargain on the ground floor, fixed prices on the upper levels. Cash only.
Bun Cha Huong Lien in Hanoi sells the Combo Obama set for 130,000 VND: a bowl of bun cha, a fried seafood spring roll and a Hanoi beer pairing.
Try: Bun cha (Combo Obama)
Order: Combo Obama: bun cha plus seafood spring roll plus Hanoi beer.
Tip: Cash and card. The Obama-Bourdain table is preserved in glass on the second floor.
Cong Cà Phê serves Vietnam's most-copied coconut coffee for under 60,000 VND across nearly 100 stores; the Trieu Viet Vuong original opened in 2007.
Try: Coconut coffee
Order: Coconut coffee: condensed-milk coffee blended with shaved coconut ice.
Tip: Trieu Viet Vuong is the origin store and historic cafe street. Whole bean retail to take home.