10 cafes worth the trip across Vietnam, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Vietnam guides.
Café Giảng ★ 4.6 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Café Giảng in Hanoi is where egg coffee was invented in 1946, served down a narrow alley off Nguyen Huu Huan in the Old Quarter by the founder's descendants.
Tip: Down a narrow alley off Nguyen Huu Huan; the cafe is at the back of a small courtyard. Egg coffee 35,000 VND.
Loading T café ★ 4.6 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 8 Chan Cam, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Loading T café in Hanoi occupies the second floor of an 8 Chan Cam French villa from the 1930s, with original geometric tiles and olive-green shutters.
Tip: Five minutes from Hoan Kiem Lake and two from St Joseph's Cathedral. Climb past the family shrine on the way up.
Maison Marou Hanoi ★ 4.6 · Hanoi
french-quarter · 91A Tho Nhuom, Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Maison Marou in Hanoi is the chocolate cafe and shop of Vietnam's bean-to-bar Marou, plating French pastries with single-origin Vietnamese chocolate.
Tip: Watch the chocolate kitchen at work through the back-room windows; the bar sells single-origin bars to take home.
Cafe Phố Cổ ★ 4.5 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 11 Hang Gai, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Cafe Pho Co in Hanoi is the rooftop egg-coffee balcony hidden behind a silk shop on Hang Gai, reached through a corridor, courtyard and home staircase.
Tip: Enter through the red-fronted silk shop at street level, then follow the corridor to the courtyard and climb to the roof.
Cafe Đinh ★ 4.5 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 13 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Cafe Đinh in Hanoi was opened in 1987 by Cafe Giang's daughter Mrs Bich, with a tiny upstairs balcony over Hoan Kiem Lake and the original 1946 recipe.
Tip: Up an old staircase above a travel agency; the balcony has six seats. Iced 35,000 VND, hot 30,000 VND.
Tranquil Books & Coffee ★ 4.4 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 5 Nguyen Quang Bich, Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tranquil Books & Coffee in Hanoi is a literary cafe opened in 2015 by poet Nam Lu, with bookshelves of thousands of volumes and specialty Vietnamese coffee.
Tip: Four branches in Hanoi: Nguyen Quang Bich is the flagship. Strong Wi-Fi and quiet at weekends.
Maison de Tet Décor ★ 4.4 · Hanoi
tay-ho · 58 Tu Hoa, Quang An, Tay Ho, Hanoi
Maison de Tet Décor in Hanoi is a vintage French-villa cafe in Tay Ho's Quang An, with healthy brunch plates, garden seating and a slow-pour coffee bar.
Tip: Garden tables fill first in the cool months; indoor air-con upstairs for summer. Strong Wi-Fi and laptop-friendly.
Cộng Cà Phê ★ 4.3 · Hanoi
hai-ba-trung · 152D Trieu Viet Vuong, Bui Thi Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
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.
Tip: The Nguyen Huu Huan branch in the Old Quarter has a three-story open balcony if Trieu Viet Vuong is full.
The Hanoi Social Club ★ 4.2 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 6 Hoi Vu, Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
The Hanoi Social Club is a 1920s French colonial villa in the Old Quarter serving filter coffee, brunch and live acoustic music to remote-working expats.
Tip: Three floors; the rooftop is the quietest for laptop work. Live music in the evenings, check schedule.
The Note Coffee ★ 4.0 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 64 Luong Van Can, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
The Note Coffee in Hanoi is a four-floor cafe a block off Hoan Kiem Lake's pedestrian zone, plastered floor-to-ceiling with 220,000-plus visitor notes.
Tip: The upstairs floors are quieter; the top floor has the deepest layer of notes. Five minutes from Ngoc Son Temple.