20 Charming Cafés to Indulge in Hanoi’s Coffee Culture

Coming up in this guide: edgy coffee, lakeside sipping, the family who invented an iconic Hanoian drink, and the 20 best cafes in Hanoi.

Hanoi has the best coffee culture of any city I’ve ever been to. Controversial, I know.

It serves up a tantalizing combo of old-school traditional places (Vietnamese coffee is very different to pretty much any other coffee I’ve ever slurped on), hyper-modern western-style haunts, and lovely hybrids offering flavors of both.

In this list, I’ve brought you the best of them—and back when I lived in Hanoi, lots of these joints were my regular go-tos (I especially love numbers 3, 5 and 6).

You can expect age-old flavors, lots of robusta beans, and stools sitting lower than your knees.

Let’s drink!

1. Note Coffee

Best for: packs of tourists, nice lakeside views, and reading some post-it notes

Is this the best cafe in Hanoi? I dunno. But it’s definitely the most famous cafe in Hanoi.

A four-storey tourist hotspot, it overlooks Hoan Kiem Lake (the most famous lake in the city, in the southern part of the mega-touristy but mega-brilliant Old Quarter).

So it serves up some pretty good views. But that’s not why people come here.

Instead, people come here cos the place has a unique perk: when you arrive at the cafe, you get given some post-it notes from the staff. You can scribble on those post-it notes, and stick them to the walls…

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… and you can also read the post-it notes that others have dotted around the place. There are tens of thousands of them, running the gauntlet from funny to endearing to cringe-inducing.

And as a nice bonus, the coffees here are great. Yeah, the venue is touristy; but the coffees are authentic. You get traditional Vietnamese coffees, along with visitor-favorite egg coffees and coconut coffees.

• Address: 64 Pho Lương Văn Can, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Opening hours: 8:30am until 10:30pm Monday to Thursday, 8am until 11pm on Fridays, and 7am until 11pm on Saturdays and Sundays
• Website

2. AHA Coffee (on Hàng Buồm)

Best for: people-watching, unpretentious sipping, and visiting the best simple coffee chain in Hanoi

AHA is a Vietnamese chain—so if you’re looking for easy and reliable, this is among the best cafes in Hanoi.

Though they have decent drinks and wide-ranging menus, these places are usually nothing particularly special. But I love this specific branch.

Sitting on a bustling corner right in the middle of a hyper-busy part of the Old Quarter, it’s all open-fronted and surrounded by action. So head here, go upstairs, grab yourself one of the tables, and enjoy being in one of the best people-watching spots in Hanoi.

As a nice bonus, the inside of this place is decked out in traditional style—the chairs and tables are wooden and tiny, so it feels pretty authentic. And even though it’s in a touristy area, the vast majority of customers here are locals.

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• Address: 2 Pho Hàng Buồm, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 7am until 11pm, 7 days a week
• Website

3. Eastern & Oriental

Best for: massive views and massive cakes, and seeing lesser-known Tay Ho

For the first time in this guide, I’m taking you over to Tay Ho (where, to be honest, I’m going to keep taking you for various parts of this guide). Tay Ho is the name of both a neighborhood and a lake, and it’s one of the prettiest and cafe-packed parts of the city.

The massive lake here has a lengthy perimeter of around 11 miles (17.5km)…

… and around its shores, you’ll find lots of the best cafes in Hanoi. But of them all, Eastern & Oriental is one of the most popular (and it’s my favorite). They have two huge cabinets of freshly-baked cakes, a decent food menu, four stories of scenic views, and some of the best western-style coffee in the city.

If you can, head to the balcony-style area on the first floor, for the prettiest views.

Note: Eastern & Oriental (along with some other places on this list) is also one of the best brunch spots in Hanoi.

• Address: 46 Pho Quảng An, Quảng An, Tây Ho
• Opening hours: 7:30am until 9pm, 7 days a week
• Website

4. Caffe Doppio

Best for: a minimalist vibe, a place where few tourists go, and sipping on the very best western-style coffee in the city

Another cafe in the Tay Ho neighborhood.

But this one is pretty different from Eastern & Oriental—it doesn’t sit on the shores of the lake, so it doesn’t offer nice views. And instead of being many storeys high, it’s a tiny place, with around 10 or 15 chairs.

Of all the cafes in Hanoi, Caffe Doppio is closest to what you might call hipster. It’s not pretentious in any way, but it’s purposely sparse and minimalistic, its menu is written on a chalkboard, and it has a very intentionally informal vibe. If you’ve got a goatee or a manbun, you’ll fit right in.

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But here’s the most important thing—although it’s a bit short on personality, it serves up the very best western-style coffee in the city. I really like this place.

Oh, and (this is a bit of a rarity in Hanoi), they even offer decaf!

• Address: 94 Đ. Tô Ngọc Vân, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 6:30am until 6pm, 7 days a week
• Website

5. Mystic Coffee

Best for: outdoor coffees, a combo of locals and foreigners, and sitting right on the shores of Tay Ho

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On the southern part of Tay Ho Lake, you’ll find a little peninsula sitting sort-of inside the lake. On the western side of this little peninsula, there’s a row of very casual (but very excellent) coffee shops.

Super popular with both locals and expats, all of these cafes have outside chairs and tables… and they all sit around the perimeter of the lake.

Of all these joints, Mystic is the best and most well-known. So sit down, get yourself a cheap authentic Vietnamese coffee, and lap up the lakeside views. It’s one of the best cafes in Hanoi, and it’s one of my favorite cafes in Hanoi.

Massively recommended, and it’s busy without the sometimes-overwhelming atmosphere of the outdoor cafes in the Old Quarter.

• Address: 107H Pho Vũ Miên, Yên Phụ, Tây Hồ, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 7am until 11pm, 7 days a week

6. Cafe Duy Trí

Best for: tiny chairs, trying an authentic coffee, and being surrounded by locals

My favorite of all the ‘authentic’ cafes in Hanoi.

The old-school (non-western) cafes in Hanoi all have a pretty similar atmosphere:

You get tiny wooden tables, tiny wooden chairs, and cramped spaces. You can also expect small menus (featuring non-western coffees), few foreigners (if any), and loads of sunflower seed shells scattered all over the floor.

That’s exactly what you get here, except with the charm ramped up to 100. It’s a local favorite, it’s on a non-famous street, and it’s always busy. It’s pretty central, so you don’t need to wander far to find it. If you can only visit one place, this is the one I recommend.

• Address: 43A Pho. Yên Phụ, Yên Phụ, Tây Hồ, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 7am until 10:30pm, 7 days a week

7. Lifted

Best for: a generic (but great) brunch menu, seeing expats on dates, and visiting the most Western-style cafe in the city

If you like generic but great brunch places, you’ll love Lifted.

If you don’t, you probably won’t.

For better or worse, Lifted could be anywhere in the world—it serves up all the brunch clichés, including eggs benedict, bagels, and a load of avocado and pancakes. Other offerings include both western-style and Vietnamese-style coffees, salad bowls, mac and cheese, shakshuka, milkshakes, iced teas, and loads more stuff.

Famous as a westerner hotspot, it’s always full of groups of friends, and people who are obviously on first dates.

It gets stupidly busy, so you might need to queue to get in…

… or to avoid standing around all day, send them a message on Facebook. Or go early in the morning, before all the other westerners get out of bed.

• Address: 101 Pho Hàng Gà, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8:30am until 7:30pm, 7 days a week
• Website

8. Cong Caphe (at Cầu Gỗ)

Best for: something genuinely unique, feeling like you’ve stumbled into a cool interactive museum, and looking at a load of weird furniture

Another chain, another of the best cafes in Hanoi.

This chain is pretty different to AHA Coffee (a place we mentioned a few entries ago). While AHA has no real theme, Cong Caphe definitely does.

These places are all themed around recent Vietnamese history, featuring nods to communism, state ownership, secrecy and subterfuge, and the Vietnam war. And every branch offers a miscellaneous (but relevant to the themes) collection of hodgepodge furniture and decor.

Expect Russian language books, evocative photos, retro propaganda, old-school coffee-making equipment, and a whole load of tucked-away dimly-lit fun. Having a coffee here sort of feels like having a coffee inside a museum exhibition.

And on top of all that, they offer excellent (though vaguely overpriced) coffee. You can expect all the Vietnamese classics, along with coconut coffee, and egg coffee, and all that other sweet stuff.

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There are loads of Cong Caphes dotted around the city… and they’re all worth visiting. But this is the best for tourists. It’s busy and popular, it’s right in the heart of the Old Quarter, and it’s one of the most impressive branches of the chain.

• Address: 116 Pho Cầu Gỗ, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 7am until 10:30pm Monday to Thursday, and 7am until 11pm from Friday to Sunday
• Website

9. Cafe Dinh

Best for: slurping on the original egg coffee (and seeing what all the eggy fuss is about)

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Another well-known hotspot, this place is renowned for having a famous manager. It’s owned and operated by (allegedly, I’ve never asked) the daughter of the person who invented egg coffee.

So if you want the most authentic version you can possibly get, head here.

Note: I keep talking about egg coffee. So (in case you have no idea what I’m going on about), now feels like a good time to explain what it is: Egg coffee is a sweet dessert-like drink, made with sugar, egg yolks, condensed milk, and (of course) coffee. You wouldn’t want to drink it for every coffee (it’s about as sweet as a cake), but it’s unique and tasty, it originates from Hanoi, and you absolutely need to get your mouth around one.

… and Cafe Dinh is the best place to do exactly that.

The decor here is basic and retro-style, and it feels like it hasn’t changed since the drink was invented. And even though it’s a very touristy spot, you’ll always find loads of locals here.

And as a nice bonus, Cafe Dinh is right in the Old Quarter, so it’s easy to reach.

Pro Tip: For something similar, head to Giang Hanoi (number 19 on this list). It was opened and founded by the same guy whose daughter owns Cafe Dinh. So it’s another place to taste the original egg coffee.

• Address: 13 Pho Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 7am until 10:30pm, 7 days a week

10. Kafeville

Best for: choosing your beans, flavors from around the world, and people who are really into their coffee

The closest you’ll get to a new-wave hipster coffee shop in the city, this is one of the best cafes in Hanoi for western-style stuff.

Tiny, but always full of aficionados, this is one of those places where you can choose your beans (and where the menu has tasting notes).

You can (of course) expect Vietnamese beans, but other offerings include flavors from Africa, Central America, South America, and loads more. If you’re really passionate about coffee, you’ll love this place.

Their menu is massive, with a load of (both local and non-local) stuff. So you can expect traditional Vietnamese coffee, along with americanos and lattes and cappuccinos…

… but you can also expect unusual offerings, including cold brews, espresso tonics, a coffee with elderflower sparkling water, and some non-coffee drinks like matcha tea and iced lemon tea. Even better, the bean menu rotates, so you can try different flavors every time you visit.

Because Kafeville sits slightly north of the tourist sprawl, it’s normally full of (young, hip) locals. You won’t find too many foreigners here.

• Address: 23 Pho Yên Ninh, Trúc Bạch, Ba Đình, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 7:30am until 6pm from Monday to Friday, and 8am until 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays
• Website

11. The Hanoi Social Club

Best for: healthy food, interesting interiors, and listening to live music

Another of the best cafes in Hanoi, another of the most famous cafes in Hanoi. This is one of the most attractive joints in the city, and its retro-but-modern aesthetic makes you feel like you’re eating inside an old-school jumble sale.

Expect strange art, mismatched furniture, kooky lighting, books, guitars, and other funky flourishes.

The coffee here is excellent (with both western and non-western options), and they also serve teas, lassis, and a load of fruit juices. Food options include brunch-style stuff, healthy options (the leafy salads are great), and some of the best vegetarian fayre in the city.

They also offer live music (from small-name local artists), and occasional exhibitions.

• Address: 6 Ng. Hội Vũ, Hàng Bông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8am until 11pm, 7 days a week
• Website

12. Hidden Gem Coffee

Best for: getting lost, a massive drinks menu, and kooky colorful coziness

Cute, cozy, and colorful, this is one of the most loveable cafes in Hanoi. A labyrinth-like mixture of both big and small spaces, it features street-style art, mish-mash furniture, and loads of tucked-away places to eat and drink.

Half-indoor half-outdoor, it’s charming and quaint, and it offers a small menu of Vietnamese eats (including spring rolls, papaya salads, and a tasting board of various local flavors).

The drinks menu is huge. Highlights include smoothies, teas, coffees, fruit juices, and flavors like passionfruit, mango, cinnamon, ginger, watermelon, and mint. The drinks are better than the food, and the juices are better than the coffees.

• Address: 1 Hàng Mắm, Phố cổ Hà Nội, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8am until 10pm, 7 days a week
• Website

13. Puku Cafe & Bar

Best for: watching sports, a surprisingly healthy (and massive!) menu, and 24/7 access

Maybe not the type of place you were expecting to see on this list… but if you want a no-frills western spot with healthy options, you’ll love it.

Yeah, this venue isn’t as charming or hip as some of the other places we’ve brought you. Instead, it’s mainly known as a sports bar, and they’re often screening rugby and football.

But the food menu is big, and they offer lots of nutritious (and not-nutritious) stuff. Expect detox drinks, smoothies, juices with ginger and other healthy ingredients, fruit salads, granola, and more. It’s a massive place, so it’s ideal for big groups.

It’s open 24/7, so you can come here anytime (that said, they don’t seem to serve food between 2am and 6am, so message them in advance if you plan to come around those hours).

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If you’re only coming here for a drink, there’s loads of excellent street food nearby. Come on an evening, turn right out of the building, and walk for a few seconds. Here, you’ll find one of the best, most popular, and busiest dining streets in the city. It’s always full of munching locals.

• Address: 16-18 Pho Tống Duy Tân, Hàng Bông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: open 24/7
• Website

14. Avos&Mango

Best for: loads of avocados and mangos (obviously), joining a load of hipsters, and building your own breakfast

Has any cafe in the world ever had a name this hip?

Yet another Tay Ho spot, Avos&Mango serve up smoothie bowls, English-style breakfasts, American-style breakfasts, kombuchas, souffle pancakes, their own special breakfast-based tasting boards, and (on weekdays) a build-your-own breakfast menu.

They even have a full menu page dedicated to dishes that have both avocado and mango in them (just in case they hadn’t already focused on the theme enough).

Inside, the decor is somehow both sparse and busy, with a mainly wooden vibe that’s popular in places like this. They sell souvenirs and memorabilia, and it’s one of the most hipster spots in the city.

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It’s a bit more expensive than most other options on this list… but that’s what you’d expect.

If you like archetypal hipster spots, you’ll think this is one of the best cafes in Hanoi. If you don’t, you won’t.

• Address: No 52 Alley, 12 Pho Đặng Thai Mai, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8:30am until 8:30pm Monday to Friday, and 8am until 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays
• Website

15. La Studio

Best for: finding a quiet spot, being surrounded by expats, and munching on vegan food (which is a rarity in Hanoi)

Another Tay Ho spot, I like La Studio a lot.

Tucked away inside a mesh of narrow streets, it would be impossible to stumble onto this place. So even though it’s popular (almost exclusively) with the area’s expats, it’s never busy.

One of the only vegan-only venues in Hanoi, the food is better than most people expect (I first went with zero expectations, but I was really impressed). Most menu options are sandwiches (filled with crunchy vegetables and pickled flavorfests) or smoothie bowls. The smoothie bowls are hefty, offering big portions of nutritious fruits, nuts, and vegetables.

If you’re looking for healthy fayre, this is of course one of the best cafes in Hanoi.

Note: Cos this place is vegan, you won’t be getting cows’ milk in your coffees. Nut milks and oat milks are the alternatives here.

• Address: 44 Ng.31 Đ. Xuân Diệu, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8:30am until 4pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. 9am until 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Closed on Tuesdays.
• Website

16. Ma Xó

Best for: lakeside views, some of the friendliest staff in the city, and swanning around on some pedalos once you’re done

Ma Xó sits in Truc Bach, the neighborhood between Tay Ho and the Old Quarter.

This small neighborhood is home to the southern stretch of Tay Ho lake (this mini part of the lake is technically a lake of its own—but let’s not get bogged down in all the details, I’m not a geography teacher), and a small sort-of peninsula.

This small sort of peninsula is home to lots of kooky venues and cafes. Of them all, Ma Xó is one of my favorites. It’s cute and cozy, it has nice views of the lake, the staff are perpetually smiling, and it’s never too busy (which also makes it a nice place for taking your laptop and doing some work).

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The menu features teas, coffees, juices, brunch foods, shakshuka, and other western-style stuff.

Pro Tip: When you’re done here, head to the very nearby swan-shaped pedalos on Truc Bach, and have a little pedal around on the lake. You’ll spot those pedalos on the small marina Google Maps lists as ‘Bến Thuyền Đạp Vịt – Hồ Trúc Bạch.’

• Address: 152 Pho Trấn Vũ, Trúc Bạch, Ba Đình, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 11am until 8pm, 7 days a week
• Website

17. Loading T Cafe

Best for: tasty pastries, some of the best egg coffee in the city, and slurping in an old colonial mansion

Terrible name, great cafe.

Sitting between Hoan Kiem and Train Street (and close to St. Joseph’s Cathedral), Loading T Cafe is a mixture between local and touristy, and you’ll always see a mixed bag of customers here.

Located inside the crumbling confines of an old colonial mansion, Loading T Cafe is in some ways similar to Hanoi Social Club (from a few entries ago). It has strange decor, mismatched furniture, a load of weird little trinkets, and loads more loveable touches.

They have a small menu of coffees, teas and pastries (the egg coffee here is some of the best egg coffee in the city), and the colorful menu illustrates the egg-coffee-making process.

If you’re just looking for drinks (and you don’t want a meal), I think this is one of the best cafes in Hanoi. It’s lovable and charming, and it feels both modern and retro.

Pro Tip: Loading T Cafe also sells high-quality coffee beans. I recommend buying some—good Vietnamese beans are one of the best things to buy while you’re in Hanoi.

• Address: 8 Pho Chân Cầm, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8am until 6pm, 7 days a week
• Website

18. Tranquil Books and Coffee

Best for: reading a book, doing some work, enjoying some peace, and choosing from one of the best coffee menus in the city

Tranquil by name, tranquil by nature.

Hanoi can be pretty loud and busy, but this place is laid-back and quiet. It’s popular with book readers, people who want to get work done, and anyone seeking a little pocket of peace.

Inside, it’s cozy and quaint. Decor includes lots of wood, flowers, and paintings, and a big library-esque wall full of books (you can’t buy the books, but you can read them—weird). It’s a bit more minimal than your average Hanoi cafe.

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For a wide range of drinks, this is one of the best cafes in Hanoi. The coffee menu is really impressive, featuring standard Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese drinks, along with more interesting stuff like cold brews, hand drips, seasonal flavors, fruity options, and iced coffees (in hotter weather). The staff are clearly interested in coffee… so you can ask them for recommendations.

They also gave a small food menu (made up of sandwiches, salads, shakshuka and some sweet treats), but most people come here exclusively for slurping and sipping.

• Address: 5 Pho Nguyễn Quang Bích, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 8am until 10:30pm, 7 days a week
• Website

19. Giang Hanoi

Best for: trying the original egg coffee (again), sitting in a well-known local favorite, and visiting a cozy ancient place

One of the most famous cafes in the city, Giang Hanoi (or Cafe Giang, as it’s also known), is another of the best cafes in Hanoi for chugging an egg coffee.

We’ve already mentioned this place earlier—it was opened in 1946 by the creator of egg coffee. And hidden away down a narrow side street, it feels like the place hasn’t changed since then.

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Full of little tables, little chairs, and loads of locals, it serves up various Vietnamese coffees (though if you’re not getting an egg coffee here, what’s the point?), a cabinet of cakes and pastries, and lots of warm welcomes. Highly recommended.

Fun Fact: When I first came to Hanoi, about 7 years ago, a local woman offered to take me and my family to her favorite cafe. It was Giang Hanoi. And if a lifelong local loves the place, it’s definitely worth a visit.

• Address: 39 Pho Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 7am until 10pm Monday to Saturday, and 6am until 10pm on Sundays
• Website

20. Nola Cafe & Bar

Best for: having a fancy ol’ time, and visiting a sort-of-nightlife venue

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Right in the heart of all the tourist action, Nola Cafe & Bar is a bit more arty and upmarket than most other places we’ve brought you. In parts of the venue, drinking here feels like drinking in an art gallery—and it feels half-cafe-half-bar.

“Based on the culture of New Orleans” (whatever that even means), it’s one of the best cafes in Hanoi for getting vaguely fancy. Expect nice glassware, tapas-sized portions, delicately-flavored cakes, alluring lighting, outside seating areas, and balconies and big windows.

If you like cafes that feel like nightlife spots, you’ll love this place. If you don’t, you’ll want to head elsewhere.

It has three floors, lots of hidden-away places to sit, and both western-style and Vietnamese-style drinks.

• Address: in the alley, 89 Pho Mã Mây, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 10am until 11:30pm, 7 days a week
• Website

Before You Go

Alright, that’s us done here—they’re the 20 best cafes in Hanoi.

Obviously, you won’t have time to visit all these places. So my top recommendations are…

… Cafe Duy Tri (for authentic drinks in an authentic place, far from all the tourists), Cafe Dinh or Giang Hanoi (for drinking egg coffee from the family who invented it), Mystic Coffee (for no-frills drinks right on the shores of a quiet lake), and Note Coffee (for turning the tourist-factor up to 100).

For more, here are the top 15 cities to visit in Vietnam, the top 15 places to visit in Vietnam, and 21 things the nation is known for.

And if you specifically want to know more about cafés in Tay Ho here’s my selection of the best work-friendly cafés in Tay Ho.