Loading T café is a cafe in Old Quarter, 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.
Must 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.
Address: 8 Chan Cam, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Signature drink: Single-origin Vietnamese hot chocolate
Order: The single-origin hot chocolate from Tien Giang or Ba Ria beans, with a chocolate-and-almond croissant.
Tip: Watch the chocolate kitchen at work through the back-room windows; the bar sells single-origin bars to take home.
