9 Of The Best Foods In Hanoi Vietnam | Ultimate Food Guide (Including 18+ Drinks & Dessert Recommendations!)

Best places to eat in Hanoi for bánh mì

Bánh Mì 25

I liked bánh mì 25, despite being more touristy than other Vietnamese shops

This place is tourist-friendly. One of the owners speaks English, so it is easy to customize your order. The sandwich prices are reasonable as they range from 20,000 VND to 25,000 VND. Ordering is straightforward too. You order from a stall and either take your Bánh mì to go or eat in their seating area a few shops to the left of the order shop.

The sandwich itself is a bit on the small side but still delicious and worth trying. This place is excellent if you are picky about certain vegetables and need the vendor to speak English.

The stall where you order your bánh mì

Bánh Mỳ P

This place is top rated because the Vietnamese locals frequent it. I found the bánh mì to be good, but a little bit too oily for my standards. That is likely because the oil came from the egg, which is a must try if you go to this shop. One sandwich with egg and beef will set you back by 29,000 VND.

Bánh Mì Hội An

I really enjoyed eating at Bánh Mì Hội An

This place did not disappoint! There are chain stores all across Hanoi so keep your eyes open for when you might need a mid-afternoon snack. I bought the Hội An special which had pate, mayonnaise, carrots, cilantro/coriander, pork, chilli sauce, and the special Hội An sauce for 25,000 VND.

Bánh Mì Hội An Menu

Best Hanoi food #5: Bánh cuốn | Vietnamese steamed rice rolls

I can eat a huge batch of bánh cuốn all in one sitting!

Bánh cuốn is a rice noodle roll dish mixed with seasoned ground pork, mushroom, and shallots. Pair it with a side of chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), nước chấm (fish sauce) and cucumber and you have yourself a delicious meal (seriously, I am drooling as I think of it) bánh cuốn. While this dish is relatively easy to make, not all places make them well. The best ones use a fair mix of pork and minced shallots inside the roll. Some places tend to add a tiny bit of oil as they make the rice noodle roll, making the dish ultra delicious.

Best places to eat in Hanoi for Bánh cuốn

Quán Bánh Cuốn Kỳ Đồng

This street food vendor serves some very delicious bánh cuốn

This street stall was the only place where I tried bánh cuốn outside of our hotels and let me tell ya, the dish really hit the spot. You can find ones with meat as well as a vegetarian option as well. Quán Bánh Cuốn Kỳ Đồng is in a little alley that had some other delicious looking restaurants worth trying.

The prices here are quite reasonable. Nem Hà Nội Hanoi spring rolls are 60,000 VND, bánh cuốn with meat is 30,000, while bánh cuốn without meat is 25,000 VND.

Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền Thanh Vân

Not only do they serve a lean mean dish of bánh cuốn, but you can request for water bug oils? Sounds pretty gross to me…but if you try it, let me know how it went!

Best Hanoi food #6: cà phê trứng (egg coffee)

Cà phê trứng. The hot version is very thick, creamy and served in a bowl of water

You cannot say you’ve been to Hanoi if you didn’t try their delicious cà phê trứng at least once. Cà phê trứng can be puzzling to imagine at first – I personally expected to find a hard-boiled egg in the drink. But no, that’s not the case at all. The texture is thick and creamy, more akin to a creamy pudding or cream than anything. This delicious drink is created by whisking chicken egg yolk, Vietnamese coffee powder, condensed milk and butter into the drink.

The invention was born out of necessity more than inspiration, as fresh milk was scarce in the 1940’s. Mr. Nguyen Giang, the inventor, ran out of milk and decided to use egg yolks and condensed milk to make what is known as cà phê trứng. This drink is now a must try when you are in Hanoi. I won’t lie, cà phê trứng was something I never heard of before visiting Hanoi. Maybe it hasn’t made its way down south? Who knows, but all I know is that you must try this drink!

Best places to eat in Hanoi for cà phê trứng

Giảng Café

The original café that invented cà phê trứng

But of course, you need to go to the original café that invented this drink. Expect to find a mix of Vietnamese locals, expats, and tourists sitting on really low stools. Tip: make sure to wear comfortable pants to avoid mooning anyone!

There might be a bit of a wait, but you can spend that time deciding on what to order. Once you are ready to order, place your order with a waiter, and you are good to go!

Find the menu of drinks on the wall!

The vibe of this restaurant is a throwback to Hanoi’s communist era and is a little creepy to walk through at first

There is a long and dark alley that you have to walk through before you climb up the stairs. You will then see Vietnamese locals and expats alike, sipping on some delicious cà phê trứng.

You will find many places outside of Giảng Café that serves cà phê trứng in Hanoi. I’ll be straight up honest though that the only place where the drink tasted delicious is at this café. No other café makes this drink quite the same.

Best Hanoi food #7: Buns from King Roti

The best coffee buns I’ve ever had in my life! Roti King is like the best place in the world. Just think, the fluffiest pineapple bun you’ll ever eat in your life. Only 14,000 VND for one bun

While King Roti calls them “coffee buns” or, more precisely Mexican coffee buns *Yeah…I’m scratching my head in confusion too*, I think they are more akin to Hong Kong pineapple buns…made from heaven…

I’m not even kidding. I’m not even a big fan of pastries, but I found myself finding an excuse to pass by this shop almost every day. Honestly, take one bite into this bun, and you will understand why I am making a huge fuss about these buns from King Roti.

These coffee buns are light, fluffy and not overly sweet. Each pastry that you buy is made fresh from the oven.

There are three flavours to choose from – I recommend trying the vanilla bun, salty cheese, chocolate bun, and matcha bun in that particular order

The only downside to King Roti is that it’s in a busy area where you smell a lot of gasoline from the driving motorbikes.

Best Hanoi food #8: Mochi Sweets

A closer look at the three layers

Mochi Sweets is a brand that creates Japanese mochi. Here’s the weird thing…I think it is a Vietnamese company because it’s all over Hanoi!

These delicious desserts are bite-sized cakes in various flavours. These desserts are so delicate that there are, in fact, three layers to these treats. The outside layer is mochi while the middle layer is a paste. There is then an inner layer that has a rich, creamy filling.

I tried the following flavours: Sakura (34,000), chestnut cream (32,000), matcha red bean crème brulee (36,000), chestnut mousse (36,000)

I first experienced these delectable treats when I was in Bangkok of all places. These cakes were soooo addictive that I planned a short trip to Bangkok during our year of travelling just to eat this incredible dessert.

You can only imagine my disappointment when I found out the kiosk in Bangkok CLOSED! ARGH!

But I was happy again to discover Mochi Sweets throughout Vietnam and ate one (or three) like, every day.

The flavours are a bit of a hit and miss. I will say that if you aren’t sure what to try, start with chestnut. Chestnut cream was my absolute favourite one.

Best Hanoi food #9: Cộng Cà Phê

Coconut milk coffee smoothie from cộng cà phê

This shop has an old-school charm and is worth visiting at least once during your trip. The best drinks are under the section Sinh Tố Cộng Đổi Mới. I tried the cốt dừa đậu xanh 50,000 VND (coconut milk with mung bean smoothie), cốt dừa cà phê (45,000 VND, coconut milk coffee smoothie) which was quite delicious.

I will mention though that the two times I visited this place was frustrating in that there were way too many smokers! So if you can’t stand cigarette smoke, consider moving or getting your drink to go.

Delicious drinks and the best places to eat in Hanoi

Ok, now that we got the best food to try out of the way, I have put together a list of drinks you might want to keep an eye out for when in Hanoi. Note, I wouldn’t go out of my way for any of these drinks.

Drink #1 to try in Hanoi Vietnam: Highlands coffee

Cacao freeze with jelly, cereal and mint 49,000 VND

Highlands Coffee is a Vietnamese coffee shop that is ubiquitous across Hanoi. In fact, it has such a westernized feel that I thought it was an international restaurant chain! My favourite drink to order off the menu is the freeze drinks, which is a coffee smoothie in various flavours.

For the best experience, go to the one on top of Aldo near Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

Drink #2 to try in Hanoi Vietnam: Bia Hơi Hà Nội (Hanoi fresh beer)

Full disclaimer: I’m not a beer drinker, but I figured the cheapest beer in the world needs to be part of this list.

Bia hơi Hà Nội is usually unpreserved homemade beer brewed daily. This drink is often brandless and very cheap compared to Western-style beers.

Best places to drink Bia Hơi Hà Nội

Hanoi Beer Street

More of an area than anything but you can find beer for as cheap as 5,000 VND ($0.21 USD). Happy hour starts around 5 pm as people flock to the area in the plastic child-size chairs at the Bia Hoi junction.

It’s a great nightlife spot where you can sit and enjoy a cheap beer while enjoying dishes like roasted pork belly and fried chicken. Even if you don’t drink, it is still fun to walk around the area to get a sense of the vibe and listen to some of the live music performances. You’ll find that the area is very lively. The streets are closed to cars and bikes as restaurants extend their seating area to the streets. Some places were so packed that it took us a while to get from one place to the next. Packed but lively.

Drink #3 to try in Hanoi Vietnam: Trung Nguyên Legend Café

cà phê sữa đá (iced milk coffee) 25,000 VND

While I’m not a coffee drinker, I wanted to try some iced milk coffee while in Hanoi. I saw Trung Nguyên Legend Cafés throughout Hanoi, and I figured I’d try it out.

The coffee is expensive but delicious. I was very perplexed though to get a cup that looks half empty. It seems that iced milk coffee is often served that way if you ask for it to go throughout Hanoi.

The coffee shop itself has come modern décor and makes for a great place to stop and chill.

Drink #4 to try in Hanoi Vietnam: Railway Café

Vietnamese iced coffee and cream puff 45,000 VND

This little coffee shop wins more on cuteness than anything since it is on Hanoi’s train street. I cannot find the shop on Google Maps for what it’s worth but you will see it when you walk along the train street.

There are also many other coffee shops worth trying. The drinks itself are a bit overpriced but hey, how often can you say you had coffee while sitting in the middle of a live train track?

The vibe at this café was nice, and we ended up meeting a nice couple from Koh Samui. The lady was originally from Scotland before she decided to move to Thailand for seven years. It’s cool to meet people like that while on the road.

Bubble tea in Vietnam

One of the biggest surprises I found in Vietnam were the number of Taiwanese bubble tea shops all across Hanoi! I’ve been to Vietnam three times now and do not remember ever encountering any bubble tea shops!

The good news is that the prices are quite affordable and way cheaper than what you’d pay in North America. So load up on some bubble tea while in Vietnam.

I tried three chains and liked all my drinks.

Drink #5 to try in Hanoi Vietnam: Feng Cha

Feng Cha had a two for one special. There were no English menus so you might want to scope out the menu first here

Drink #6 to try in Hanoi Vietnam: Ding Tea

Shake for life, according to Ding Tea

Drink #7 to try in Hanoi Vietnam: Chachago

39,000 VND for large milk tea

Some of the best places to eat dessert in Hanoi

Being the dessert addict that I am, I had to recommend some excellent desserts and cute cafes worth visiting!

Good food in Hanoi to try #1: Kem Tràng Tiền ice cream

At 8,000 VND for a popsicle, you can’t go wrong

This ice cream shop serves some delicious traditional Vietnamese ice cream. The atmosphere is authentic and is a great place to stop by after a long walk along Hanoi’s French quarters. You’ll find the flavours to be simple and the treats to be mildly sweet, making it a favourite amongst the Vietnamese locals.

Good food in Hanoi to try #2: Desserts at O’Douceurs

Opera cake 42,000 VND, roule swiss au caramel 29,000 VND

This dessert cafe has a great selection of desserts and is a charming shop. I ordered a lot of deserts, including truffe au chocolat and truffle and a la menthe for 5,000 VND. At first, I felt as if I was overspending at this shop. But then when I added up the price of all my desserts, I realize that I was getting three dessert and truffles for only 107,000 VND ($4.58 USD / $6 CAD).

éclair au chocolat 26,000 VND

Good food in Hanoi to try #3: Desserts at S’Patisserie

Mars cake (red velvet) (55,000 VND)

This little dessert shop is near Hoan Kiem Lake and so worth stopping by after a long day of exploring. While prices aren’t dirt cheap, there are often specials – like the buy one, get one off special that I experienced while in Hanoi!

Avocado cake (50,000 VND)

The avocado cake is sooo delicious and very much worth trying. The crust has this oat-like flavour, making it ever so tasty.

Egg coffee (50,000 VND)

The egg coffee was ok – it felt more like a regular cappuccino than anything, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Good food in Hanoi to try #4: ROYCE Chocolate

Green tea nama chocolate for 350,00 VND

If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ve probably heard of Royce’ delicious nama chocolate.

This chocolate is extra special and will melt in your mouth! Nama chocolate is a ganache and similar to the filling inside truffles. Nama, which means raw or fresh in Japanese is called so because of the fresh cream inside the chocolate. As a result, you have to consume this chocolate within a few days after purchase.

Of course, I found Royce chocolate at the airport of all places and was ever so happy to eat them while waiting for our flight back to Chiang Mai. It is on the pricey side, but it is so worth trying! The only place I found this chocolate is at the airport, so make sure to check it out before you catch your flight.

Good food in Hanoi to try #5: Pheva Chocolate

80,000 VND for 12 pieces

Pheva chocolate popped up a few times when it came to finding sweets to eat in Vietnam. While I liked that these chocolates locally made, I found the chocolates to be underwhelming for the price.

They did have some unique flavours though. While I was there, I saw that there was cinnamon, ginger, orange peel, sesame and peanuts, white pepper, sesame, and peanuts. The best part about this shop though is that there are a lot of samples you can try…

Honourable mentions | good Vietnamese food in Hanoi that you might like

Ok, so when I was researching what to eat in Hanoi, a few other things popped up on my radar. While these dishes aren’t a must-try, it is something you might want to read about in case something piques your interest. Note that most of the dishes here are NOT exclusive to Hanoi and you can find them in other cities in Vietnam.

hanoi street food#1: Hủ Tiếu | Vietnamese noodle soup

Dried hủ tiếu with pork, fresh herbs, and dried garlic

You can eat this noodle soup in many different ways:

• Dry (stir-fried or pan-fried)
• Wet (noodle soup)
• Combination (dried noodles with soup on the side)

This dish is not to be confused with phở as it is cooked differently. Often, you’ll find meat toppings such as fish balls, squid, shrimp or crab. Some places even serve hủ tiếu with spring rolls (my favourite!)

This Vietnamese noodle soup is not a must try in my opinion, but G♥ wanted to try it and so we did.

Some of the best places in Hanoi for hủ tiếu

There are a few places worth checking out if Hủ Tiếu is on your list:

1. Hủ Tiếu Quán Bánh Cuốn Kỳ Đồng
2. Hủ Tiếu – Mỳ Vằn Thắn Huy Hoàng
3. Quán Hủ tiếu nem cuốn

hanoi street food#2: Nộm Long Vi Dung

Nộm thịt bò khô (beef salad)

You’ll likely hear about this restaurant when you search for some places to eat in Hanoi. Well, let me tell you, it was ok…

I really don’t understand what’s so special about this restaurant. Apparently, the Vietnamese locals love this place. The first few bites of this beef salad were good. But after a while, I found it to be dry and too chewy.

bánh bột lọc (dumplings)

The dumplings were also widely raved, but I found it to be quite bland.

Prices are also not listed so make sure to ask otherwise they will charge you twice the amount!

hanoi street food#3: Phở Cuốn | Pho rolls

So I never heard of this dish until I was in Hanoi Vietnam and a Vietnamese local recommended that I try phở cuốn once. I picture phở cuốn to be a marriage of bánh cuốn and phở. You know, use the dried fillings to replace the ground pork and mushrooms in bánh cuốn. I would have liked to try this dish but didn’t have the chance to pass by a restaurant that served phở cuốn. A popular place to try this dish is called Phở Cuốn 31. I won’t lie…I tried to find the shop but couldn’t…

hanoi street food#4: Bánh bao | Steamed Buns

Honestly, this steamed buns is very similar to Chinese pork buns (Baozi) 包子. For that reason, I skipped this dish because I didn’t see it as a Hanoi Vietnam specialty. But if you are new to Asian food, you may want to try this simple bun. The buns usually have pork, vegetables, and quail eggs.

hanoi street food#5: Bún Cả | grilled fish with noodles

Vietnamese locals often eat this dish in the alleyways of the Hanoi Old Quarter. You will find restaurants serving delicious steaming bowls of noodles with lightly grilled fish. You’ll often find rice vermicelli, tomato broth, greens and small chunks of pineapple. As you can imagine, there is a mix of sweet and sour in the noodle soup.

I personally do not like this dish and run to the furthest corner of the house whenever my family cooks this dish. But, if you are a fish lover, you may enjoy this noodle soup.

Too lazy to plan? Book a Hanoi Vietnam street food tour

Ok, so I just gave you a TON of information on where to eat in Hanoi, including a map for you to use when you plan your trip (here it is again if you don’t want to scroll back to the top!).

• Hanoi Evening Street Eats
• Old Quarter Food Tour

Useful phrases in Vietnamese for when you are ordering Hanoi food

Ok, so here are some of what I think are the most useful phrases you will need when ordering Vietnamese food. Let me know if there is something you want to say and I can add it to this list.

Good luck trying to pronounce any of these sentences because Vietnamese is not an easy language! Your best bet is to point to reference this blog post and reference the translation haha.

• How much money: bao nhiêu tiền
• Thank you: cảm ơn
• If you don’t eat cilantro: Không ăn rau ngò
• I am vegetarian: tôi ăn chay
• If you don’t like spicy: Không ăn cay
• I don’t want: không muốn
• I want: tôi muốn
• Medium: Vừa
• Rare: Tái
• Well-done: Chín
• A little: chút ít

Tips for when you are wandering around eating the best food in Hanoi:

• Find places where the Vietnamese locals eat. Restaurants that are busy also indicate that the food is fresh due to the turnover
• Don’t even compare food hygiene to your home country; it just won’t be the same. When in doubt, remember to eat dishes that are cooked fresh in front of you and make sure your noodle soup is piping hot! Also, avoid raw vegetables at all cost if you’re in a sketchy place
• Washrooms aren’t very clean if there are any. But if you have to use the bathroom, remember to bring toilet paper
• If you don’t want to use the bathroom in a dirty place, look for international fast food chains like Burger King and KFC for cleaner washrooms
• Need wifi? Check here for cheap wifi in Vietnam
• You’ll find the service to be very efficient in Vietnam. The wait staff are always happy to show you the proper way to eat a specific dish
• If you eat something and see a ton of sauces at your table, make sure to ask the wait staff for recommendations on how to mix these sauces into the main meal

Share your comments below on what you loved about the food in Hanoi Vietnam!

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