Surprisingly, Vietnam is a unique country having different climates in its different parts. The north suffers from four typical seasons as European nations do, whereas the south shows a tropical weather, including merely sunny and rainy seasons. As a consequence, a variety of plants grow up, contributing to the diversification of natural components for food. This can be seen in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Owning to people’s aspirations for enjoying separate meals all over the country, many traditional restaurants have arisen to meet such high demands. Meanwhile, along with the rapid economic development, the city has been a profitable zone for foreign investors to expand their businesses of food provision. That’s why numerous best restaurants of Hanoi is displaying divergent culinary arts at the moment.
Once you wander around the Old Quarter, countless restaurants there may bombard you with a bundle of invitations. In addition, in the sprawling areas a bit far from Hoan Kiem Lake, you could get lost at the heaven of dining facilities for foreigners. Interestingly, this feature of Hanoi helps the city attract more travelers from four corners of the world. The appearance of numerous eateries leads to the ease of selecting the best restaurants of Hanoi. I have to say that it would be regrettable if you miss a chance to visit them because you will have a desire to attend there for several times. What are they? The list below may give you the exact answer.
TRADITIONAL
Cha Ca La Vong Restaurant
Address: No. 14 Hang Dao Street, Hoan Kiem District
One of the most illustrious Vietnamese dishes is grilled fish, and you can savor it at Cha Ca La Vong Restaurant in the Old Quarter. To some extent, you need to cater by yourself for this food there. So if you don’t know how to cook it, just ask the employees. Firstly, the restaurant provides you with a frying pan of fresh fish as well as a small cooker using charcoal. What you eat the fish with are rice noodles, peanuts and fresh vegetable. The second is the time when you show your abilities of cooking. The time to finish is when you realize that all pieces of fish are covered with a deliciously yellow layer. Although English is not common there, the savory dish will blow away this problem instantly.
The Hanoi Social Club
Address: No.6 Hoi Vu Street, Hoan Kiem District
Not far from Cha Ca La Vong, The Hanoi Social Club is one of the best restaurants of Hanoi which could bring you to the past of Vietnam. Having conventional architecture lying in ancient wooden appliances, impressive handicrafts and lacquered pictures, the restaurant seems to be a good destination to read some decent poems as well as enjoy a cup of Vietnamese coffee or ginger tea to relax. The most prominent food there is Vietnamese salad mixed with a few Western spices. Apart from this, the eateries holds some night concerts and a small cinema to make your dinner become more wonderful. On the third floor is an open-air terrace, where viewing the city is possible to achieve peace in mind.
Huong Lien Restaurant
Address: No.24 Le Van Huu Street, Hai Ba Trung District
As you mightn’t know, Mr. Barack Obama, the U.S Ex-President, attended the restaurant for his dinner in his short trip to Vietnam in 2016. He tasted a bowl of Bun Cha, a renowned type of kebab rice noodle, and fresh beer there. In fact, this place was well-known before, but since then, its reputation has been spreader. Compared with its rivals, the pieces of roasted pork are softer, while dipping sauce is spicier, forming its competitive aspects. That is not to mention extra meals, such as spring rolls and fresh herbs, making you mouth water unstoppably. The restaurant is quite spacious, with a distinctive floor for kitchen. The price is also reasonable, about 1.5 USD/person for a package of Bun Cha.
Pho Thin
Address: No.13 Lo Duc Street, Hai Ba Trung District
By the way, regarding the most noticeable dishes in Vietnam, the locals often refer to Pho, rice noodles and soup with chicken or beef. Actually, Pho is so famous that it’s considered as a new word in some English dictionaries. Among thousands of Pho eateries, one of the best restaurants of Hanoi I suggest to you is Pho Thin. It is sited in the north of Hai Ba Trung District too, and so, you can travel between Huong Lien and this place very quickly. Obtaining a recipe passed down from many generations, it produces a peculiar soup to improve the level of food savor. You should remember to add lemonade and chilly before having the meal.
INTERNATIONAL
La Verticale
Address: No.19 Nguyen Van So, Hoan Kiem District
Hidden inside a small French mansion erected in the 1930s, the restaurant is one of very few villas which have kept original tiles on the floor and white walls intact hitherto. As a result, it can exhibit an elegant space in all corners to let you enjoy French dishes entirely. On ground floor is a charming shop which sells a wide range of spices as gifts for your loved ones, while a rooftop terrace is equipped with convenient armchairs to help you see the French Quarter beneath more comfortably. Outstanding dishes are ratatouille, duck terrine and rillettes, and the list of wine offer several French brands, for example, Moulin de Gassac, and Figaro, as well.
Wa Japanese Cuisine
Address: No.34G, Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District
If you have a dream about being exposed to Japanese cuisine in Vietnam, Wa Japanese Cuisine is one of the best restaurants of Hanoi having an ability to make your dream come true. Positioned in Tran Phu Street, sandwiched by Ba Dinh Square and the French Quarter, the eatery allows you to resume your trip after lunch or dinner, and is large enough to hold a small reunion party. Of course, the ornaments there follow Japanese styles to highlight the oriental space more. The majority of meals are sushi and sashimi. But thanks to professional chefs, they have got plenty of kinds and spices and show the same meticulousness in decoration as the Japanese do to meet every types of customers.
BOTH TRADITIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
Swan’s Gone Raw Vegetarian Restaurant
Address: No.16H, Duong Thanh Street, Hoan Kiem District
Different from the others, this landmark belongs to a hotel called Noble and Swan Boutique Hotel. But the main contribution to its position of the best restaurants of Hanoi is vegan food for the purpose of a healthier life. Incorporated with the main building perfectly, it offers you with a space on the second floor brightened by French outlines and Vietnamese decorative things. Looking at the menu, you will find some of Vietnam’s customary meals and Western ones re-made by using exclusive recipes. Indeed, I haven’t known another eatery in Hanoi similar with it in this aspect. Additionally, there is a window at the kitchen permitting you to see and learn all processes of cooking a dish there.
Restaurant Bobby Chinn
Address: No.77 Xuan Dieu Street, Tay Ho District
Last but not least, Restaurant Bobby Chinn was founded by Mr. Bobby Chinn, a talented chef coming from New Zealand. Amazingly, he has run lots of restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City and London too, but what let him understand comprehensively Vietnamese cuisine is his experience of 18 years about regional cooking arts. By mixing the freshness of Vietnamese components and the elegance of European flavors, all dining destinations owned by him serve the guests with exceptional edible products. In fact, you will know this characteristic from red curtains and a strange atmosphere which insist his personalized ideas just as you enter Restaurant Bobby Chinn.
Generally, if a traveler is curious about the best restaurants of Hanoi, 8 places I’ve just shown above can absolutely satisfy his or her curiosity. However, one thing I suggest that in the case you want to have a go at Chinese, Korean or Cantonese food, such restaurants consist of it are abundant and available in innumerable shopping malls or leisure centers in this capital.
