Any advice on really great places to eat? and what would you bring back?
We are staying at the Melia Sol anyone hear anything about it?
Sue

Indochine - 1st choice - ate there twice in fact, and Emperor - 2nd choice. Also Koto for breakfast or lunch only.

There is a long post on restaurants in Hanoi that I did a couple of years ago. It should come up on a search.

For the best crafts, visit CraftLink, a fair trade crafts store across from the Temple of Literature.

Wild Rice is great...as is the restaurant run by trainee students (google it on this site) tho it requires a good driver to find it...splurge on a drink or meal at the Metropole to see the colonial ambience...things to buy which are famous are lacquer and linen - carry your dining table size for tablecloths, great table mats, runners, napkins. Lacquer - all sorts - I got trivets, table mats, napkin rings, pots, xmas tree ornaments. Also clothes are great - check out Tan My and also wander the streets near the church in the city center.

Many thanks for your input. We'll check these out.
Sue

Second the advice on CraftLink for the very best handicrafts (especially if you are not traveling to the hilltribe areas)and KOTO for lunch. KOTO stands for Know One Teach One and is the restaurant project started to get homeless Vietnamese kids off the street and trained in a job skill.
The convenient thing is that KOTO is located just a few doors down from CraftLink, so you can shop and then have lunch. The kids who work there are terrific....you will have an excellent meal and feel good about supporting a great project.