Hanoi has a pretty vibrant coffee scene. If you’ve never tried Vietnamese coffee you should track it down some time. It’s different, but I’ve yet to find anything in the U.S. that tastes like the real thing. Vietnam’s take on coffee took some getting used to but now it has become my ‘normal’. The amount of coffee shops in Hanoi is off the charts, and almost none of them are chains. Mostly they are family-owned and have unique themes of their own. I am finding new places continuously, but these have been my go-to places during my time here. A lot of them are so interesting that I have gone around the city to photograph them for this post. You’re welcome. Whether or not these places speak English goes on a case by case basis.
CONG CAPHE
Address 1: 8+9 A1 Hoang Cau Street, Dong Da District, Hanoi
Address 2: Van Phuc Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Address 3: 100A Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
This is a Hanoi-only chain of Viet Cong themed coffee shops, and they’re awesome! I’ve listed the addresses of a few of my favorite locations but there are more than that, in nooks and crannies around Hanoi. They are pretty hit or miss with the English skills of their staff, but their wifi is solid. They serve great Vietnamese coffee, but my favorite thing they serve in Ginger tea. This stuff is the real deal, and will literally exfoliate your throat. It's great when you've got the sniffles!
These shops are beautifully decorated. Army green sets the theme, with furnishings that feel like antiques from the 1970s. One the walls, intricate paintings of pink roses are scattered. The Vietnamese are a strong people with an even stronger sense of identity, and Cong Caphe gives a modern spin to a historical national pride. Honestly, it's such a cool shop that I would love to see it open up locations in the U.S., but a Viet Cong themed coffee shop would probably not garner a great reaction from the American public. Too bad.
HALLO COFFEE
Address: So 12 Ngo 168 Ven Ho, Ven ho Thụy Khue, Thuy Khue, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
English? Not usually.
This place used to be a lot cooler than it is now. It had a whole upper level that looked out over the lake with the traditional Vietnamese floor seating, but that upper level has since been closed off. It's a shame, but it's still got a great view of West Lake. West Lake is the enormous lake separating Tay Ho from the rest of Hanoi. This café is a great place to enjoy a nice day on the water or watch rough weather move in over the city.
The menu at Hallo is not overly extensive. They pretty much serve the basics in the coffee and tea departments. The coffee is very good though. It’s got big comfortable places to sit, so it's a nice place to come with friends. The wifi is also pretty quick for Vietnam, so it's a nice place to do some work. Order a nice cà phê sữa and enjoy the breeze coming off the lake.
DÉLICE CAFÉ
Address: 3/41 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Quan Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
English? No.
Hallo and Cong are both pretty well-known in Hanoi, but this one is pretty under-the-radar. Délice Café is one of my favorite little spots in Hanoi. It usually smells like smoke, but that's an occupational hazard of traveling in the developing world. However, Délice has a patio on the 2nd floor where you can enjoy the fresh air. The patio has an old craggily tree arching over it whose branches are covered in Christmas lights, giving it that cozy ‘Hanoi’ feeling.
So Délice has a great atmosphere out on that patio, and, somehow, it manages to maintain remarkable homeostasis. Even though it’s outside, it stays cooler on hot days and warmer on cold days. It’s always in a weird sweet spot. The coffee is good here but they don’t have a great selection of tea. You can get a coconut to drink here though, which is nice.
OCTOBER COFFEE
Address: 26a Ven ho Thuy Khue, Thuy Khue, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
English? A tiny bit.
This is one of Hanoi’s more picturesque and unknown coffee shops. It’s 3 stories tall sits right on the banks of West Lake, a neighbor of Hallo Coffee. Decorated along the lines of Victorian England, the interior feels less like a coffee shop and more like exploring the mansion of somebody’s recently deceased great grandmother. Like a victorian mansion full of video equipment from the late 1980s and early 1990s and old record players.
Unfortunatley, October Coffee doesn’t have A/C. However, they keep it decently cool with their fans and cross-breeze. They have functional wifi and a pretty extensive menu of coffee and some food. It's all great and views/atmosphere combination is even better. This is definitely a place that you'll want to check out if you are in Hanoi.
TRE COFFEE
Address: 66 Hoang Cau Street, Trung Liet, Dong Da District, Hanoi
English? Barely any.
This place might be the coolest and least-well-know place of all of them. It’s easy to miss when you drive by because it's in sort of a random location, along a busy 'in-between' area of a large street, but once you get inside it’s ridiculous. Bamboo shoots line the long pathway in. Once you are inside there is a bar and comfortable seating under dim lights. There is an old spiral staircase that leads you to the upper level which has both and outdoor and indoor section. The indoor section offers traditional floor-seating next to the open tops aquariums full of colorful fish. The glass walls of these aquariums form part of the walls of the lower level. In fact, almost every glass surface you can find on the walls and ceiling has water behind it in some capacity. It’s a very cool place.
The coffee is very good, but their menu extends well beyond just coffee! You can get a bowl of freaking spaghetti here. The wifi is pretty good too, so it's a nice place to hang out. The one downside of Tre is that there is no A/C and it is not well ventilated. For this reason, I'd recommend designating this as your winter hang-out. Yes, Vietnam gets cold in the winter. Or, at least the North of Vietnam. The south stays hot year-round.
