Food · Hanoi · Vietnam
What to eat in Hanoi
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Hanoi, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Quangnlnhe182394, CC0
Quick answer
Start with Beef phở, Bún chả and Chả cá Lã Vọng. Join a guided food walk or graze on your own through the Old Quarter: bún chả, nem, bánh cuốn and a bia hơi at a corner stall, all at plastic-stool tables. Many street stalls make a single dish and keep their own hours: phở is mostly a breakfast food, bún chả a lunchtime one.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Beef phở
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 3
- Tipping
- Tipping is not traditionally expected, but it is appreciated.
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Breakfast
1.Beef phở (Phở bò)
Hanoi's version of the national noodle soup has a clear, slow-simmered beef broth, flat rice noodles, spring onions and either rare or well-done beef, with fewer herbs than in the south. Diners add lime, chilli and garlic vinegar.
Where: Specialist phở shops in the Old Quarter, especially around Bát Đàn and Lý Quốc Sư streets; most open early and close once the broth runs out.
Dish
2.Bún chả
Charcoal-grilled pork patties and pork belly served in a sweet-sour fish sauce broth with pickled green papaya, rice vermicelli and herbs to dip. It is Hanoi's classic lunch and is often ordered with crispy spring rolls.
Where: Street-side grills across the Old Quarter at lunchtime, and on Lê Văn Hưu street south of the French Quarter, where Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain ate it in 2016.
Dish
3.Chả cá Lã Vọng
Chunks of turmeric-marinated fish fried at your table with dill and spring onions, then eaten with rice vermicelli, peanuts, herbs and fermented shrimp paste. The Old Quarter's Chả Cá street is named after the dish.
Where: Restaurants on and around Chả Cá street in the Old Quarter.
Breakfast
4.Bánh cuốn
Paper-thin steamed rice sheets rolled around minced pork and wood-ear mushrooms, topped with fried shallots and served with dipping sauce and slices of pork sausage.
Where: Breakfast stalls where you can watch the rice sheets being steamed on cloth over boiling water, common around the Old Quarter.
Dish
5.Bún thang
A delicate Hanoi noodle soup of shredded chicken, thin strips of omelette and pork sausage in a clear chicken broth, traditionally made from leftovers after Tết.
Where: Long-running specialist shops in the Old Quarter; fewer places serve it than phở.
Dish
6.Phở cuốn and phở chiên phồng
Two Hanoi twists on phở noodles: uncut rice sheets rolled around stir-fried beef and herbs, and puffed, deep-fried squares of noodle topped with beef and vegetables in gravy.
Where: Restaurants on Ngũ Xã island beside Trúc Bạch Lake, which specialise in both.
Street food
7.Bánh mì
A crackly Vietnamese baguette filled with pâté, cold cuts, pickled vegetables, herbs and chilli sauce; Hanoi versions are often simpler than Saigon's.
Where: Stalls and small shops throughout the Old Quarter; ask for 'bánh mì chay' at places that offer a vegetarian filling.
Snack
8.Hanoi fried spring rolls (Nem rán)
Rice-paper rolls filled with pork, glass noodles, wood-ear mushroom and egg, fried until crisp and dipped in fish sauce with herbs.
Where: Served alongside bún chả at most grill stalls, and as a starter in family restaurants.
Breakfast
9.Sticky rice (Xôi)
Glutinous rice steamed with toppings such as mung bean paste and fried shallots (xôi xéo) or chicken and pork floss, sold wrapped in leaves for a filling breakfast.
Where: Morning stalls and street vendors across the Old Quarter; ask for mung bean and shallots only if you want it meat-free.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Egg coffee (Cà phê trứng)
Strong Vietnamese coffee topped with a thick, sweet foam of whisked egg yolk, sugar and condensed milk, created in Hanoi in the 1940s when fresh milk was scarce.
Where: Old-established cafés around Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Old Quarter, many tucked upstairs or down narrow alleys.
Drink · Vegetarian
11.Bia hơi
Light, fresh draught beer brewed daily and served from kegs at street-corner stalls, sometimes for well under a dollar a glass, with plastic stools spilling across the pavement.
Where: Bia hơi stalls throughout the Old Quarter; they get busy from late afternoon.
Dessert · Vegetarian
12.Tràng Tiền ice cream (Kem Tràng Tiền)
A Hanoi institution since the 1950s, serving ice cream and ice lollies in flavours such as green young rice (cốm), coconut and taro.
Where: The original shop on Tràng Tiền street, between Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Opera House.
Food experiences
Evening street-food walk
Join a guided food walk or graze on your own through the Old Quarter: bún chả, nem, bánh cuốn and a bia hơi at a corner stall, all at plastic-stool tables.
Coffee crawl
Try egg coffee, coconut coffee and iced coffee with condensed milk in cafés overlooking Hoàn Kiếm Lake or hidden up narrow staircases.
Market cooking class
Many cooking schools start with a market visit to buy herbs and produce before teaching you to make phở, spring rolls and bún chả.
Ngũ Xã island dinner
Eat phở cuốn and phở chiên phồng at the specialist restaurants beside Trúc Bạch Lake, then walk along the lakeshore.
Quick bites and street food
- Beef phở — Specialist phở shops in the Old Quarter, especially around Bát Đàn and Lý Quốc Sư streets; most open early and close once the broth runs out.
- Bánh cuốn — Breakfast stalls where you can watch the rice sheets being steamed on cloth over boiling water, common around the Old Quarter.
- Bánh mì — Stalls and small shops throughout the Old Quarter; ask for 'bánh mì chay' at places that offer a vegetarian filling.
- Hanoi fried spring rolls — Served alongside bún chả at most grill stalls, and as a starter in family restaurants.
- Sticky rice — Morning stalls and street vendors across the Old Quarter; ask for mung bean and shallots only if you want it meat-free.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 3 are usually vegetarian: Egg coffee, Bia hơi and Tràng Tiền ice cream. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many street stalls make a single dish and keep their own hours: phở is mostly a breakfast food, bún chả a lunchtime one.
- Choose busy stalls with a quick turnover of local customers; it is the best sign of fresh food.
- Prices at street stalls are usually fixed and displayed; agree prices at seafood places that charge by weight.
- Packaged wet wipes and peanuts left on the table are often charged if you use them.
- Ask for 'không cay' if you do not want chilli, and 'không đá' if you prefer no ice.
Tipping
Tipping is not traditionally expected, but it is appreciated. Upscale restaurants may add a service charge; tip guides and drivers on tours, and round up for good service elsewhere.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Xin chào | Hello |
| Cảm ơn | Thank you |
| Bao nhiêu tiền? | How much is it? |
| Không cay | Not spicy |
| Tính tiền | The bill, please |
| Ngon quá! | Delicious! |
| Một, hai, ba, dô! | One, two, three, cheers! |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Hanoi famous for?
Beef phở, Bún chả, Chả cá Lã Vọng and Bánh cuốn. Hanoi's version of the national noodle soup has a clear, slow-simmered beef broth, flat rice noodles, spring onions and either rare or well-done beef, with fewer herbs than in the south.
+Is Hanoi good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Egg coffee, Bia hơi and Tràng Tiền ice cream.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Hanoi?
Tipping is not traditionally expected, but it is appreciated. Upscale restaurants may add a service charge; tip guides and drivers on tours, and round up for good service elsewhere.