One Day in Hanoi [Part 1]

What to eat and drink for one-day-ish in Hanoi

May 06, 2025

Hello friends!

As you might know, Vietnam just had a long weekend to celebrate Reunification Day. I took the chance to escape to the North and came back with a happy belly. One of my stops was Hanoi and that’s what today’s post is all about.

What we ate and drank in Hanoi

This is all based on my own experience for one late night and one full day in the capital. We had a list of places saved, but with limited time and big appetites, we just went with the flow (a.k.a. ate whatever smelled good and had people sitting).

1. Late Night Eats in the Old Quarter

We landed in Hanoi late and starving, so we headed straight to the Old Quarter for dinner.

Quán Bà Già - Bánh mì tái lăn (5.30PM - 3AM)
📍 Address: 63 Hàng Giấy, Hàng Mã, Hoàn Kiếm
💵 Price: 55,000VND/portion
(We also saw some night market stalls in the area so you can also visit around before or after the meal)

It’s like Bánh mì chảo in Saigon, beef, egg, sausage, fries, topped with coriander and cucumber, but with its own dipping sauce twist. Ask for the sauce and toppings to be served separately if you prefer.

Bonus: There's a lovely lady nearby who sells drinks (yes, beer included).

👉 Tip: Hanoi used to have a midnight curfew. Since 2016, the Hoan Kiem District lets bars and restaurants stay open till 2AM on weekends, but always check before you go, Hanoi doesn’t play around with closing hours.

2. Midnight Drinks Without the Chaos

We didn’t feel like squeezing into the madness of Tạ Hiện Street, so we wandered until we found...

Pub Viet (2PM - 4AM)
📍 Address: 15C Chợ Gạo, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
💵 Price: Beers from 35,000VND | Cocktails from 109,000VND

The drinks were strong (in a good way), the crowd was a nice mix of locals and tourists and there was even a pizza place next door if you fancy for a late night snack.

Also nearby: chill spots for a glass of Bia hơi, Vietnam’s beloved cheap draft beer served on tiny stools. Highly recommended for that authentic street vibe.

Share Vietnam Vibes

3. Starting the Day Right with Breakfast

Bánh Cuốn Nóng - Gà Tần (6AM - 10.30PM)
📍 Address: 108A1 Thành Công, Thành Công, Ba Đình
💵 Price: 15,000 - 45,000VND

Bánh cuốn exists all over Vietnam, but the northern version comes with hot fish sauce (similar as Bún chả’s broth), perfect for colder weather. We ordered pork skewers and cinnamon pork cake and let me just say: the fried shallots were the real highlight to me!

4. Coffee with a View

We skipped the famous Cafe Giảng this time and went for this gem hidden inside an ancient house with a rooftop view of Hoàn Kiếm Lake. There is AC room on second floor if you prefer.

Cafe Phố Cổ (8AM - 11PM)
📍 Address: 11 Hàng Gai, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm
💵 Price: 30,000 - 60,000 VND

The coconut and egg coffees were solid and less sweet than usual, which I liked.

☝️ Just a heads up: the stairs are tiny, so maybe skip leg day before visiting.

5. Afternoon Cool Down with Bia Hơi

The weather was a bit hotter than we expected and to treat ourselves after walking around the Old Quarter, we decided to stop by a place not too far from the St. Joseph Cathedral.

Laca 24 (9AM - 11PM)
📍 Address: 24 Lý Quốc Sư, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm
💵 Price: 14,000 VND / glass of bia hoi Hanoi
(This place also have food as it’s a restaurant if you feel hungry)

It’s got big fans, cheap beer and outdoor seating, just perfect for cooling off.

Fun fact: we were rocking Vietnamese flag shirts for Reunification Day in Vietnam (April 30th) and it was my first time wearing my flag ever!

6. Light Lunch: Hanoi Street Food

It was already 2.30PM and we were not too hungry, so we decided to have a light lunch nearby the bia hoi place to save some space in the stomach for dinner later.

Bánh Gối Lý Quốc Sư (9AM - 9PM)
📍 Address: 52 Lý Quốc Sư, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm
💵 Price: 8,000 - 30,000 VND

We tried a bunch of small things: bánh gối (pillow cake), nem cua bể (crab spring rolls), Bánh rán thịt, Bánh tôm, Nem chạo cuốn, Nem lụi. For references, the ones I highlighted are the ones we liked as it was good to our likings, and yes we judged based on taste and crunch factor.

7. The Famous Train Street

One of the most popular activities when visit Hanoi is to experience the train street, so we couldn’t miss it out. We actually didn’t plan ahead (oops) which place to sit, so we just sat down at the first bar with friendly staff.

Train Street (Recommend to check the timeline of the train before coming for your full experience)
📍 Address: 3 Trần Phú, Hàng Bông, Hoàn Kiếm
💵 Price: From 50,000VND

We had Trúc Bạch beer. Slightly overpriced, but the view of the train coming through made up for it. For more space to sit and better prices, we moved to a nearby spot…

Odéon Bistro (9AM - 10PM)
📍 Address: 5 Trần Phú, Điện Biên, Ba Đình
💵 Price: About 35,000VND/bottle of beer

Cute French-style vibes, cold beer, and a view.

8. Dinner time!

Our hotel was located in West Lake area so we decided to go somewhere nearby to save time, as well as we needed to wake up early the next day.

Ốc Gao Tây Hồ (11AM - 11.30PM)
📍 Address: Trích Sài, Bưởi, Tây Hồ
💵 Price: From 59,000VND/dish

Snails are the go-to sharing dish in Vietnam. This place had more of a Saigon-style twist, different dipping sauces, flavors and cooking styles, and the locals seemed to love it..

IMO, the food was average and I feel like the price doesn’t go along with the portion size. The staff was nice overall, however we had a minor hiccup with the manager/owner. But in the end it didn’t take away our good mood.

That’s a wrap on what we ate and drank in Hanoi in a one-day-ish trip. If you have any recommendations, don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I’ll visit next time!