Hanoi – Food and Drinks

Hanoi Food

Whilst visiting Vietnam, Hanoi food is one of the highlights. There is so much variety to try, some not for the faint hearted. Pho and Banh Mi might take all spot light but there are many other great dishes.

Vietnamese food changes a lot between each city so the food listed below is all Hanoi specialities.

Bún Bò Nam Bộ – Beef Noodle Soup

Specialising in 1 dish, this restaurant has become very famous for its beef noodles. It has a very tasty broth, a little sweet, with rice noodles, beef, herbs, vegetables, crispy fried shallots and peanuts. This is a must try for everyone and a personal Hanoi food favourite.

bún bò nam bộ - beef noodle soup

This restaurant is the only place offering the real Bún Bò Nam Bộ, so if you are looking for the real deal then this is the best and only place to go. The restaurant will be busy all day, every day but it has a fast serving time so you will always find a table.

Add – 73-75 Hàng Điếu, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Price – 75k

Phở Xào Bò – Stir Fried Beef Noodles

Phở Xào Bò is a beef noodle dish made with the thicker phở noodles and stirred fried beef with a thick meat sauce. On the side you get some fresh herbs to mix in.

Phở Xào Bò beef noodle soup

Phở Xào Bò is available all across Hanoi but this particular restaurant is famous for it and customers come here only for this. Expect it to be busy at lunch and you might have a short wait for a table.

Add – 45 P. Bát Đàn, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Price – 80k

Phở Cuốn & Phở Chiên Phồng – Beef Rolls & Fried Noodle with Beef

These are both made from phở noodles but in a very different way to a typical noodle dish. Phở Cuốn, are beef and herbs rolled in the a square sheet of the phở noodles and accompanied with a dipping sauce. They light, fresh and dangerously moreish. The Phở Chiên Phồng are small squares of the noodles deep fried into crispy hollow pillows, ready to soak up the beef and vegetables in a meat sauce that is served on top.

phở cuốn fresh beef spring rolls

These dishes are famous in the Truc Bach area of Hanoi and there are many restaurant to choose from. 1 serving of each would be enough for 2 people. These restaurants are busiest in the evenings.

phở chiên phồng

Add – 31 P. Ngũ Xã, Trúc Bạch, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Price – about 75k per dish

Xôi – Sticky Rice

Xôi can be found on the corner of every street in Hanoi in the morning sold in carts by old woman. A simple sticky rice is topped with either chicken or pork, mung bean paste and fried shallots. There is a number of different sticky rice to choice from the most popular one being yellow turmeric rice.

xôi xéo sticky rice

Although commonly found in the early morning it is much harder to find later in the day but Xoi Yen is open all day and is very popular option as they have more choice for toppings.

Recommend choicing the Turmeric Sticky Rice with Chinese Pork Belly for 37k.

Add – 35b Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam

Price – 25k+

Chả Cá – Pan Fried Fish

Chả Cá is a marinaded fish cooked with dill at your table and eated with rice noodles, peanuts and a dipping sauce. As you finish cooking the fish at your table it is a great experience for a group to eat together in the evening with some beers. There is a number of restaurants that specialise in this dish around Hanoi but they all offer only this dish.

Chả Cá

Add – 6B Đường Thành, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 120k per person

Bún Chả – BBQ Pork with Noodles

Bún Chả is Hanoi food, largest thanks to Obama and Anthony Bourdain enjoying it together in 2016. The popularity exploded with tourists after this and now it is as popular with tourists as it is with locals. The dish consists of pork meatball and pork belly barbequed and served in a warm broth with rice noodles and herbs on the side. You will have garlic and chili on the table to add to your taste. Bún Chả restaurants all also served nem rán, fried spring rolls, and go very well with each other.

bún chả

Bún Chả is served everywhere in Hanoi and a very popular lunch time meal.

Add – 21 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – Bún Chả – 50k, Nem Rán – 10k each

Bánh Rán – Fried Rice Balls

Bánh Rán is a Vietnamese donut made with rice flour and most commonly filled with mung bean paste. These are most commonly eaten in the morning but are an easy snack to get all day. Whilst you can find these sold by people walking around they are best enjoyed fresh and purchased directly from a shop making them.

bánh rán

They are cheap, delicious and easily eaten with your morning coffee.

bánh rán

Add – 52 P. Hàng Chiếu, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 2k – 3k each

Hà Nội Bánh Mì

The famous Bánh Mì!!! Every city in Vietnam has a slightly different style to their bánh mì and Hanoi is no exception. Typically filled with pork meat, pate or egg along with pickled carrot, cucumber, coriander and chilli sauce. Banh Mi 25 has a more extensive menu than most places including vegetarian options.

Available all day and enjoy anytime of day, if you are trying Hanoi food then you will be eating one of these soon enough.

Add – 25 P. Hàng Cá, P, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 30k – 40k

Bánh Bao – Steamed Buns

Bánh Bao has its roots in China but has become a staple in Vietnamese food. It is a steamed bun with a variety of fillings but most commonly quail eggs, pork meat and mushroom all wrapped in the ‘bun’ then steamed. There is lots of other varieties sold includes sweet fillings.

Bánh bao

A good and easy to eat snack available all through the day, all across the city.

Bánh bao

Add – Mainly street vendors on Lương Văn Can, Hàng Gai, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 15k – 25k depending on the size

Bánh Cuốn – Steamed Rice Rolls with Pork

Bánh Cuốn is one of the most common breakfasts in Hanoi. A thin rice batter is cooking with a mixture of pork meat and mushrooms inside and served with fried shallots a dipping sauce. It is often available with pork pie meat, an egg, cucumber or bean sprouts on the side.

Bánh Cuốn

There a lot of restaurants offering Bánh Cuốn in the morning and at lunch across the city and are all equally good.

Add – 14 P. Báo Khánh, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 30k

Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm – Tofu & Pork with Shrimp Paste

Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm will divide opinion more than any other sauce in the world. Fermented shrimp paste. It has a smell you can’t escape but a taste that is loved. The dish is fried tofu, rice noodles and a selection of meats and herbs all served with the shrimp paste. It is a common lunch across Hanoi and a favourite of many people if you can handle the smell.

Bún Đậu Mắm Tôm

Add – 6 P. Mã Mây, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 30k plus any extras

Phở Bò – Beef Noodle Soup

Phở Bò, the most famous of all Vietnamese food and rightly so. It is sold everywhere, eaten by everyone and eaten regularly. Thinly sliced beef is quickly boiled in a delicious broth and served in the broth with noodles and a selection of herbs. You can then add lime, garlic and chili. Phở Bò is particularly good in the north of Vietnam and will be one dish that you will through the country and in the countryside although the quality will be the best in Hanoi.

Phở bò pho beef noodle soup

There are many restaurants offering Phở Bò and it is often the small family owned restaurants that are the best but if it looks busy then you can trust that the locals know where the good Phở Bò is served. It is most commonly eaten in the morning.

Add – 23 P. Hàng Muối, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 45k

Bò Bía Ngot – Coconut and Sugar Cane Wraps

Bò Bía Ngot is a sweet snack usually available in the evening and sold off the back of bikes in the old town, outside apartment blocks, in parks or anywhere else large groups gather but the one place they always are is in between West lake and Truc Bach lake.

bò bía ngọt

A crunchie sugar stick is wrapped with grated coconut and black sesame seeds in rice paper. They are very popular with children but equally delicious for everyone with a sweet tooth.

bò bía ngọt

Add – Between West Lake and Truc Bach Lake

Price – 10k

Trứng Vịt Lộn – Duck Fetus Egg

For those brave enough to try it there is the duck egg with a fetus inside. If you can overcome the look then you can find out where it is so popular in Vietnam.

trứng vịt lộn

Often served in the street and eaten as a quick snack or put inside a hot pot as part of a larger meal it is definitely one of the more unusual Hanoi food.

Add – Moving street vendors

Price – 10k

 Snake Restaurant

This is for the adventurous!!! The snake restaurants in Hanoi have live snakes which are killed and cooked in a variety of ways while the blood, bile and sometimes the heart are mixed with rice wine to drink!!!

hanoi food snake restaurant

Snake meat isn’t known as being particularly delicious but this is an event more than a meal and an experience that some people really love.

As you are paying for a whole snake it is best done in a group as it can be a lot of food and wine rice.

Add – 37 Ng. 137 Việt Hưng, Việt Hưng, Long Biên, Hà Nội 10000

Price – Large range but average 600k per person

Hanoi Drinks

Hanoi food might be special but the drinks here are important as Hanoi runs on 2 drinks, coffee and beer. Coffee shops can be found everywhere and have fantastically strong coffee and a few unique coffee drinks that are worth a try. Bia Hoi is the most common beer in Hanoi and can be found all over the city but there is also wine rice if you want to try something a little stronger.

Bia Hoi – Draught Beer

The greatest of all beers and the only way to really drink in Hanoi, Bia Hoi. This is cheap but delicious draught beer sold all over Hanoi. This is how most locals drink and most Bia Hois have a good menu to go with the beers although the food can be hit and miss and is more expensive compared to street food.

bia hoi draught beer in hanoi

Generally speaking the bigger and busier the Bia Hoi the better the beer will taste. The beers are only 12k each!!!! Which is good since they are often finished in 1 go, trăm / trăm,  100%. You will often heard this said meaning you finish 100% of your beer. Locals may often want to cheers with you, when they go it is good to finish all your beer and shake hands. At 12k you can just order another beer.

Add – 50 P. Bát Đàn, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 12k – per beer, various – food

Tạ Hiện – Beer Street

This is the main beer drinking street in the centre of the old town. Every night you will find plenty of people drinking, eating and having a good time here but at the weekend after 7pm this area is a walking street and it is particularly busy.

ta hien beer street hanoi drinking

There are countless bars with small plastic chairs offering food and beer until midnight with either a view of the craziness or in the heart of it all.

If you want to meet and drink with some locals then this is a great place but expect everyone to be drunk!!!

Add – Tạ Hiện

Price – 25k – per beer, various – food

Trà Chanh – Lemon Tea

Trà Chanh, lemon tea, might be the most refreshing drink there is. It is cold, sweet and a just delicious. The problem is trying to not finish it too quickly. Sold through the city as most coffee shops or at Trà Chanh shops it is the ideal drink in the Hanoi heat.

 tra chanh lemon tea

Add – 31 Đào Duy Từ, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 15k

Cà Phê Cốt Dừa – Coconut Coffee

Coconut coffee. Coconut coffee is tasty cross between a coffee and a milkshake. It is coffee topped with a blended mix of coconut and condensed milk which becomes a firm foam. The result is a stunning looking and tasting drink and a speciality of Cong Ca Phe as well as many coffee shops across the city.

coconut coffee cà phê cốt dừa hanoi

Add – 27 P. Nhà Thờ, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 49k

Cà phê Trứng – Egg Coffee

Egg Coffee, this might sound unusually but once you try it then you know why it is popular. Egg is whisked into a frothy mixture and placed onto of the coffee. You can mix this together to make a drink similar to a cappuccino but with a different taste. It is normally ordered hot but you can get it iced as well. You can find this in many coffee shops in Hanoi but not all of them.

egg coffee hanoi cà phê trứng

Add – 8 P. Chân Cầm, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 50k

Cà Phê Nâu Đá – Condensated Milk Coffee

vietnamese coffee cà phê nâu đá

The regular, delicious but strong Vietnamese filter coffee will keep you awake all day. For most of the year it is drank iced but in the winter most people get it hot. A small amount of strong coffee is mixed with condensed milk. Drinkers beware how strong this coffee can be. Every coffee shop in every town offer this coffee or black without the condensed milk.

Add – 5 P. Chân Cầm, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Price – 25k

Below is our map showing the location of the above Hanoi food, drinks as well as some sightseeing places to visit whilst in Hanoi, you can see more details about them on the link below.

Hanoi Sightseeing Places

To open this map into Google maps just click the square in top right.