Cafes and Art Spaces in Hanoi, Vietnam

I went to Hanoi Vietnam with two of my high school friends last October. It was a fun girls trip with everything we loved doing because we each had the opportunity to enjoy each others' interests. One of these would be how we got to go biking on two occasions-- first would be around West Lake (took us 2 hours to complete the loop), then second would be in the countryside (the lovely Ninh Binh). Another would be when we intentionally went on a hunt for a camera shop since our friend is an avid film fan. The shop was not easily seen as it was hidden in an alleyway. I had to remind myself that we were in Vietnam and we had to be more careful and observant with the signages and really follow Google maps closely. :")

In every trip however, there will always be time to spend for common interests and one of ours would be cafe-hopping. Experiencing the cafe coffee culture in Vietnam is a must! I'm not a huge coffee fan, but I don't mind drinking coffee everyday while here. I can say that I like the taste and it doesn't make my heart palpitate like crazy.. maybe it's because of the condensed milk, but it's really just so good. 

The cafe culture is very present here as well. I admire how they get creative with their space; some are well-hidden inside the alleyways while some are out there with outside seating for people to simply sit and do some people watching. 

There are so many cafes to be explored while here and I'm confident each shop has good coffee to offer. We explored as much as we could and the places we went to were either researched beforehand, came from recommendations, or purely stumbled upon. I made Instagram reels of the cafes we went to, but I wanted to write a bit about them as well in list form on this blog. Allow me to share a bit of my personal experience and anecdotes :)

📌 Hidden Gem Cafe

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1 Hàng Mắm, Phố cổ Hà Nội, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

This was the first cafe we went to upon arriving in Hanoi and we decided to check it out since it was included in our airbnb host's recommended places to go to. It's located along a busy street, although as we entered the alleyway, we found ourselves far from the noise. The cafe has 3 floors and it's surrounded by a lot of greenery, recycled decorations, and murals. The murals show much of Vietnam's culture and way of life, and the designs are vibrant and very charming overall. We had coffee here which had unique flavors, much like the rest of the drinks on their menu. They even have vegetarian options! It's definitely a lovely place to spend time at especially if you've just started exploring the city. 

📌 Loading T Cafe

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 8 P. Chân Cầm, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Loading T cafe's facade piqued my curiosity as we walked along Chan Cam street. I didn't know it was a cafe because at first glance it seemed like a house, although upon looking closer I saw the cafe's signage. This is a classic example of a Indochina-era architecture, and I definitely felt like I was transported into a different era when we stepped in. They retained most of the building's interiors while adding in some quirky designs here and there. I loved their egg coffee, very frothy and has hints of cinnamon!

📌 BlackBird Cafe

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5 Chân Cầm, Hoàn Kiếm Hanoi, Vietnam 100000

BlackBird caught my eye because it's the title of one of my favorite Beatles songs. I really liked their specialty coffee-- it was strong and made me palpitate.. but I needed it because we were here in the afternoon and I needed the energy! 

📌 Sol Arch Space

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Tít cuối ngõ tập thể 54 Quán Sứ Hanoi, Vietnam 11000

Sol Arch Space was a place I researched about prior to our trip. During my trip in Saigon, I chanced upon a cafe hidden inside an alleyway, and I wanted to experience the same thing in Hanoi. It was equally just as interesting and magical when we found this art space and cafe. We were also able to chat with the owner and learned a lot from his vision of the space. It was unlike any of the cafes we went to; it was much like a house with a lot of artifacts which the owner collected and curated from his trips around Vietnam. They serve really good coffee, although I suggest asking the owner for his own personal recommendation because their menu changes from time to time. 

📌 Hatchin

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8 P. Hai Bà Trưng, Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

Hatchin was a cafe we stumbled upon after walking around Hoan Kiem lake. We took a break from drinking coffee and took the chance to try out their tea drinks. Their menu left an impression on me, because their names were quite creative. 

📌 Manzi Art Space

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14 P. Phan Huy Ích, Nguyễn Trung Trực, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam

We found ourselves in Manzi after our 2 hour bike ride around West Lake. It's a lovely cafe and art space with a high ceiling and white walls. They only serve drinks and we took the opportunity to relax and recharge here before our next adventure. Don't forget to go upstairs to view the artworks! It's located in a quiet street with lots of shops and flowers! My dear friend bought us bouquets here~

📌 Cafe Giang

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39 P. Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam

One cannot miss Cafe Giang while in Hanoi. They are perhaps the OG when it comes to egg coffee. We went here after having breakfast. We got the iced egg coffee and it felt much like we were having dessert. So good!! 

📌 Cong Cafe 

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There are a lot of branches scattered around the city! I encourage you to go try it out ;)

Cong Cafe is also one of those cafes you cannot miss while in Vietnam. They have interesting varieties of coffee drinks. I recommend their coconut coffee! It was really refreshing and it tasted really good. Spending time in Cong Cafe will allow you to appreciate its army green walls, war-time photos, and antiques. Most would remember it for its communist chic vibe. 

📌 Xofa Cafe

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14 Tống Duy Tan, Hoan Kiem Hanoi, Vietnam 100000

Xofa cafe was also a recommendation from our airbnb host. We loved how it was located in a quiet street (the peacefulness just felt so magnified because Hanoi's streets are really chaotic) and they were open early for breakfast. They have outside and indoor seating; we chose to sit outside just so we could appreciate the peaceful street. We ordered our breakfast here and I got to taste their kombucha drink. It was refreshing~ we headed off to the train street right after since it was just a few blocks away.

I also wrote about my cafe-hopping experience in Saigon :) you may read them through here:

SAIGON, VIETNAM: Cafe Apartment at Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street

SAIGON, VIETNAM: 14 Ton That Dam Cafe Apartment

SAIGON, VIETNAM: The Hidden Egg Coffee Shop

Have a lovely day, dear reader!