Vien Dining is a modern vietnamese restaurant in Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi.
Vien Dining in Hanoi is Chef Van Tin's Michelin Selected modern Vietnamese tasting room in Hai Ba Trung, pairing local herbs with seasonal river fish.
Signature dishes: The Hundred Crafts tasting, Junbucha, Seasonal river-fish course
Must order: The Hundred Crafts seasonal tasting; pre-book and ask for the open-kitchen ground floor.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Pre-booking is required for the tasting menu; the upstairs private rooms are quieter for groups.
Address: 3 Ba Trieu Alley, Le Dai Hanh, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
Cau Go in Hanoi is a sixth-and-seventh-floor Vietnamese kitchen above Hoan Kiem Lake's north-east corner, with Michelin Guide listings three years running.
Signature: Deep-fried Vietnamese spring rolls, Grilled river prawns, Central Vietnamese set
Order: The traditional fried spring rolls and any of the Central Vietnamese set courses; ask for a window seat.
Tip: Two entrances: 73 Cau Go through a narrow lift, or 9 Dinh Tien Hoang. The 7th-floor terrace is the sunset seat.
Ha Thanh Mansion in Hanoi is a Michelin Bib Gourmand kitchen on Ngo Van So, serving traditional Hanoi banquet dishes in a French colonial house.
Signature: Bun thang, Cha ca, Cha rom
Order: The bun thang and cha rom rice-paper spring rolls; the set menus are a good intro to Hanoi banquet cooking.
Tip: The garden tables fill first; book ahead for groups. Cash and card both accepted.
Quan An Ngon in Hanoi is a French colonial villa in the French Quarter serving Vietnamese street-food classics around a courtyard of live cooking stations.
Signature: Bun cha, Cha ca, Banh xeo, Nem ran
Order: Order across regions: a bowl of bun cha, a plate of cha ca.
Tip: Loud and crowded after 19:00; lunch is calmer and the courtyard tables are the best seats.
Don Duck Old Quarter in Hanoi is a Michelin Selected duck specialist on Hang Tre, with roast and table-grilled duck across multiple shophouse floors.
Signature: Roast duck, Grilled duck at the table, Duck steak
Order: The roast duck with house pancakes and the table-grilled duck breast cooked on a clay grill.
Tip: The basement floor is the quietest; the rooftop has the best Old Quarter view. Reservations recommended for groups.
Cha Ca Thang Long in Hanoi is a Michelin Bib Gourmand single-dish kitchen on Duong Thanh: turmeric-marinated catfish finished tableside with dill.
Signature: Cha ca turmeric fish, Bun rice noodles with cha ca, Mam tom dipping sauce
Order: The cha ca for two: turmeric catfish, dill, spring onions, peanuts and the house mam tom shrimp-paste dip.
Tip: There is only one dish; price per person is fixed. Multiple branches exist on the same street, all run by the same family.
Cha Ca La Vong in Hanoi has cooked one turmeric-grilled fish dish at 14 Cha Ca street since 1871, and the street itself takes its name from the dish.
Signature: Cha ca turmeric fish, Galangal dill broth, Mam tom dipping sauce
Order: Cha ca La Vong: turmeric fish finished tableside on a charcoal brazier, with dill, spring onions and peanuts.
Tip: The 19th-century upstairs room is the original. Service is brusque, queues are common, but the dish is the point.