Street food$old-quarterDaily 07:00-21:00
Banh Mi 25 in Hanoi is the Old Quarter's most-photographed banh mi stall, baking baguettes daily and assembling sandwiches across three counters on Hang Ca.
Try: Banh mi
Order: Banh mi xa xiu with Chinese-style pork and pate; vegetarian comes loaded with mushrooms.
Tip: Three counters at 25, 30 and 32 Hang Ca. Cash or card; sandwiches 30,000-40,000 VND.
Street food$old-quarterDaily 05:00-01:00Cash only
Xoi Yen in Hanoi serves Hoan Kiem's favourite breakfast sticky rice from a corner shophouse on Nguyen Huu Huan, with caramel pork, pate and Chinese sausage.
Try: Xoi xeo sticky rice
Order: Xoi xeo with turmeric sticky rice, mung bean, fried shallots and a topping of caramel pork.
Tip: Ground floor for the open kitchen; upstairs to sit. Bowls 20,000-50,000 VND; open from 05:00 for breakfast.
Street food$old-quarterDaily 06:00-14:00Cash only
Banh Cuon Gia Truyen in Hanoi has steamed silky rice rolls over a cloth-stretched cauldron on Hang Ga since 1973, with pork and wood-ear mushroom filling.
Try: Banh cuon
Order: Banh cuon with pork and wood-ear mushroom filling, with a slice of cha que cinnamon pork sausage on the side.
Tip: Breakfast and lunch only; closed by mid-afternoon. The rolls are made to order at the front of the shop.
Street food$old-quarterDaily 06:30-21:00Cash only
Mien Luon Chan Cam holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for one dish: glass noodles with crispy fried river eel, served wet or dry at a Chan Cam kerb counter.
Try: Mien luon eel glass-noodle soup
Order: Mien luon kho the dry version with crisp-fried eel, fried shallots and a small bowl of broth on the side.
Tip: Counter seats only; closes when the eel runs out, usually mid-afternoon. Cash only, 60,000-80,000 VND.
Street food$old-quarterDaily 07:00-22:30Cash only
Bun Bo Nam Bo Bach Phuong has served one dish since 1986 on Hang Dieu: rice noodles with stir-fried beef, peanuts, fried shallots and herbs in nuoc cham.
Try: Bun bo Nam Bo beef noodle salad
Order: Bun bo Nam Bo: the only dish, dressed at the table with extra nuoc cham and pickled vegetables.
Tip: Long communal metal tables; share with locals. Cash only, 60,000 VND per bowl.
Street food$hai-ba-trungDaily 06:00-21:00Cash only
Pho Thin Lo Duc in Hanoi is the Lo Duc kitchen where Nguyen Trong Thin invented stir-fried beef pho in 1979, with a richer broth than any other pho house.
Try: Pho bo tai lan stir-fried beef pho
Order: Pho bo tai lan: beef stir-fried in garlic and oil, then ladled into a deeply aromatic anise broth.
Tip: One dish only. Stainless-steel tables and wooden benches; fast turnover, no waiting list.