Eat well in Hanoi for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Hanoi for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Hanoi's Bia Hoi Corner at Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen is one of Asia's cheapest beer junctions, with fresh draft at 10,000-15,000 VND on plastic stools.
Try: Fresh draft bia hoi and grilled snacks
Order: A bia hoi at the cheapest corner stall plus dried squid with chilli salt from passing snack carts.
Tip: Bring small notes. The corner closes at 23:00 when police clear the pavement; the bia hoi crowd then walks to bun dau or pho.
Xoi Yen in Hanoi sells turmeric sticky rice with savoury toppings for under 50,000 VND on Nguyen Huu Huan, open from dawn to 01:00 the next morning.
Try: Xoi xeo sticky rice
Order: Xoi xeo with mung bean, caramel pork and crispy shallots; under 35,000 VND.
Tip: Cash only and small bills work best. Takeaway parcels wrapped in banana leaves.
Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi serves the Old Quarter's most-photographed banh mi at 30,000-40,000 VND, with two pork, three chicken, two beef and four vegetarian.
Try: Banh mi sandwich
Order: Banh mi xa xiu with Chinese-style pork and pate; add 5,000 VND for extras.
Tip: Three counters at 25, 30 and 32 Hang Ca. Card accepted; eat on the pavement benches.
Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan in Hanoi is the Old Quarter's Michelin Bib Gourmand pho house, with bowls at 60,000-80,000 VND and self-service from queue to seat.
Try: Pho bo
Order: Pho tai nam: rare beef and flank steak in clear bone broth; add quay fried dough for dipping.
Tip: Closes mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Cash only; carry small bills.
Bun Bo Nam Bo on Hang Dieu has served one dish at 60,000 VND since 1986: rice noodles with stir-fried beef, herbs, peanuts and crispy shallots in nuoc cham.
Try: Bun bo Nam Bo
Order: Bun bo Nam Bo: the only dish, dressed in nuoc cham at the table.
Tip: Long metal tables; share with strangers and pass the herbs along. Cash only and small bills.
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.
Banh Cuon Gia Truyen in Hanoi plates silky rice rolls with pork and wood-ear mushroom for 40,000-60,000 VND on Hang Ga, steamed to order since 1973.
Try: Banh cuon steamed rice rolls
Order: Banh cuon with pork-and-wood-ear filling plus a slice of cha que cinnamon pork sausage.
Tip: Breakfast and lunch only; closed mid-afternoon. Cash only, plates run 40-60,000 VND.
Pho Cuon Huong Mai on Ngu Xa runs the rolled-pho strip near Truc Bach Lake for 60,000-100,000 VND a plate, with fresh sheets wrapped around beef.
Try: Pho cuon
Order: Pho cuon rolled rice noodles with herbs and beef; add pho chien phong puffed pho on the side.
Tip: Whole Ngu Xa block runs the same dish; if Huong Mai is full, the next counter does it for the same price.
Bun Dau Mam Tom Co Tuyen serves the Old Quarter's most-recommended bun dau plate for 60,000-90,000 VND, with fried tofu, rice noodles and pork on Khay.
Try: Bun dau mam tom
Order: Bun dau combo with tofu, rice noodles, boiled pork, fried pork roll and mam tom shrimp paste.
Tip: Cash only. The mam tom shrimp paste is assertive; ask staff to balance with lime and sugar.
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.