Where To Eat In Hanoi – Budget Travel In Vietnam

From cheap street food to high class restaurants, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to food in Hanoi.

The chances are that you will have never heard of Phở Cuốn, Bún Dậu Mắm Tôm, Bún Riêu Cua or Bún Chả until you visit Vietnam. In Hanoi, you will find restaurants that provide English translations but these are the ones to skip. You want to eat where the locals eat. You will find the food cheap and extremely tasty.

As we were travelling as economically as possible, we ate a lot of street food and local cafes wherever possible. Here are some places you might wish to consider:

Where To Eat In Hanoi

Ba Dung Quan

On our first night in Hanoi, we prioritised beer over food, meaning we were wandering the streets quite late looking for something to eat. Luckily, there were plenty of options in the Hanoi bar street area. However, if you stop to look at a menu in this area, you are immediately surrounded by young Vietnamese males encouraging you to look no further! Their method of convincing you their restaurant is the best is to point at the menu you are reading and tell you what it says.  “Chicken… Pork… Noodles…” They say yes to everything you ask. We noticed tofu on the menu so decided to go for it.

Whilst waiting for our food which came from somewhere across the street, I needed to go to the toilet. The toilet was in another building completely from where we were or where the food was coming from. It appeared to be locked so a waiter told me to go upstairs. I went upstairs and tried to find the toilet. Imagine my surprise when I realised I was in someone’s bedroom. An old man looked up at me in shock so I left only to find myself in another room where an old woman was laid on a bed made out of cardboard boxes. It was very surreal!

We were not expecting much from this place but it actually was very good. My ribs and rice were ok, but the tofu was out of this world. Chewy skin but creamy inside. And all for 40,000 kip. An interesting experience but worth it. Their hot pots looked very good! (Map).

Edit: on our return to Hanoi, we had the tofu again from this place and it was very disappointing.

Bahn My Duc Long Kebab

Banh My Duc Long Kebab (map) is located in the pub street area of Hanoi. On one particular evening, a tourist let me know in no uncertain terms that it was the best kebab in Hanoi. For just 30,000 dong (approximately £1), I had give it a try.

I’m glad to report, the tourist was right. The kebab was delicious. Plenty of good quality meat and red cabbage and just the right level of spice. They close before midnight so bear this in mind if you want a good kebab!

Bia 30 Thu Huiong

‘Bia 30 Thu Huiong’ (map) is a no-frills restaurant where you sit on little plastic chairs in the street and watch the throngs of thrill-seekers pass by. You certainly see some sights!

We came here three times for the Tomato Tofu.

Bun Cha Hang Quat

Bun Cha is a traditional Vietnamese dish, usually eaten in the morning but now available throughout the day. It consists of meatballs in a broth and is served with noodles, heaps of salad and sometimes crab spring rolls. The first time I had it in Hanoi, I was overcharged in a tourist trap. This time, I headed to a place popular with locals, ‘Bun Cha Hang Quat’ (map).

It is not a restaurant as such. All the food is prepared and cooked in an alleyway and there are small seats placed along the narrow street.

The food was delicious; it was obvious why this place is so popular. Some tourists are put off by eating in the street. Don’t be one of them. This is the Vietnamese way of eating. The staff and customers will make you feel welcome and you will get a huge portion of traditional Vietnamese food for just 60,000 Dong.

Bun Cha Hanoi Restaurant

Bun cha is a traditional lunchtime dish combining pork meatballs in a noodle broth, best served with crab spring rolls. I can’t tell you the exact restaurant I visited but there are a lot of bun cha restaurants to in Hanoi choose from.

Everyone gets the same: noodle soup, a mountain of noodles and the biggest plate of herbs you will ever be faced with. I was charged 100 Dong which I came to discover was way more than it should have been. They even had a tourist menu to show you when they give you the bill. I saw bun cha for less than 50 Dong so be careful with your choice.

Bún riêu cua Hàng Bạc

A very small cafe and they only sell one dish: bun rieu cua which is a tomato based noodle broth with crab paste, tofu and pork (ask for it without if you are pescatarian.) Add some chillies and lime to taste. 30,000 Dong for a big bowl. (Map).

Cumulus Vietnamese Restaurant

There are a lot of restaurants in this area and we were drawn to this one because of the story displayed on the outside.

Unfortunately, the food was quite bland which was a shame. Maybe they were having an off day.

Doner Kebab Hanoi Street Food

You will see these dotted about, particularly in the bar area. They are priced between 20 and 30 thousand Dong. They are delicious and perfect when you just need something to settle your stomach before a drinking session but can’t be bothered with restaurants.

Hanh Ngan De

Hanh Ngan De’ (map) is a restaurant famous for its duck dishes. It was quite a walk from my apartment but it was worth it. The portions are huge and the food just kept on coming. Even after I was given the food pictured below, I was then given some more roasted duck. Menus are the same for tourists as for locals.

Hanoi Street Food

If you truly want to live like a local, you must indulge in the Hanoi Street Food. When we first arrived in the city, we were amazed at the vendors here. Unlike in Thailand where most of the vendors have actual carts or tables, here they literally sit on the floor!

The street food is great. Some of the best food we had in Hanoi was served from a woman sat on the floor! The food is cheap too. The meal below cost just 25000 Dong: less than a pound.

Jlegu Korean BBQ

A little further away from the tourist area is this excellent BBQ/hot pot restaurant. We came here with local couchsurfers. The food was excellent and cheap. We had loads of meat for the bbq and then more for the hot pot. It was delicious but it does not cater for vegetarians. (Map).

MAU Banh Mi Viet

Situated right next door to the famous Giang Cafe is this small cafe selling baguettes with various fillings, including vegetarian. (Map).

Moto-san Uber Noodle

We found ourselves in Hanoi French quarter looking for food before visiting a jazz club. This place offered small dishes of Japanese food. I had the char sui pork with noodles which was tasty but they are small portions so you might want to order a couple if you want something substantial. (Map).

Nha Hang Mien Luon Dong Thinh

Nah Hang Mien Luon Dong Thinh (map) is a typical Vietnamese restaurant with one difference. They specialise in eel dishes. It was Joanna’s favourite restaurant in Hanoi. On my visit, I went for the crispy eel with vermicelli. It was delicious and very cheap.

Nhat Ha Restaurant

Nhat Ha (map) is a Vietnamese restaurant in a popular area just west of Hanoi Old Quarter. During our visit, an 80+ year old woman sat and chatted with us as we waited for our food. I believe she was the mother of the owner. She was very friendly and the food was good, particularly the clams.

Noodle & Roll

Serving traditional Vietnamese food and offering a good choice for vegetarians. Basic, cheap but good food. (Map).

Phở Cuốn Vinh Phong

Pho Cuon Vinh Phong (map) is known for their ‘pho chien phong’, a local dish made up of beef and vegetables on top of pillows of fried noodles. This is the dish I came to try. I was shocked at the huge portion size and they charged me the same as the locals (60,000 Dong). It was a great lunch!

Pizza Cone

Whilst you should try as much local food as you can, you will more than likely crave some home comforts and crave some western food. We found a small pizza place near our apartment called ‘Pizza Cone’ (map). The pizzas were only 80,000 Dong. It isn’t the greatest pizza in the world but it is good enough to satisfy any pizza craving.

Quan Bia Minh

Quan Bia Minh’ (map) is located in Hanoi Old Quarter. It isn’t the easiest place to find as it is on the second floor of an old, crumbling building. It is worth the effort though as the food is very good and you can try and get a table that overlooks the busy street below.