15 editor picks in Hanoi.
15 cafe places in Hanoi we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Hanoi | Cafe across every city.
The cafe is central to how Hanoi spends its day, and the Old Quarter holds most of the landmarks. Cafe Giang on Nguyen Huu Huan is the home of egg coffee, with Cafe Pho Co and Cafe Dinh serving their own versions nearby. The Note Coffee and Loading T cafe carry the contemplative end of the scene, while Maison Marou Hanoi in the French Quarter pairs coffee with single-origin chocolate.
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.
OrderCa phe trung: whipped egg yolk and condensed milk on Vietnamese coffee, the original recipe from 1946.
TipDown a narrow alley off Nguyen Huu Huan; the cafe is at the back of a small courtyard. Egg coffee 35,000 VND.
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.
OrderCa phe trung with a seat on the rooftop terrace; the iced coconut coffee runs a close second.
TipEnter through the red-fronted silk shop at street level, then follow the corridor to the courtyard and climb to the roof.
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.
OrderCa phe trung hot or iced, on the narrow first-floor balcony overlooking the lake.
TipUp an old staircase above a travel agency; the balcony has six seats. Iced 35,000 VND, hot 30,000 VND.
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.
OrderThe cinnamon egg coffee or the coconut coffee, with one of the homemade cakes from the small bakery counter.
TipFive minutes from Hoan Kiem Lake and two from St Joseph's Cathedral. Climb past the family shrine on the way up.
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.
OrderEgg coffee or coconut coffee with a sticky note to add to the walls; coffee 40,000-60,000 VND.
TipThe 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.
OrderCoconut coffee, the chain's signature: condensed-milk coffee blended with shaved coconut ice.
TipThe 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.
OrderA filter coffee with the cafe's house blend; the small attic upstairs is the quietest reading nook.
TipFour 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.
OrderThe avocado toast with poached eggs, or the smoothie bowl with the slow-pour Vietnamese arabica.
TipGarden 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.
OrderA Vietnamese filter coffee with the all-day brunch board; vegetarian options on every page.
TipThree 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.
OrderThe single-origin hot chocolate from Tien Giang or Ba Ria beans, with a chocolate-and-almond croissant.
TipWatch the chocolate kitchen at work through the back-room windows; the bar sells single-origin bars to take home.
TipLook for the red-fronted silk shop on Hang Gai marked 'Silklike'. Egg coffee 50,000 VND.
TipSix seats on the narrow balcony overlooking the lake; arrive before 09:00 to claim one.
TipDaytime cafe; cocktails after sunset. The church-bell soundtrack is the reason to sit by the window.
TipThe attic loft is the quietest seat; reach it via the ladder near the back wall. Wi-Fi works on every floor.
TipThe window-table for two on the second floor is the seat to ask for. Cinnamon egg coffee is the signature.
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