Due to poor planning on my part, I spent a lot of time in Hanoi during my trip to Vietnam at the beginning of this year. In total I spent almost two weeks roaming the streets and frequenting various coffee shops, without drinking a single drop of coffee I might add. Usually I order a nice safe peppermint tea, failing that I’ll choose a mango smoothie! As you can probably guess, this will not be a list of where to find the best coffee in Hanoi. If that is what you were looking for then I suggest you look elsewhere (sorry). What this will be, however, is a list of the coffee shops I visited while I was there and my opinions of them. So if that sounds interesting to you, sit back, grab a coffee and read on.
- The Note ( Open 6:30 am – 11pm)
The Note Coffee was at the top of my list when it came to things I wanted to do in Hanoi. I know it probably should have been the temple of literature or a museum of some sort, but once you see the photos you’ll understand why I was so excited to check it out. It has to be the cutest coffee shop I’ve ever visited! Filled with notes of love left by visitors from all over the world, you can’t help but feel like the walls themselves are giving you one big hug. The peppermint tea was as good as any I’ve had and they do a fantastic matcha iced smoothie too if that floats your boat. I loved this coffee shop and I spent hours there writing blog posts and editing videos, and for most of that time I had a whole floor of the café to myself. If you love post-it notes and good vibes then I would definitely recommend a visit.
Where to find it: The Note Coffee is right in-between Hanoi’s old quarter and Keim Lake (great view of this busy area from the top floor of the café). Easily locatable on google maps, less easy to navigate yourself to if you struggle to dodge speeding motorbikes and follow directions at the same time! It’s located on the right hand corner of the lake as you come out of the old quarter and shouldn’t be too hard to spot, but I did miss it and walk right past it when I was looking for it…
Address: 64 Lương Văn Can, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Hanoi Social Club (Open 8am – 11pm)
When I saw a menu that said “gluten free, vegan spaghetti” I was excited but kept my expectations low. Gluten free pasta dishes can be a hit or miss situation at home, never mind halfway around the world in a country where gluten free is barely even translatable! I was actually pleasantly surprised and had myself a lovely meal. As if things couldn’t get better they even had gluten free chocolate cake! Add to this the homey, comfy atmosphere of the place and you’ve got yourself the perfect spot to hang out for an afternoon. It’s a bit on the pricey side but when you’ve been living off spring rolls for the past two weeks paying a little bit extra for a delicious spaghetti is definitely worth it! If you like a café with mismatched furniture, quirky artwork and dim lighting, then this one is for you.
Where to find it: Within walking distance of the old quarter this hipster café is definitely in a central location, I did have a little trouble finding it though. It is located down a small side street that google maps has no knowledge of so it took me a while to figure out where to go. Once on the side street, however, it is easy enough to locate.
Address: 6 Ngõ Hội Vũ, Hàng Bông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Hidden Gem Café (Open 8am – 11pm)
Hidden Gem is a unique and wonderful place with a great mission! Everything in the café is made from upcycled materials from the seats to the décor and even the cups you drink from! The café’s owner is a friendly man keen to talk about his ambitious mission to clean up South East Asia (and sell his motorbike tours of Hanoi). It is built over four floors, three of which have seating in all shapes, sizes and materials. On the ground floor you will find bike parking and smiling staff waiting to take your order, this is also where you get your first glimpse of the café’s upcycled décor with plastic bottle ceilings and water jug light shades. All around the café are posters about climate change and plastic pollution really expressing the inspiration behind the place. I returned to this café a few times and would recommend going in the evening as the atmosphere is truly at its best at this time.
Where to find it: When they say “hidden gem” they mean hidden! Well not really but it took me far too long to find this place. The hour long search resulted in a smashed up phone and an essential but brief trip to the next coffee shop I’m going to talk about. If I’m honest I just wasn’t using my eyes… as soon as I sat down in the coffee shop across the street I saw the sign saying “Hidden Gem Café this way” and felt like an idiot as I waited for my apple juice and desperately hoped my phone would fix itself. It is right on the edge of Hanoi’s old quarter and if you bring your brain with you really isn’t that hard to find, if all else fails find Always (the Harry Potter themes café) and look across the street, it will be right in front of you.
Address: 3B Hàng Tre, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Always Coffee and Butterbeer (Open 8am – 11pm)
This cute little café needs some TLC but I loved it all the same. It is a Harry Potter themed café and has drinks named after different potions and beverages mentioned in the books and movies. Leave them a review on tripadvisor and you’ll even bag yourself a free deathly hallows necklace. It’s a small café with one floor and a small amount of tables but both times I went I was able to get a seat no problem. As mentioned above, I wasn’t very adventurous the first time I went, opting for what I thought would be a quicker option in the form of apple juice. Unfortunately for me in that moment but something that earns them points in reality, all their fruit juices are made from scratch and so my apple juice took at least ten minutes to come to me. By which time I had been staring at my intended destination for about eight minutes. Disastrous day it may have been, but discovering a Harry Potter themed café was definitely a bright side to my misadventures. When I returned, intentionally this time, I ordered a Felix Felicis (the famous luck potion from Half Blood Prince) and it was delicious! A mango smoothie floating on top of what I think was lemonade, whatever it was it tasted better than I just made it sound! If you’re a Harry Potter fan this is the place for you in Hanoi.
Where to find it: Located on the edge of the old quarter, if you see the Hidden Gem Café then look no further than across the street… the best way to find it would appear to be by looking for something else… (come to think of it maybe it is actual magic and not just a cute theme!) Nearby landmarks I can attest to are a phone repair shop (I’m not bitter I promise) and Highway 4 restaurant.
Address: 8B Hàng Tre, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- 65 Coffee (Open 10:30am – 8:30pm)
This tiny shop is where I chose to spend a whole day watching the train pass through Hanoi’s infamous train street! As seems to be the theme with my travels, I was not actually looking for this coffee shop. In fact I was looking for one I had seen in a vlog when researching my trip to Vietnam (I know I might not have a solid plan but I promise I do at least a bit of research before I arrive in a new country). I located my predetermined café “Hanoi Train Track Café” only to find it had closed down. A bit disappointed but determined not to let it dampen my spirits I walked about five minutes down the track and was welcomed by a wonderful smile and told to sit by the owner of 65 Coffee. It was about 35 degrees so the first thing I wanted was a cola but as I said I did spend the whole day there so I eventually ordered myself a lemon ice tea (bet you thought I was going to say mango smoothie)! I must have been there from 12pm to 4pm but time flew by; chatting with other tourists and the shop owners, waiting for trains to speed past at unbelievable speeds for a residential street and making friends with a very dirty but very sweet dog. I definitely recommend this little spot if you are interested in checking out train street. It is much quieter than the other end which is usually crowded with tourists trying to get a snap of the unbelievable sight of a train driving edge to edge with people’s actual homes!
Where to find it: Well, the clue is in the last paragraph really but you can find this café on Hanoi’s train street. I walked there from the old quarter and it was manageable despite the heat. There are a few café’s along the street and if you are interested in train street I will be posting a blog soon detailing my day there.
Address: 65 Ngõ 224 Lê Duẩn, Khâm Thiên, Đống Đa, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Well Travelled Lass 
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