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This is not your average guide to eating in Hanoi. In fact, I won’t even call this a guide to eating Hanoi. This is simply three places, I can guarantee you have never heard of, that you should most certainly go.
I have a soft spot for Hanoi. It’s that perfect combination of historical preservation and chaos that makes for a photogenic spectacle on every corner. From the soft yellow stucco and clay shingles of the mainstreets to the Buddhist pagodas perched on every lake. It’s just pretty. But when it comes to food, HCMC reigns supreme. I’m sure that’s blasphemy to some, but cuisine in Vietnam’s northern capital is simpler, less herbaceous, less spicy, and overall less flavorful. They also forgo seafood in comparison to the rest of the relatively seaside country, which leaves you with fewer choices in terms of protein.
But I’m not here to shit on Hanoi’s food scene.
I went on a food tour that begins at the 3:30 AM morning market and leads you through an eating extravaganza of the best street bites and iconic dishes. I’ve eaten at countless delicious restaurants during my time in the city, including their first Michelin-starred eatery and dozens of Bib Gourmands. (Since you’re here, I’ll throw a little list of my favorites at the bottom of this post.) By far the best eating experiences I’ve had in the entire city, though, have been in these three “restaurants” that are actually in local houses.
Full disclosure: one of them is actually 99% a place to drink local beer with a few snackings thrown in. But the other two are great for lunch and dinner.
1. Pho Inside a Local Home
- Address: 8 P Hàng Trông, Hoàn Kiêm, Ha Noi, Vietnam
- Google Maps: Pin
Okay, this one is officially labeled on Google Maps. But you’ll venture down a long, unmarked concrete alleyway and climb up a stairwell until you reach what is clearly a local apartment. Here, the woman who runs the shop has been serving some of the best pho in the city for decades. A handful of plastic tables and short blue stools fill the room. Rich bowls of beef pho and fried dough sticks (quẩy‘) are all that’s on the menu. The place is obviously cash only.
There are lots of exceptional pho spots in the city, but the delicious broth and ambiance here are something else.
2. Chicken Noodle Soup Spot
- Address: 40 P. Nhà Chung, Ha Noi, Vietnam
- Closest Google Approximation: Pin
This is the most difficult to find on this short list. But you’ll almost never see anyone who isn’t a local here. While the address will take you close (it’s very near the famous Church), you’ll actually have to head down the alley and coil around past a small cafe until you reach what seems like the back of a building to find this tucked-away spot. But the chicken is delicious, and it’s clearly a favorite among Hanoi residents as it’s always packed for lunch. You can get it dry or as a soup. Either is excellent.
3. The Restaurant Under the Bridge
- Google Maps Pin: Under the Bridge
Welcome to your new favorite drinking spot. Trust me, you’ll never venture near Beer Street again. This collection of plastic tables and chairs sits beneath a bridge on a corner and is little more than a big red banner and a few metal kegs. This is Bia Hoi. The super light (I’m talking 2-3%) local brew that is quite possibly the cheapest beer on earth. For about 33 cents a glass, you can knock back some brews with tables full of Vietnamese men. The only catch is that this bar has no hours. It sets up mid-morning and goes until the kegs are drunk dry. Even if you’re not a big drinker, this is a fun local pastime that you can’t miss.
A Collection of Other Excellent Places to Eat in Hanoi
As promised, here’s a quick list of the tastiest eats you should add to your Hanoi itinerary. But seriously, do the other three for sure.
- Pizza 4Ps. Exceptional. No notes.
- Pho Ga Nguyet. Michelin-recognized chicken Pho.
- Bun Ca 22 Ngo Huyen. Bun Ca is my very favorite northern Vietnamese dish. This place is better than many of the famous ones.
- Hidden Gem Coffee. Certainly not a hidden gem, but very good coconut and egg coffees as well as traditional Vietnamese eats.
- Bahn Mi 25. Famous. Worth the crowds for an upscale bahn mi.
- Huong Viet. Super vegetarian-friendly.
- Bun Bo Nam Bo. A must-eat.
Want More Vietnam Tips?
If you’re bopping around Hanoi/Northern Vietnam, I’ve got plenty of guides to help you plan an adventurous trip.
- You can ride a motorcycle all over the North and get wayyyy off the beaten path with this 30-day motorcycle guide.
- Or venture down the country’s spine, North to South, stopping at the best (and least touristy) stops along the way.
- Try the craft cocktail scene in HCMC or dive into my full guide on everything worth eating in HCMC.
- You can also do a much shorter motorcycle loop (not the Ha Giang) if you’re short on time but still want to escape the crowds.
Vietnam is often thought of as a backpacker-only destination, but its foodie scene in Southeast Asia is unrivaled, and there are so many corners of the country left off the backpacker trail.
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