Fodor's Expert Review Bancong

Bancong means "balcony" in Vietnamese (from the French balcon), and this multistory 1940s art deco mansion has plenty of them. The outdoor spaces overflow with flowers and pot plants, and make good spots to watch scenes of the Old Quarter unfold below. The menu is rather muddled, but the Vietnamese dishes, from bun cha to bun bo nam bo, are reliably good. So is the ca phe cot dua (iced coconut coffee), a Hanoi specialty.