35 Best Restaurants in Hanoi, Vietnam

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, including bun cha, are reliably good. So is the ca phe cot dua (iced coconut coffee), a Hanoi specialty.

This simple eatery compensates for its lack of sophistication with hearty portions of delicate banh cuon, steamed rice rolls stuffed with meat or seafood. Watch the resident cooks painstakingly roll out their sheets of rice noodle and spoon on the filling and feel your mouth start to water. There are three options: chicken, pork, or shrimp. Come with an appetite as all three are worth trying.

This venue is spotlessly clean, and despite its popularity with tourists and the airbrushed makeover, it is still very much the real deal. Like all the best restaurants purveying local favorites, this place specializes in one dish only: bun bo nam bo (a southern-style beef and noodle salad). Translated as "southern style rice noodles with beef," this mixture of vermicelli noodles, beef, lettuce, cucumber, shallots, bean sprouts, cilantro, and chopped peanuts is more commonly found in Ho Chi Minh City. Be sure to mix the concoction thoroughly with your chopsticks to experience the broth-drenched greens at the base of the bowl.

Bun Cha Huong Lien has wholeheartedly embraced the alias Bun Cha Obama since 2016, when the erstwhile president visited Hanoi and dined here with the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain. The bun cha (grilled pork and rice vermicelli noodles) and nem hai san (seafood spring rolls) are decent, but it's worth visiting just for the photography documenting the occasion. It's plastered all over the eatery.

The outdoor area of this French-influenced venue is an ideal place for some very romantic dining and expat gatherings. The interior is equally convivial with stripped pine tables and wooden furniture. The food is a mixed bag of European dishes prepared and served with flare.

More of a restaurant than a bar but still good for evening drinks, this stylish spot specializes in Vietnamese rice wine, which is sometimes used in traditional medicines. Bring your game face and try the insect dishes and creative rice wine cocktails. The liquor, sold under the restaurant's own Son Tinh brand, is quite strong, so avoid drinking it on an empty stomach. 

Now back at the Temple of Literature (it moved during the pandemic), this place can get packed with tour groups. The flavors here—from baked fish in banana leaf to bamboo beef—are bold and brilliant, and the menu is a mix of creative dishes. The fact that Koto (an acronym for "know one, teach one") is a charity restaurant that benefits street youth, is just the icing on the lemon cheesecake.

Serving countryside dishes with a refreshing modern twist, Luk Lak is a welcome addition to Hanoi's dining scene. Many of the dishes are head chef Madame Binh's take on recipes from a particular part of the country, such as the ga nuong Tu Le (grilled chicken with sticky rice from Yen Bai Province). The minimalist design with flashes of Hanoi's colonial heritage serves to enhance an already exceptional dining experience.

Little sister to Hanoi institution The Hanoi Social Club, Ma Xo is the place to go for coffee, cocktails, and quick bites. The menu features home brunch comforts and innovative creations, such as fresh spring rolls with roast pork, a modern take on the neighborhood's favorite dish. A pretty lakeside location only enhances the experience.

When it comes to street food, Hanoians don't go in for much ostentation and the eating area here is decidedly prosaic; just a few communal tables under a couple of bare lightbulbs. What matters is the expertly judged broth, the light rice noodles, and the delicious meat, which is peeled in strips from hulking slabs of brisket. Don't worry about identifying the restaurant: you'll recognize it from the long lines of people waiting outside.

Probably worthy of a Michelin star of its own, T.U.N.G Dining offers an astonishing fine-dining experience. Head chef and co-owner Hoang Tung worked in various Michelin star restaurants in Scandinavia before returning to his home city of Hanoi, and his experience is reflected in both the cuisine and the minimalist decor. There is only one set menu that consists of 15 to 20 courses, each one illustrating Tung's culinary wizardry. The menu changes with the season and the restaurant can make adjustments if you have dietary requirements. Let them know when you make your booking, which is essential.

Vegans and vegetarians descend on this hole-in-the-wall ramen joint for their tofu, tempeh, and other meat alternatives, but the rich broth will likely tickle omnivores' taste buds, too. The new location is bigger than before, but you can still watch the Japanese ramen chef meticulously prepare your meal before slurping it up.

One of a number of large and popular bia hoi (fresh beer) halls named Hai Xom that serves all the Vietnamese favorites, including stir-fried meet dishes, deep-fried tofu dishes, and plenty of fresh green vegetables.

This fine-dining modern Vietnamese restaurant draws from the recipes and flavors of far-flung corners of the country for a creative tasting menu. There's an emphasis on the grill, but also attentive service and storied dishes. This is a worthy splurge option to round off a few days of street food and cheap eats in the capital.

With a handful of busy locations, Chops is becoming a staple in Hanoi’s foodie community. Their slogan, "Hops, Wheat, Meat," says it all. All Chops burgers are made fresh daily from imported Australian beef and lamb and they bake their buns in-house every morning. They’ve got good service and excel at keeping it casual and comfortable.

The owner of Cousins (cugini means cousins in Italian) partnered with Italian chef Nico Ceccomoro to create an authentic dining experience at decent prices. Classy red and black interiors, sensual paintings, and a tree-shaded balcony make this location perfect for a date night. The menu is updated and expanded regularly, but you can’t go wrong with the pizzas or pasta, especially the tortellini with ricotta. There are also several fine wines to choose from.

This restaurant has plenty of gluten-free options, specializes in cooking classes, and is popular with travelers. They operate two farms near Hanoi and grow most of their own food. They have a special vegetarian menu, and the setting is cozy, with exposed brick and bamboo furnishings. It's a nice place to sit down and enjoy a break from the frenetic pace outside.

The main draw here is the convivial, bohemian atmosphere. Housed in a stunning 1920s French-colonial villa in a quiet part of the Old Quarter, the café is rustic and warm, with original tiles, wooden furnishings, and high ceilings. The menu has undergone quite an improvement in recent years, with fabulous breakfast and brunch options. An adequate list of wine and beers and regular music and art events make the café a decent bet in the evenings, too.

At this hip lakeside spot serving Greek and other Mediterranean food in crisp surroundings. there's a lot of choice for vegetarians and vegans. DJ events draw crowds of young local and foreigners on the weekend. The wraps and pitas make for a tasty light lunch while exploring West Lake.

One of the first restaurants to bring inspired French cuisine to the heart of Hanoi, La Badiane has main entrées that will set you back more than most restaurants in Hanoi, but the flavors are worth the splurge. The rich desserts are almost impossible to pass up. Those who order the tasting menu can elevate the experience with an optional wine pairing.

A new establishment tucked away on a high floor in an Old Quarter corner building, La Lot has excellent views of the busy, tangled streets below. But the rotating playful displays also offer visual nourishment. Highlights on the menu include the succulent ribs and any of the spring rolls on the appetizer page. Request a table by the window when making a reservation.

Opened in 1901 and nestled in the Metropole, Le Beaulieu was possibly the first-ever French restaurant in Hanoi. The spacious dining room doesn't lend itself particularly well to intimacy, but an extensive wine list and expert sommelier service heighten the allure.

Colloquially known as "Chicken Street," this is the place to come for delicious barbecued poultry served right on the sidewalk. The street is lined with vendors working near-identical alchemy with a limited menu of grilled chicken wings, legs, and feet; sweet potatoes; and bread that's been brushed with honey before being toasted. The resulting dish is served with chili sauce and pickled cucumbers in sweet vinegar and washed down with icy bottles of local beer.

Delicious Italian food is served in this romantic brick eatery in front of the cathedral. Along with exemplary bruschetta (toasted bread with olive oil and various toppings) and homemade pastas, the Italian hosts serve excellent cappuccinos, Napoli-style thin-crust pizzas cooked in a wood-burning oven, and interesting grappas—try licorice or peach.

Set up in a giant courtyard full of wooden booths, deck furniture, and barrels, the Moose & Roo Smokehouse at the American Center is chock-full of those looking for delicious smoked meats and comfort food. This lively restaurant promises Texas in Hanoi, and it delivers.

This is the place for comfort food, with a fabulous brunch menu, crunchy salads, tasty burgers, and good coffee, all in a relaxed and convivial setting. The restaurant is staffed by youthful locals, many of whom are students with good English and the know-how to deliver natural, personable service.

Aimed more at tourists than at local clientele, this restaurant within a renovated French villa provides a good introduction to Vietnamese cuisine. Just bear in mind that portions of the tasty and beautifully presented dishes, such as beef in coconut milk, can be disappointingly small. The restaurant's claim to fame is serving Shinto Abe in 2006, and they still offer a menu commemorating the event.

Popular with tourists and native Hanoians alike, this is one of the few restaurants in the Old Quarter that manages to unite the two demographics. There is an à la carte menu as well as set menus, but locals usually prefer to go for the "popular" dishes, which involves pointing at steaming vats containing dishes such as chicken with mushroom, eggplants with spring onion, and fried pork ribs. The food is freshly cooked and regularly replenished, and is reliably delicious whichever way you order.

This burger joint is a hit with worldly locals, who sit in the trendy dining rooms and chomp on artisanal French fries and what are probably Hanoi's best burgers. Ngoam loosely translates as "to open your mouth as wide as possible" and is therefore a fitting name for a place that serves tall burgers packed with delicious add-ons.

More of a snack and less of a fully fledged meal, pho cuon (fresh spring rolls with beef) is a Truc Bach specialty. This family-run eatery serves up some of the freshest and tastiest rolls in the neighborhood on a handful of tables that often spill out onto the street.