Discover The Best Restaurants In Hanoi: 19 GREAT Options
What Are Hanoi’s Best Restaurants?
After spending four weeks exploring Hanoi’s brilliant food scene, I’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to help you navigate through the city’s landscape.
From the winding streets of the Old Quarter to surprisingly affordable Michelin-recognised establishments, Hanoi offers an incredible array of dining options that won’t break the bank.
However, finding truly authentic Vietnamese cuisine can be a challenge when you’re unfamiliar with the city.
Many tourists end up in overpriced tourist traps serving watered-down versions of local dishes.
During my month-long stay, I made it my mission to eat like a local, seeking out restaurants where the flavours transported me to the heart of Vietnamese culinary tradition.
My most memorable meal actually happened quite unexpectedly. I had stumbled upon a small, unassuming restaurant tucked away in the Old Quarter. The owner spoke little English but welcomed me with a warm smile and served what turned out to be the most extraordinary bún chả I’ve ever tasted.
This experience taught me that sometimes the best dining experiences in Hanoi come without fancy décor or international recognition.
Whether you’re a seasoned foodie looking for high-end Vietnamese cuisine or a traveller on a budget seeking authentic street food experiences, this guide will help you explore Hanoi’s diverse culinary landscape and ensure every meal becomes a highlight of your trip.
Make sure you read about the best things to do in Hanoi and where to stay in Hanoi with my useful travel guides.
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Find The Best Restaurants In Hanoi Near Me
Hanoi Street Food Tour
A great way to enjoy the best food Hanoi has to offer is to take a group tour.
Below are listed some of the best-rated and very affordable options for any visitor to Hanoi.
Savour authentic Vietnamese food with an English-speaking guide and get inspired to try making some authentic meals yourself when you return home.
Hanoi: Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings
Hanoi: Guided Food Tour with Train Street & Spa experience
Hanoi: Old Quarter Street Food Tour with 12+ Tastings
Hao Beo
I found this hidden gem right on the street outside my guesthouse.
It’s a long, narrow street of about 100 metres, with street food lining both sides.
To be honest, I loved eating here. Small plastic seats dot the road where motorbikes still ride through, even when the place is packed full of people.
I enjoyed the seafood fried rice and watermelon juice – this became my typical meal here. It came to 70,000 Vietnamese dong (€2.31/£1.96/$2.66) and was extremely filling.
By the end of my trip, the family who ran it would say hello to me every morning as I left to explore the city, greeting me with big smiles and wondering if I would visit later.
For the value, I couldn’t recommend Hao Beo enough – some of Hanoi’s best street food.
I also have a 3-day Hanoi Itinerary to help plan your trip.
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Món Chay Bún Chả Que Tre
This simple and authentic Vietnamese restaurant is a great place for vegetarians and others to eat in Hanoi.
I’m not a vegetarian, but I do love tofu.
When I visited, I loved the fried tofu with rice and sauce; it was typical Vietnamese: simple yet delicious.
I paid 60,000 Vietnamese dong for this meal, and it was filling.
This was one of my favourite restaurants in Hanoi, and it was close to Beer Street, perfect for washing down your meal with some cheap Vietnamese drinks.
Read my post about Hanoi Train Street: My Honest Review
Met Restaurant – Authentic Vietnamese Chain
Met Restaurant is an elegant and tasty place to eat in Hanoi.
I visited this place a number of times, especially after a gym session. I loved refuelling here.
Another authentic Vietnamese restaurant, I fell in love with the papaya salad and fried vegetables with rice.
They even have some incredible tea with fancy drinkware.
The staff were extremely friendly and approachable, and they made me feel relaxed.
There are two levels, so when I walked in, it looked small, but it was always busy when I walked past.
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India Aahar
I love Indian food, and Hanoi has loads of Indian restaurants, which I found to be fantastic.
India Aahar offered me some incredible paneer and korma dishes that could be made to taste in terms of spiciness. They got it spot on for me.
Sometimes Indian curry can be tasteless and almost watered down, but in this case, the sauce was perfect, the paneer soft, and the rice was fluffy.
The restaurant is small and located very close to the north side of Hoan Kiem Lake.
When I finished, I walked around trying to burn off all the calories, but I didn’t regret eating here, one of Hanoi’s best Indian restaurants.
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Bỗng – Ốc Ngon Hà Nội
This place pleasantly surprised me.
I was on my way to see some of Hanoi’s old French architecture and found Bỗng – Ốc Ngon Hà Nội.
It was actually hard to get a table inside, so I ended up eating outside, which was fine.
The staff spoke no English when I visited, but I didn’t hold it against them.
I thought, now I need to start learning more Vietnamese words, which I duly did.
I had incredible fried spring rolls with spicy dipping sauce (Nem Oc) and tasty peach and lychee tea. The spring rolls were cripsy and crumbled as I chewed down, which made the texture surprising and delightful.
The sweet and spicy taste of the dipping sauce gave it another element of flavour that I loved.
The portion was small, but the taste was superb.
Read My 2 Week Vietnam Itinerary To Plan Your Trip With Ease
Six Degrees
If you want a fantastic restaurant in Hanoi with panoramic city views at night, I recommend trying Six Degrees.
PS – don’t miss the best things to do in Hanoi at night. I made a guide just for you about this topic.
They have parking downstairs for motorbikes, and once you take the lift to the top floor, you’ll be mightily impressed.
There was a lady playing the violin as I was entering.
Outside, the balcony was packed with people sitting overlooking West Lake and the surrounding city.
My friend got the fried spaghetti with shrimp and mushrooms, and I got the stone pot fried rice with teriyaki shrimp.
To be honest, it was amazing, one of the best meals I had in my time in Hanoi.
At the end of the meal, I went out to enjoy the views of the city.
Bun Cha Dac Kim
My favourite Michelin-starred restaurant I visited in Hanoi was Bun Cha Dac Kim.
I was so lucky because it was a five-minute walk from my guesthouse in Hanoi, Old Town Palace Guesthouse.
I ate here numerous times, and the staff were so kind.
They first brought me a large bowl of fresh salad, and it never had blemishes on the leaves.
Mint, lime, garlic, and red chilli slices were added to it, along with the soup, of course.
An incredible woman fried the spring rolls on the street, but I pointed to the menu and showed her what I wanted.
This was the cleanest, freshest bun cha I’ve eaten in all of Vietnam.
I could totally understand why it got the Michelin star.
I recommend ordering the kebab rice noodles (70,000 Vietnamese dong) and crispy sea crab rolls (25,000 Vietnamese dong per piece).
Bun Cha Nem Qua Bey
I found this amazing restaurant in Hanoi when I was randomly strolling through the French Quarter.
The owner, a lovely lady, greeted me and welcomed me in.
I couldn’t say no.
I sat down outside, and there were only locals eating. This is what I loved about the experience.
The family across from me, as well as the owners, were interested in me and asked questions, which I enjoyed.
However, the food was tasty and very affordable.
I ordered grilled pork noodle salad and vegetables (45,000 Vietnamese dong) as well as one spring roll, young rice pork and Sword Lake crispy shrimp pastry (15,000 Vietnamese dong each).
Honestly, there was so much food that I couldn’t finish it, as much as I wanted to.
The flavours were sharp and spicy, and so fresh.
Whilst the options were limited (see the menu), the food was some of the best I’ve eaten in Hanoi.
Read My Guide About The Best Vegan Food In Hanoi
Bún Chả Hương Liên – The Obama/Bourdain Restaurant
I was always going to visit Bún Chả Hương Liên.
They even have a small glass museum-style cover at the table where Obama and Bourdain ate back in May 2016.
I was expecting the restaurant to be packed with travellers, and while there were a couple of tables, it was 70/30 locals to tourists, which made me enjoy it all the more.
When I sat down at the table, my food was rapidly brought over. The taste of the broth was mouthwatering, and the chunks of meat were delicious.
Throw in a handful of salad leaves, garlic, and red chilli, and I was in food heaven.
It was a delight to visit an amazing place, and the added touch of the former US president and legendary Bourdain made it extra fun.
For me, this is one of the best restaurants in all of Hanoi.
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Pho Ga 26
This hidden gem was a perfect place to try authentic Vietnamese food.
I had to sit with a few locals, and while the restaurant was mostly empty, they spoke English with me and helped me choose what to order.
It was lovely to see the daughter and mother talking in Vietnamese, and her daughter translated for me.
The food was fresh and incredibly large. I couldn’t finish the pho, but it was exactly as you would expect.
Tasty, fresh and filling.
The mother wanted a photo with me at the end, so here we are posing outside the restaurant.
I couldn’t recommend this enough for some of Hanoi’s best pho.
Read My In-Depth Post About Hanoi’s Best Pho.
AMY Indian Restaurant – Pure Vegetarian & Jain Food
If you’re a vegetarian and love Indian food, make sure you visit AMY Indian Restaurant.
Even if you’re not a vegetarian, it’s a great place to eat in Hanoi. Think of the creamiest sauce you can imagine; this was even better.
I was given complimentary peanuts, which tasted great, and I couldn’t leave without an incredible sweet lassi.
For a moment, I forgot I was in Hanoi and felt like I was back in Delhi.
The portion sizes were a little smaller than I would have liked, but my waistline thanked me later.
Indian food can be heavy, but this place made it authentically and exceptionally well.
The staff were friendly, and they told me the restaurant was new and had opened recently.
I was delighted to support their new business.
Honestly, it was a brilliant meal, and I recommend you try the Shahi Paneer.
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Bánh Mỳ 38 Đinh Liệt – Bánh Mỳ Phố Cổ
Looking for an authentic Vietnamese breakfast and some of the best food in Hanoi’s Old Quarter?
Then you must try Bánh Mỳ 38 Đinh Liệt – Bánh Mỳ Phố Cổ.
I found this place one morning close to the shark jaw building, and when I saw other people eating their breakfasts, I said, “Yep, that’s for me.”
Get the beef steak, and I promise it won’t disappoint.
The food came out on a tray that was piping hot, steam gushing up into the air around me, and I dipped my chips into the eggs, bursting open with delightful yellow that made me smile from ear to ear.
Again, this place had loads of atmosphere, people walking past, horns beeping, and the noise of the kitchen at full pelt right in front of me.
Eat here for a wonderful Vietnamese culinary experience.
It’s not healthy, but it is tasty.
Lẩu Nướng Các Món Nhậu
It was at Lẩu Nướng Các Món Nhậu that I celebrated my birthday with the largest hot pot I think I’ve ever had in Southeast Asia.
They told me it was enough for one person, but it could have easily fed three people. Anyway, I found myself with a table packed full of food – and all for myself.
I had eaten here a couple of nights before, too, and I tried the fried rice, which was nice, but the hot pot was special.
Large prawns, chunks of meat, mushrooms, and broth you could only dream of.
It took me half an hour to eat half of the meal, but at that point, I was almost in a food coma.
Seriously, eating out on the street in a chaotic part of Hanoi’s Old Quarter with some of the best food imaginable was the best birthday experience a traveller could ask for.
Zaika Indian Restaurant
In my view, Zaika restaurant is a top Hanoi Old Quarter place to eat.
I felt privileged to have the restaurant mostly all to myself.
When the food came, I could smell the aromas before I could see it. Always a nice experience.
I opted for the matar paneer, and for 150,000 dong, it felt like a good deal.
Was it as nice as Swad Kitchen – another Indian restaurant and one of my all-time favourite Hanoi places to eat?
No, if I’m honest, but still another good option to consider when looking for places near me to eat in Hanoi.
Tungs Kitchen
Tungs Kitchen is a small but mighty restaurant close to Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
I recommend trying the vegetable fried rice and tasty broth soup. The food here was simple but packed with flavour.
The rice was fluffy and flavoursome.
The restaurant also offers cooking classes, and sadly, this time around, I couldn’t experience that, but if you want to prepare your own meal, then this could be the place for you.
Tungs Kitchen is very close to the lake, so you can head over that way after eating to walk off the food and finish off a nice day of Hanoi’s best food.
Phở Cuốn Chinh Thắng
Another epic place to eat in Hanoi is located close to Hồ Trúc Bạch.
The Michelin-starred Phở Cuốn Chinh Thắng has some incredible pho cuon rolls and stir-fried noodles with beef and vegetables.
This place is run by locals and was packed with locals, so it felt like an authentic Vietnamese dining experience.
I didn’t realise there are seats upstairs too, so it’s much bigger than I originally thought. When I visited, there was major construction going on in that part of Hanoi, so it was harder to reach and noisier.
But I felt so happy after finding this place thanks to a friend’s recommendation.
Yoi Sushi & Ramen
Another special restaurant in Hanoi is Yoi Sushi & Ramen.
I went here at least three times. It’s right on the edge of Hoan Kiem Lake, so it’s nice to walk around the lake after a meal.
While it only opens at 5:00 PM, it offers an authentic and relaxed atmosphere with large pieces of sushi, which I fondly remember even today.
My friend was delighted with the ramen bowl with pork and rice, whereas I enjoyed salmon and avocado rolls.
Not too spicy, but of course, you can add more wasabi, and there’s always ginger to remove the spice.
Swad Kitchen
The best Indian food I ate in Hanoi was at Swad Kitchen.
I’m not ashamed to say I ate here over five times. By the end, the waitress was giving me my drink for free with the meal.
Top quality service.
I recommend the paneer masala for a creamy and not-so-spicy dish, and the chicken tikka masala, both ranging from 185,000 to 200,000 Vietnamese dong.
The restaurant was small, but most of the time I was there, it was full of many Indian people. I overheard them talking, and they felt it was just as good as back home.
The owner was Indian, which added to the authenticity.
I spent three weeks in India, and I felt like this was the closest thing to that authentic Indian food.
Sushi Kei Vincom Royal City
I love sushi, and Hanoi has some incredible places to eat in the Old Quarter and beyond.
When I visited the shopping centre to find HLC Starry Sky Art Museum at Vincom Royal City, I was taken aback by the scale of the place.
I was even more taken aback by the quality of the sushi. Found on the bottom level of the shopping centre, it was fresh, tasty, and affordable compared to other restaurants in the city.
The staff were friendly, and I’d urge any sushi lovers who want a great meal to try this place.
I recommend the scallops and cheese, and vegetarian rolls.
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Final Thoughts/Conclusion
I think it’s fair to say that after spending a month in Hanoi, I’ve experienced some of the best restaurants in the capital.
My personal favourites were Swad Kitchen. But for authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the Old Quarter, I would go for the Met Restaurant and Bun Cha Dac Kim.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my list of the best coffee in Hanoi.
I also have a packing list for Southeast Asia, so make sure you read that before arriving in Hanoi.
Any questions? Just drop me a message.
Thanks for reading,
James
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