Many must-try food and drink spots around the area always draw customers.
1. Pho Thin Bo Ho (Thin Noodle)
Pho Thin Bo Ho is the common name of the Thin Pho (noodle) restaurant on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, opposite Ngoc Son Temple, among the oldest Pho restaurants in Hanoi. Founded in 1955, the restaurant offers a traditional version with clear, richly flavoured bone broth. Customers can choose from rare beef, well-done brisket, flank, or fatty cuts served with tender rice noodles.
Pho Thin (Photo by Nguyen Ha Nam)
The facility is in a small alley to accommodate only 20 guests. At peak hours in the morning and evening, diners often have to queue for a seat.
Opening hours: 5 am-1 pm, 5 pm-10 pm
Price: VND60,000-80,000
2. Dinh Café
Perched on the second floor of a French-style village at 13 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Dinh Café is a familiar destination for many visitors, including foreigners.
The coffee shop was opened in the 1990s by the daughter of Giang, the creator of Hanoi's famous egg coffee. It features a cosy space with yellowed walls and low wooden furniture.
Dinh Cafe' attracts a lots of foreigners (Photo by Nguyen Ha Nam)
The café is known for its traditional drip-brewed coffee, which includes creamy egg coffee, velvety hot cocoa, and aromatic bac xiu (a sweet blend of coffee and condensed milk).
The best-seller here is egg coffee.
Opening hours: 7 am-10.30 pm
Price: VND30,000-70,000
3. Nom (salad) Ho Hoan Kiem Street
Ho Hoan Kiem Street is the shortest street in Hanoi, at around 50 metres long, but it is known for many famous dried beef papaya salad stalls.
Nom (salad) on Ho Hoan Kiem Street (Photo by Nguyen Ha Nam)
Long Vi Dung is the most popular name, and it is always full of dinners. It satisfies customers with tender dried beef, crispy beef liver, and slightly chewy tendons, all tossed with shredded green papaya, roasted peanuts, and fragrant herbs for a perfect balance of texture and flavour.
The restaurant also serves various dishes, including bird salad, fresh spring rolls, tapioca dumplings, lemongrass chicken feet, and fried fermented pork rolls.
Opening hours: 8 am-10 pm
Price: VND40,000-60,000
4. Dinh Liet Wonton Noodles
Located right at the entrance of Dinh Liet Street, this wonton noodle restaurant features a spacious storefront and a kitchen positioned at the rear, ensuring smooth and convenient customer flow.
Dinh Liet wonton noodle draws guets for its shrimp-and-pork wontons, and subtly fragrant broth (Photo by Nguyen Ha Nam)
Guests are drawn to the wonton noodle soup for its pleasantly chewy noodles, flavorful shrimp-and-pork wontons, and subtly fragrant broth.
The facility is often crowded, particularly in the evenings.
Opening hours: 7 am-10 pm
Price: VND50,000-VND60,000
5. Ha Trang Hot Snails
Located on Dinh Liet Street, the stall is one of the most renowned snail eateries in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Though priced higher than average at around VND 80,000 per bowl, the eatery attracts customers thanks to its exceptionally fresh snails and meticulously crafted dipping sauces.
The standout dish at the eatery is boiled snails, offering varieties from large-sized (oc mit) to smaller (oc van).
Ha Trang Snail is among the most renowned snail eateries in Hanoi's Old Quarter (Photo by Nguyen Ha Nam)
The dipping sauce is seen as the soul of dishes. It is meticulously blended from premium fish sauce, kumquat juice, ginger, lime leaves, chilli, and lemongrass. Guests can adjust flavours by themselves.
Opening hours: 2 pm-10 pm
Price: VND60,000-100,000
The area around Hoan Kiem Lake also is home to numerous long-standing snack spots, such as Dong Xuan Market's pork rib congee, grilled rice paper on Hang Tre Street, grilled chicken feet on Ngo Gach Street, and sticky rice balls (banh khuc) on Cau Go Street.
That continue to charm food lovers, such as Dong Xuan Market's pork rib congee, Hang Tre Street's grilled rice paper, Ngo Gach Street's grilled chicken feet, and Cau Go Street's famed sticky rice balls (banh khuc).
