Hanoi food guide
As the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi is one of the best cities to explore traditional Vietnamese food. Known for its regional variety, it’s the perfect place to sample northern Vietnamese cuisine, while also offering must-try dishes from central and southern regions. Among its most iconic local dishes are Bún Chả, featuring grilled pork with vermicelli noodles, and Bún Thang, a delicate noodle soup with chicken, pork, and egg—both of which originated in Hanoi.
Hanoi is one of our favourite Asian cities, with its unique mix of Chinese and French influences shaping not only its street food and local cuisine, but also its culture and architecture. Wandering through its busy streets is an adventure in itself — from bustling markets to chaotic traffic, where crossing the road means stepping out confidently as motorbikes part around you.
In this quick Hanoi food guide, we’ll introduce you to some of our favourite restaurants and the authentic Vietnamese dishes they serve, helping you make the most of your food experience in Hanoi.
Best places for Bánh Mì (Vietnamese baguette)
Really well filled Bánh Mì with their own special home-made sauce. They have limited seating but it gets incredibly busy with locals and they do sell out of some items later in the day.
A very popular place with tourists so it does have more of a tourist restaurant vibe with nice seating along with decent coffee and juices, yummy Bánh Mì though and you can get the classic sandwich version or served in a pan with ingredients and the bread for dipping
Another great small place for a Bánh Mì with good prices, located near to Bánh Mì 25 but more of an authentic local place.
Best places for Phở (aromatic noodle soup)
Probably the most famous phở restaurant in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, as evidenced by the frequent queues outside, this is one of the best places to try traditional beef phở. For the best experience, try it with a quẩy (fried dough sticks).
Specialising in well priced tasty chicken noodle soups it's a small local place and a great place to try a Phở or Bún Thang amongst over dishes.
Best Places for Hanoi’s Famous Egg Coffee (frothy, sweet coffee)
Widely credited with creating egg coffee, it's a must-visit for anyone wanting to try it. The egg coffee itself is delicious, and the café is popular with both tourists and locals. Be warned, though this place can get incredibly busy, making it less relaxing than some other cafés. Still, it’s a great spot to enjoy an egg coffee.
Probably our favourite egg coffee café in Hanoi. It’s delicious, reasonably priced, and the owner is an absolute gent. It’s a very local spot, but you can usually find a seat even during busy times of day.
Where to Get Good Bánh Rán (sweet, crispy balls)
You'll find ladies selling sweet bánh rán on the streets all over Hanoi, but these are often stale and overpriced. For fresh bánh rán at a fixed price, head to P. Hàng Chiếu Street, where you can buy them from street vendors with sesame seeds, caramelized sugar, or syrup.
Other good restaurants we found
As the name suggests they specialise in Bún Bò Nam Bộ (stir fried beef and noodles) and it's a great place to try it, preferably with a side of delicious nem chua ran (fried battered pork rolls.)
If you're looking to try the Southern delicacy bún mắm (very unami noodle soup) while in Hanoi, we highly recommend this spot. It's delicious and comes in various versions, such as with pork, seafood, or both! The portions are big and filling, no matter which option you choose.
A heaven for people who enjoy fried Vietnamese snacks, they sell both bánh rán thịt (savory fried rice cakes) and the sweet version, bánh gối, bánh tôm (shrimp fritters), spring rolls, fried dumplings, and wontons. In addition to fried foods, they also offer phở cuốn (rolled phở sheets with beef) , summer rolls, sausages, nem lụi, nem chua rán (fried fermented pork), and bánh bột lọc (tapioca dumplings). As you enter, you’re given a pen and paper to write down how many pieces of each item you want, and soon they’ll appear on your plate. It’s very easy to get carried away and over-order, but it's not the worst thing that can happen. It's a great place to try lots of different snacks.
Probably our favourite bún chả (pork and vermicelli noodles) place in Hanoi and there are a lot to choose from! It’s a small, unassuming spot down an alleyway, run by a mother and son. There’s nothing fancy here, just good prices and incredible bún chả.
📍 Bánh Xèo Tôm Nhảy Thanh Sang
Great Bánh Xèo (crispy savoury pancakes) at a very local place, this version includes rice paper that needs to be softened in a basin of water before rolling, don't worry staff will be on hand to show you how! They also serve lovely nem lui (grilled minced pork sticks). Its a little difficult to find, you need to go up the steps from the road up to the 2nd floor to find it.
A great little place that does delicious bahn khot (small savoury prawn pancakes) and bahn xeo (bigger savoury pancakes) along with some tasty goi cuon (fried spring rolls) and a very nice bun bo nam bo (stir fried beef noodles) along with many other dishes. Its popular with both tourists and locals.
