Finding The Best Pho In Hanoi: 10 Places To Try
Where To Eat The Best Pho In Hanoi?
The best pho in Hanoi exists somewhere in a city with thousands of places serving it.
Which sounds great until you’re standing on a street corner trying to pick one.
Vietnam’s capital has more pho shops than you can reasonably visit. Walk around the Old Quarter and you’ll see them everywhere. Most tourists end up at the same handful of spots their hotel mentions.
The real question is where to go and what you’ll pay. Because not every bowl is worth your time.
I spent four weeks in Hanoi eating pho. Pretty much every lunchtime, sometimes dinner too.
Being celiac actually worked in my favour since pho is naturally gluten-free. Rice noodles, bone broth, fresh herbs. While other people were figuring out breakfast, I was just eating more pho.
At Pho Ga 26, the owner wanted to take a photo with me. Her daughter took the photo, laughing the whole time. It was nice. Very typical of how friendly people are in Hanoi.
If you travel for good food, this guide will help you find the best bowls and skip the average ones. You’ll know what to order and what things should cost.
Because when there are this many options, you might as well eat at the good places.
You can read more about the Best Things To Do In Hanoi when you’re finished with this post.
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Map Of Hanoi’s Best Pho Locations
What Is Pho?
You can’t visit Vietnam without knowing what pho is.
This traditional Vietnamese dish is the pinnacle of Vietnamese cuisine. I’ve had my fair share of pho during three and a half months in every corner of Vietnam, and each place is unique.
Maybe you prefer chicken (Pho Ga) or beef (Pho Bo)? You can add as much garlic, chillies, salad leaves, and herbs as you like, but the real flavour is found in the clear broth.
The French colonial period in the 19th century is said to have inspired the idea for pho.
Some people say Hanoi is the home of pho, while others point towards Nam Dinh.
I love the rice noodles that vary in thickness depending on where you go. Large chunks of meat and chopsticks in hand are necessary to live the local experience with the locals’ most favourite dish.
Once you arrive in Hanoi, you’ll see locals sitting outside in groups, slurping away at their bowls of pho every day.
This will be a real Vietnamese cultural moment for you, and I urge you to take it all in and join them.
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Phở Gà Nguyệt
Phở Gà Nguyệt has some of the best pho you can imagine.
It’s located a stone’s throw away from Hoan Kiem Lake, which brings people from all over the city to try the pho.
It’s on the roadside, and you can enter inside and sit down, but it’s small. Here you can get chicken pho with large chunks of fatty chicken that is flavoursome and filling.
The noodles are tender, and you can expect a bowl to cost between 55,000 and 120,000 Vietnamese dong, a little higher than local restaurants in the Old Quarter.
The nice thing is you can add extra chicken, but it will cost you another 25,000. The skin is packed full of taste, and social media reviews make it glow and bring people in.
Add chilli sauce and lemon to spice things up, but this is one of the better places in Hanoi to try the famous chicken pho.
Address: 5b P. Phủ Doãn, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
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Phở Bò Việt Hòa Cụ Chiêu
A short walk from Beer Street in the Old Quarter is Phở Bò Việt Hòa Cụ Chiêu.
As you walk into the restaurant, you’ll see a guy cooking the pho at the door with large pots on the boil. Inside, there are limited seats, but it has a homely and lovely feel to it.
Here you can have authentic Vietnamese pho bo: large chunks of beef with added chillies and green onions. Simple and effective.
You can escape the much busier restaurants in the Beer Street area. Why not find a little haven of quiet and enjoy some amazing Hanoi food?
You’ll find it hard to spot any MSG in the food here.
Run by a local family, you can even get the beef cooked as requested.
Address: 48 P. Hàng Đồng, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
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Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su
Another great place with rave reviews for pho in Hanoi is Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su.
Whenever I walked past this place to visit some of my favourite coffee shops (egg coffee in Hanoi is special), the line was out the door. It’s another eatery close to Hoan Kiem Lake, and you can walk around afterwards to feel the nighttime vibe of the city.
Back to the pho: you can pay 70,000 Vietnamese dong for a bowl, or 100,000 for a special bowl. If you like a large serving with herbs, savoury broth, and reddish beef, look no further.
A savoury broth with thinly sliced beef and nourishing noodles makes a perfect traditional bowl of Pho Bo. There are lots of options here, as well as different cuts of beef.
There are actually several locations in the Old Quarter, so you know you’ll get quality at these places.
The good thing is that the price is reasonable, and you’ll find tourists and locals inside.
After eating here, I recommend going for an egg coffee at Loading T Café a few metres away.
Address: 10 P. Lý Quốc Sư, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
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Phở Gà HBO
Phở Gà HBO serves some of the best pho in Hanoi.
This isn’t a sit-down restaurant for big groups but rather a street-side spot with small plastic stools synonymous with Hanoi street food.
You can choose between chicken, wings, back, thigh, or mixed chicken. The menu isn’t large, but that often means the tastiest dishes. You can wash it down with iced tea or soy milk.
The broth is light, and you can pop in for breakfast as Phở Gà HBO closes at 1:30 pm, so no late dinner here.
This authentic Vietnamese eatery has been open for ten years, and people love it!
Expect to pay between 50,000–60,000 Vietnamese dong for a bowl of Hanoi’s finest pho.
Address: 24 P. Lãn Ông, Hàng Bồ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
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PHO Ga 26
I found Pho Ga 26 one day while walking around the city, and I was so thankful.
When I arrived at the door, there were only four locals eating. They happily acknowledged me when I sat beside them.
I waited, thinking staff would come to me, but first they brought me some small green fruits with seeds that to this day I don’t know the name of. Then, shortly after, a large bowl of pho came with huge pieces of chicken, and I could add garlic and chilli as I pleased.
As I was struggling to finish my bowl of pho because of its size, the waitress spoke to me and her mother.
It was a warm exchange, and after, we took a photo outside the restaurant. The experience at Pho Ga 26 and the quality of the fresh ingredients made it to the top of my list of the best pho in Hanoi.
Address: 26 P. Lương Văn Can, Hàng Gai, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam & 26 P. Nguyễn Đình Chiểu, Lê Đại Hành, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam
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Huyền Hương Chicken Phở
This restaurant is dedicated to pho!
Located just off Hoan Kiem Lake, Huyền Hương Chicken Phở offers some tasty pho and is a popular place for travellers to try.
It’s open from 6:30 am until 9:00 pm, and you can try the special mixed pho, which is the best seller. Think chunky pieces of chicken (including the fat) with savoury bone broth and green onion.
You have options to try a mixed chicken pho, where you can pour the broth over yourself from a side bowl, or try the pork or beef pho too.
You can expect to pay around 120,000–150,000 Vietnamese dong for a great bowl of pho.
When you’re done, I recommend walking around Hoan Kiem Lake for a better way to settle the meal.
Address: 20 P. Báo Khánh, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
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MET RESTAURANT
I visited MET Restaurant several times during my month in Hanoi.
The food was fresh, the service excellent, and they served some of the best pho in the city.
I went for the chicken pho, which was tasty and filling. It’s close to Hoan Kiem Lake, so it’s central and convenient.
A bowl of pho here (beef, chicken, or seafood) costs between 100,000 and 140,000 Vietnamese dong.
When I visited, it felt like a fancy place to eat without the prices or attitude. I really enjoyed eating at MET Restaurant.
Address: 110 P. Hàng Gai, Hàng Gai, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
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Phở Ông Vui – Hàng Giầy
Phở Ông Vui – Hàng Giầy has a simple menu: normal is 60,000 Vietnamese dong or special is 90,000 Vietnamese dong for beef noodles with the option of fried dough sticks on the side.
This is another small family-run place to eat some of Hanoi’s best pho.
While it’s a small place with only a couple of tables, you can normally get a spot. The nice thing is it’s not normally packed with tourists, so you can have an authentic local experience and see what they eat like day to day.
You get lots of beef in the pho, and you can dip the dough stick right into the pho, something I didn’t see often in my travels in Vietnam.
Address: 25 P. Hàng Giầy, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
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Phở Bò Yến
Phở Bò Yến is a tiny restaurant closer to West Lake than the Old Quarter, but it has a great reputation for the best pho in Hanoi.
You can choose brisket, fatty flank, or have your meat medium rare. Costs range from 45,000–65,000 Vietnamese dong, so reasonably priced overall.
Broths here are fragrant, and you get loads of condiments to add to spice up your pho bo.
Once you finish eating here, I recommend going to Highlands Coffee Du Thuyền Hồ Trúc Bạch for a nice egg coffee overlooking the lake. Some people are even calling for it to get a Michelin star.
You can eat here late at night, which is great after returning from a day trip.
Address: 86 Cửa Bắc, Quán Thánh, Ba Đình, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
Phở Trộn Cô Liên
While Phở Trộn Cô Liên isn’t as central in Hanoi, it offers some amazing pho.
It’s a few minutes’ walk from the One Pillar Pagoda, so you can pop in for lunch or dinner while exploring this part of the city.
This place has a much larger menu, so there are good options to choose from. Again, the cost for some pho is between 40,000 to 65,000 Vietnamese dong.
You can have anything from mixed chicken wings, beef and chicken noodles, or pho with mixed beef. You can also get pork mushroom balls on the side for extra delight with your meal.
The restaurant is clean, and you get a locals’ vibe rather than a tourist hot spot, which is always nice.
That means a more authentic experience of Vietnam’s capital.
Address: 16A P. Ngọc Hà, Đội Cấn, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam
What Types Of Pho Can I Eat?
You can eat different types of pho in Hanoi, chicken, beef, pho with chicken gizzards, seafood and other variations.
While my favourite was chicken (sometimes the beef can be too chewy for me), the broth is normally the thing that makes or breaks a good bowl of pho.
If it’s bland, then the whole meal can be ruined. In my view, if it’s tasty and hot, you can add your spice level as you please, and it’s a fresh and filling dish.
What Condiments Can I Add To Pho?
For me, pho doesn’t need much added to it, but it depends on personal taste.
There are loads of things you can add to your bowl of pho to change the flavour. While I usually add herbs, salad, garlic, and red chillies for heat, you can consider plenty more options.
Bean sprouts can be added for extra crunch. Squeeze some lime for zestiness. Slice up some onions for extra health benefits.
Some restaurants in Hanoi will have hoisin sauce on the side. You can even squeeze in some sriracha sauce for a deeper red chilli flavour and look.
And of course, fish sauce, the staple in many Vietnamese dishes and further afield in Asia.
With all of these condiments, you can spice up your bowl of pho as you please.
Hanoi Pho vs Saigon Pho: What’s the Difference?
After spending time in both Hanoi and Saigon, I’ve seen the difference in pho for myself.
I’m not going to lie, I’m not complaining. Both are tasty and impressive in different ways. However, I have to award the winner to Hanoi’s pho.
I found it to be much more savoury and basic ingredient-wise.
Whereas in Saigon, the broth was different. I’m talking more fat, a little bit sweet, and you typically get more sides like chilli sauce or hoisin sauce, for example.
Now, I don’t think you’ll complain; both are fantastic in their own right. So why not visit both of these wonderful cities and try both types for yourself?
Best Pho In Hanoi Old Quarter
For me, the best pho in Hanoi is Pho Ga 26.
The chicken was chunky but tender. It almost melted in my mouth. The noodles were soft and filling. I could add as much chilli and garlic as I pleased.
What topped off this fantastic bowl of pho (huge, I should add) was the interaction with the owners.
It’s a family-run restaurant where I chatted with the daughter and owner, and we took some photos, a pleasant experience.
All of this, combined, but most importantly, the quality of the pho, made it the best in Hanoi in my view. There is a second restaurant in the Old Quarter, but I ate at the one right beside Thong Nhat Park.
Give one of these great places a whirl for the best pho in Hanoi.
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Final Thoughts/Conclusion
When I think of Hanoi, the most amazing pho comes to mind.
After spending weeks in the city, I explored each part and tried some incredible dishes. While I’d argue the food is better in Hue or Danang, Hanoi still offers fantastic bowls of pho.
Pho is synonymous with Hanoi. You can get some of the best street food in the city. Listed above are the best places to try pho, whether you enjoy chicken, beef, seafood, or mixed meals.
I urge you to try as many of these places as you can when you get to Hanoi.
If you enjoyed the post, make sure you pack correctly for your trip to Southeast Asia.
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Thanks for reading,
James
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