French fine diningChef Didier Corlou$$$$70-100french-quarterTue-Sun 18:30-22:30; closed MonBook 1 week ahead
La Verticale in Hanoi is chef Didier Corlou's French-Vietnamese tasting room, set across a slender 1930s villa on Ngo Van So in the French Quarter.
Order: The spice-led tasting menu; Corlou wrote a Vietnamese spice encyclopedia and the kitchen builds courses.
Tip: Three slim floors; the top floor is the quietest and the spice room downstairs sells Corlou's own blends to take home.
Gia 1 ★ ★ 4.9
Modern VietnameseChef Sam Tran$$$$$130-160dong-daTue-Sun 18:00-22:30; closed MonBook 2-3 weeks ahead
Gia in Hanoi holds one Michelin star for chef Sam Tran's modern Vietnamese tasting menu, served opposite the Temple of Literature in Van Mieu, Dong Da.
Order: The 12-course set menu rotates seasonally; trust the kitchen and pair with the optional Vietnamese.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Tran was named Michelin's Young Chef Award winner; reservations open about three weeks ahead online.
JapaneseChef Hiroshi Yamaguchi$$$$$170-220french-quarterTue-Sun 18:00-22:00; closed MonBook 3-4 weeks ahead
Hibana by Koki in Hanoi is Vietnam's only Japanese restaurant holding a Michelin star, a 14-seat teppanyaki counter in the Capella Hanoi basement.
Order: The Yaeyama Kyori beef teppanyaki and the seasonal seafood course; sake pairings come from a Japanese-only.
Tip: 14 seats only and bookings open 30 days ahead. The counter at the chef's centre is the best view of the grill.
VietnameseChef Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet$$$$45-75dong-daMon-Sun 11:00-14:00, 17:30-21:30Book 1 week ahead
Tam Vi in Hanoi holds one Michelin star for traditional Northern Vietnamese home cooking, served in a vintage Yen The villa near the Temple of Literature.
Order: The set menu: pickled eggplant with shrimp paste, caramelised river fish.
Tip: Bookings open about a week ahead. The upstairs vintage room is quieter than the ground floor.
Modern VietnameseChef Hieu Trung Tran$$$$60-90tay-hoTue-Sat 18:00-23:00; closed Sun-MonBook 1-2 weeks ahead
Lamai Garden in Hanoi holds a Michelin Green Star for sustainable Vietnamese tasting, a 14-seat farm-to-table room in Tu Lien led by chef Hieu Trung Tran.
Order: The seasonal tasting; dishes like dragon-fruit and cashew-cheese salad and pomelo-based courses use produce.
Tip: 14 seats only and dinner only; vegetarian set available. Closed Sundays and Mondays.