Café$old-quarterDaily 07:30-22:30Work-friendlyWifi
Loading T café in Hanoi occupies the second floor of an 8 Chan Cam French villa from the 1930s, with original geometric tiles and olive-green shutters.
Signature drink: Cà phê trứng egg coffee with cinnamon
Order: The cinnamon egg coffee or the coconut coffee, with one of the homemade cakes from the small bakery counter.
Tip: Five minutes from Hoan Kiem Lake and two from St Joseph's Cathedral. Climb past the family shrine on the way up.
Café$old-quarterMon-Thu 08:00-22:30, Fri-Sun 07:00-23:00Wifi
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.
Signature drink: Cà phê trứng egg coffee
Order: Egg coffee or coconut coffee with a sticky note to add to the walls; coffee 40,000-60,000 VND.
Tip: The upstairs floors are quieter; the top floor has the deepest layer of notes. Five minutes from Ngoc Son Temple.
Café$hai-ba-trungDaily 07:00-23:30Work-friendlyWifi
Cong Cà Phê in Hanoi opened on Trieu Viet Vuong, the city's historic cafe street, in 2007 and grew to nearly 100 stores; the flagship still pulls locals.
Signature drink: Coconut coffee
Order: Coconut coffee, the chain's signature: condensed-milk coffee blended with shaved coconut ice.
Tip: The Nguyen Huu Huan branch in the Old Quarter has a three-story open balcony if Trieu Viet Vuong is full.
Café$old-quarterDaily 07:30-22:30Work-friendlyWifi
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.
Signature drink: Filter coffee
Order: A filter coffee with the cafe's house blend; the small attic upstairs is the quietest reading nook.
Tip: Four branches in Hanoi: Nguyen Quang Bich is the flagship. Strong Wi-Fi and quiet at weekends.
Café$$tay-hoDaily 08:00-21:00Work-friendlyWifi
Maison de Tet Décor in Hanoi is a vintage French-villa cafe in Tay Ho's Quang An, with healthy brunch plates, garden seating and a slow-pour coffee bar.
Signature drink: Vietnamese arabica filter
Order: The avocado toast with poached eggs, or the smoothie bowl with the slow-pour Vietnamese arabica.
Tip: Garden tables fill first in the cool months; indoor air-con upstairs for summer. Strong Wi-Fi and laptop-friendly.
Café$$old-quarterDaily 08:00-23:00Work-friendlyWifi
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.
Signature drink: Vietnamese filter coffee
Order: A Vietnamese filter coffee with the all-day brunch board; vegetarian options on every page.
Tip: Three floors; the rooftop is the quietest for laptop work. Live music in the evenings, check schedule.