Phở Bò
Hanoi pho bo is the canonical Northern beef noodle soup: clear bone broth, anise-led, ladled over thin rice noodles with rare or well-done beef.
Where: Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn, Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư, Phở Bò Lâm, Phở Tiến, Phở Thìn Lò Đúc
Hanoi eats on the kerb. Pho stalls open at five, bun cha smokes at noon, xoi vendors arrive at dusk, bia hoi corners pour from late afternoon, and bun dau mam tom stays open past midnight. The Old Quarter's 36 trade streets still cluster by dish: Cha Ca street takes its name from the single fish dish a family has cooked at number 14 since 1871, Hang Manh is the bun cha street, and the bia hoi junction at Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen still pours fresh draft for less than a coffee. Michelin arrived in 2023; the 2026 guide keeps stars for Gia, Hibana by Koki and Tam Vi, adds a fourth Hanoi star for the Korean-Vietnamese ONVIT, and lists a growing Bib Gourmand roster of family-run kitchens. Eat outside before you eat indoors.
Eat your way through Hanoi
Browse by price
Map of Hanoi
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Hanoi, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Where to eat in Hanoi: editor-picked starting points
5 institutional venues to anchor a Hanoi food trip
- Gia - Modern Vietnamese, chef Sam Tran
- Hibana by Koki - Japanese, chef Hiroshi Yamaguchi
- Tầm Vị - Vietnamese, chef Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet
- Lamai Garden - Modern Vietnamese, chef Hieu Trung Tran
- Le Beaulieu - French fine dining, chef Sebastien Le Goff
Must-try Hanoi dishes
- Phở Bò - Hanoi pho bo is the canonical Northern beef noodle soup: clear bone broth, anise-led, ladled over thin rice noodles with rare or well-done beef
- Bún Chả - Bun cha is Hanoi's famous lunch: charcoal-grilled pork patties and pork belly served in a bowl of warm sweet-sharp nuoc cham, with cold rice vermicelli and a herb plate of lettuce, perilla and Thai basil on the side
- Chả Cá - Cha ca is Hanoi's single-dish kitchen tradition: turmeric-marinated freshwater fish finished tableside in a pan with dill, spring onions and shrimp paste
- Bánh Mì - Banh mi is Vietnam's national sandwich on a French-colonial baguette
- Cà Phê Trứng - Ca phe trung is Hanoi's egg coffee: thick, custard-like cream of whisked egg yolk and condensed milk floated on hot Vietnamese coffee, drunk like a tiramisu in a cup at Cafe Giang's alley counter
Best Hanoi neighborhoods for food
- Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem) - The thousand-year trade quarter, 36 streets named for the goods once sold on each
- French Quarter - South of Hoan Kiem Lake the streets widen into French colonial boulevards
- Tay Ho (West Lake) - Expat-leaning lakeside neighbourhood, low-rise and leafy
- Ba Dinh - Government quarter west of the Old Quarter, bordered by Truc Bach Lake
Must-try dishes in Hanoi
The plates that define eating in Hanoi.
Bún Chả
Bun cha is Hanoi's famous lunch: charcoal-grilled pork patties and pork belly served in a bowl of warm sweet-sharp nuoc cham, with cold rice vermicelli and a herb plate of lettuce, perilla and Thai basil on the side.
Where: Bún Chả Hương Liên, Bún Chả Đắc Kim, Tuyết Bún Chả 34
Chả Cá
Cha ca is Hanoi's single-dish kitchen tradition: turmeric-marinated freshwater fish finished tableside in a pan with dill, spring onions and shrimp paste.
Where: Chả Cá Lã Vọng, Chả Cá Thăng Long
Bánh Mì
Banh mi is Vietnam's national sandwich on a French-colonial baguette. The Hanoi version is restrained: rich pork pate, cold cuts, butter and coriander, with less mayonnaise than the Saigon style.
Where: Banh Mi 25, Banh Mi Hang Gai, Bami Bread
Cà Phê Trứng
Ca phe trung is Hanoi's egg coffee: thick, custard-like cream of whisked egg yolk and condensed milk floated on hot Vietnamese coffee, drunk like a tiramisu in a cup at Cafe Giang's alley counter.
Where: Café Giảng, Cafe Đinh, Cafe Phố Cổ, Loading T café
Bánh Cuốn
Banh cuon is Hanoi's breakfast steamed rice roll: silky sheets steamed over a cloth-stretched cauldron, stuffed with seasoned pork and wood-ear mushroom, then dipped in nuoc cham.
Where: Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền, Bánh Cuốn Bà Hoành
Restaurants to know in Hanoi
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Hanoi.
Tầm Vị
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
Vien Dining
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
Cau Go
Cau Go in Hanoi is a sixth-and-seventh-floor Vietnamese kitchen above Hoan Kiem Lake's north-east corner, with Michelin Guide listings three years running.
Signature: Deep-fried Vietnamese spring rolls, Grilled river prawns, Central Vietnamese set
Hà Thành Mansion
Ha Thanh Mansion in Hanoi is a Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen on Ngo Van So, serving traditional Hanoi banquet dishes in a French colonial house.
Signature: Bun thang, Cha ca, Cha rom
Quán Ăn Ngon
Quan An Ngon in Hanoi is a French colonial villa in the French Quarter serving Vietnamese street-food classics around a courtyard of live cooking stations.
Signature: Bun cha, Cha ca, Banh xeo, Nem ran
Don Duck Old Quarter
Don Duck Old Quarter in Hanoi is a Michelin Selected duck specialist on Hang Tre, with roast and table-grilled duck across multiple shophouse floors.
Signature: Roast duck, Grilled duck at the table, Duck steak
Where to eat by neighborhood
Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem) (hoan-kiem/old-quarter/pho-co)
The thousand-year trade quarter, 36 streets named for the goods once sold on each. Pho stalls, bun cha smoke, banh mi bakeries and bia hoi corners cluster within ten minutes of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Best for: Pho, Bun cha, Banh mi, Egg coffee, Bia hoi
French Quarter (french-quarter/hoan-kiem-french)
South of Hoan Kiem Lake the streets widen into French colonial boulevards. Quan An Ngon's villa courtyard, Hibana by Koki's teppanyaki counter and Maison Marou's chocolate cafe all live here.
Best for: Fine dining, French villa restaurants, Chocolate, Teppanyaki
Tay Ho (West Lake) (tay-ho/west-lake)
Expat-leaning lakeside neighbourhood, low-rise and leafy. The third-wave coffee, vegan kitchens, craft-beer gardens (Furbrew) and HappyCow vegan favourites cluster between To Ngoc Van and Xuan Dieu.
Best for: Brunch, Vegan, Craft beer, Specialty coffee
Ba Dinh (ba-dinh/truc-bach)
Government quarter west of the Old Quarter, bordered by Truc Bach Lake. Pho Tien, Pho Cuon Chinh Thang and Mau Dich So 37 all hold Michelin Selected or Bib Gourmand listings here.
Best for: Pho, Pho cuon, Eel noodles, Cooking classes
Hai Ba Trung (hai-ba-trung)
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.
Best for: Pho, Vegetarian, Modern Vietnamese
Dong Da (Van Mieu) (dong-da/van-mieu)
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.
Best for: Michelin dining, Northern Vietnamese, Modern Vietnamese
When to come hungry in Hanoi
Peak food season: October to April. The cool, dry months are pho months; bowls taste right when it's cold. Tet (late January or February) brings banh chung; Mid-Autumn (September) brings mooncakes. Avoid the heaviest rains July to August.
Local dining hours: Pho breakfast 06:00-10:00. Bun cha lunch 11:00-14:00 only. Dinner 18:00-21:30. Bia hoi 16:00-22:00. Late-night bun dau and pho counters open until 02:00 on Ta Hien.
Tipping: Tipping is not expected at street stalls or local restaurants. At Western-style restaurants and fine-dining rooms a 5-10% gratuity is welcome but never required. Round up the bill at cafes; leave 20,000-50,000 VND for tour guides per person.
Hanoi food, FAQ
What food is Hanoi known for?
Hanoi's signature dishes include Phở Bò, Bún Chả, Chả Cá, Bánh Mì, Cà Phê Trứng. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
What are the best food neighborhoods in Hanoi?
TableJourney editors map Hanoi by district. Old Quarter (Hoan Kiem), French Quarter, Tay Ho (West Lake), Ba Dinh are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Where should I eat fine dining in Hanoi?
Editor picks in Hanoi include Gia, Hibana by Koki, Tầm Vị, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
Are there food tours in Hanoi?
TableJourney covers 7 editor-picked food tours in Hanoi, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
Does Hanoi have good vegetarian or vegan food?
TableJourney's Hanoi dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.