34 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, from bun cha to bun bo nam bo, 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 giant-size portions of the delicate banh cuon, steamed rice rolls stuffed with ground pork and chopped wood-ear mushrooms. 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 and pork. All three are worth trying.

This venue is spotlessly clean, and despite its popularity with tourists 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 beef and noodle dish). 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 alchemy created by the small serving of broth-drenched greens at the base of the bowl.

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. They've also opened two more locations at 58 Dao Tan and 19 Doan Nhu Hai.

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 (the laksa is particularly good). An adequate list of wine and beers and regular music and art events make the café a decent bet in the evenings, too.

Now gracing a French-style villa in West Lake (the restaurant used to be next to the Temple of Literature), 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.

Bringing inspired French cuisine to the heart of Hanoi, impassioned chef Benjamin Rascalou, who trained at several prestigious restaurants in Paris, has created a menu with flair. Main entrées, such as the sea bass meunière or seafood tagliatelle, will set you back more than most restaurants in Hanoi, but the flavors are worth the splurge. The desserts, such as the coffee mousse with pistachio ice cream and chocolate truffle, are almost impossible to pass up. Those who order the six-course tasting menu (1,500,000d) can elevate the experience with an optional wine pairing.

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) and tom xoc toi Quang Tri (prawn with lemongrass and chili from Quang Tri 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 duck, a modern take on the neighborhood's favorite dish. A pretty lakeside location only enhances the experience.

This beautiful bohemian villa serves up excellent food and an impressive farm-to-table ethos. They own two farms, one in Sapa and one in Soc Son, so all produce is carefully grown and selected. Vegetarian options abound, from goat cheese omelettes to vegan burgers, and the menu changes regularly to stay seasonal. Try one of their specialty coffee blends or a chai tea charger as you take in the views of the park opposite.

At this authentic Indian restaurant, the owners import herbs and spices directly from India. Flatbreads like paratha and naan are cooked in a genuine clay tandoor oven, and the impressive cone-shape dosa pancake stands 2 feet tall. The kebabs are grilled to perfection with spices and lime.

Drawing crowds with enormous servings of bun cha (grilled pork with rice vermicelli), Bun Cha 34 does not fail to deliver good quality bowls for a mere 40,000d per dish. Customers rave over the charred pork and fragrant herbs. You can also order a serving of fried spring rolls on the side. Be prepared for a street food experience, as the tiny tables and chairs regularly spill out onto the sidewalk.

Bun Cha Huong Lien has wholeheartedly embraced the alias Bun Cha Obama since 2016, when the erstwhile president visited Hanoi and dined here with 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.

Serving high-quality northern Vietnamese food to a loyal following of locals (and the occasional tourist from the attached De Syloia Hotel), Cay Cau has a broad menu of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. The tofu is particularly tasty.

With three always-full 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 seriously good service and excel at keeping it simple.

The West Lake branch of a chain of Argentinean steak houses with outlets in Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok, El Gaucho Hanoi is modern and assured. A variety of cuts are imported from the United States and Australia. Sides range from macaroni-and-cheese and creamed spinach to healthier choices, like arugula salad and corn on the cob.

This restaurant has plenty of gluten-free options and specializes in cooking classes. 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 Japanese equivalent of your friendly neighborhood diner, this cozy restaurant is a longstanding favorite of older and affluent Hanoians. Reasonable prices encourage overindulgence in sushi or sashimi; the lunch specials are good value at around 200,000d. Seating is in small private rooms or at a long polished bar on the ground floor.

Opened in 1901, Le Beaulieu was 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.

When it comes to Japanese food in the capital, Masu has indisputably raised the bar. The menu is inspired, the ingredients are top-notch, the interior design is becoming, and the staff are appropriately attentive. The sets, which start at 1,500,000d, are difficult to pass up, but you can also order a la carte.

Delicious Italian food is served in this dim and 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.

This all-day cafe serves up some of West Lake's best coffee, with freshly baked cookies, cakes, and croissants to match. Tuck into overnight oats and fresh juice for brunch or peruse a small but thoughtful selection of sandwiches for lunch.

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.

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 things such as noodle soup, eggplants with salt, 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 occasionally spill out onto the street.

Open around the clock, Puku is nothing if not convenient. The international fare served won't have gourmands forming an orderly queue, but the quality is decent. While night owls appreciate the generous opening hours, the restaurant's forte is probably its breakfast options, which include a full range of eggs (Benedict, Florentine, Royale) and a hearty full English. Sports broadcasts, occasional live music, and movies add to the venue's appeal.

Known among Hanoi locals for its vast menu, this eatery has specialties from northern, central, and southern Vietnam. It's almost as popular for the old courtyard setting as for the decent food. The restaurant has additional branches in Ho Chi Minh City and elsewhere in Hanoi.

Quan Cu means "old restaurant," which is a misleading title for this clean, efficient, and well-organized Vietnamese restaurant. The staff speak little English but an attractive picture menu makes ordering easy; try the grilled chicken, any dish with tofu, and the fresh morning glory stir-fried with garlic. Strangely, the dish for which Quan Cu is most famous for is bun thang (a chicken noodle soup dish different from pho), and yet it is decidedly mediocre.

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