Where To Eat In Hanoi, From Egg Coffee To A Heritage Banquet

Hanoi’s famed cà phê trứng (egg coffee) arrives at the table in an egg. Or, more accurately, in an egg-shaped porcelain cup with a white lid set on a stand with a candle flickering at the base. The vessel nods to Hanoi’s famously viral egg coffee, invented in 1946 at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.

In 1946, hotel bartender Nguyễn Văn Giảng created this recipe because fresh milk was not readily available. He whipped egg yolks with sugar to create a frothy sweet foam and topped it over Vietnamese coffee. Eventually, it spread across the city and now appears on almost every corner.

The hotel has a coffee meditation experience as part of a new partnership with UNESCO. Guests can make egg coffee using a recipe that has barely changed since its invention in 1946. But egg coffee is just one of the many treats to enjoy in Hanoi. Here’s a guide to where to eat, from street food to Michelin recognized restaurants to an elaborate traditional banquet.

Hanoi is a legendary street food destination, with an emphasis on noodles. The following is just a sampling of dishes to start with. Bún chả is a must-try; grilled patties and sliced pork come with a warm, sweet-and-sour dipping fish sauce. Dip the cold rice noodles with generous amounts of Vietnam’s near-mandatory plate of fresh herbs. Tuyết Bún Chả 34, a Michelin Bib Gourmand, is a great place to try it.

Chả Cá is a pan of turmeric-marinated catfish sizzling at your table, then placed atop rice noodles with dill, spring onions, peanuts, and those Vietnamese herbs. Another Bib Gourmand, Chả Cá Thăng Long is a popular spot to try it. Bánh cuốn is steamed rice paper sheets rolled and filled with minced shrimp, pork, and/or wood-ear mushrooms.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism added Hanoi-style pho to the national intangible heritage list in 2024 and the government is planning on nominating pho to UNESCO. Northern Hanoi-style pho is known for its clear beefy broth with a more delicate flavor and less add-ons than southern versions. Recommended spots include the following Michelin Bib Gourmands family owned Phở Bò Ấu Triệu for ten-hour simmered beef pho that often sells out, Phở Khôi Hóie and rare cuts of beef, Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư with some of the meltiest soft beef including about ten variations and three total branches in the city.

Beyond Vietnamese food, Michelin-selected Le Beaulieu has served French Food in the old French quarter and is the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Vietnam since 1901. One of its signatures is its tableside cognac flambéed lobster bisque, made with the original recipe. Live jazz accompanies the restaurant’s famed Sunday Brunch. There are à la carte options and tasting menus with Vietnamese flavors waived throughout. One of the current menus highlights parts and flavors of the lotus flower.

About six miles southeast of Hanoi, Bat Trang traditional pottery village is a must-visit for its centuries old technique of ceramic making. Its unique cuisine was also added to the national intangible heritage list in 2025, specifically its elaborate Bat Trang banquet which includes an array of many dishes, served on the famous ceramics.

These dishes include canh măng mực, stewed bamboo shoots simmered with dried squids threads in a delicate chicken and shrimp broth, su hào xào mực khô, shredded threads of kohlrabi mixed with squid, chicken andshiitake mushroom, and canh bóng thả, a clear soup of dried pork rind with pork paste meatballs, mushrooms, cauliflower and carrot.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com