4 Cool Cafes and Coffee Treats in Hanoi, Vietnam

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Before coming to Vietnam, we knew that coffee production was big for the country. What we didn’t expect was the extensive coffee culture we discovered in Hanoi.

There seem to be even more coffee shops in Hanoi than the pervasive number of Starbucks locations in the States (and yes, there are a few Starbucks in Vietnam as well). Just about every block has some sort of café, ranging from the simple sort with plastic stools, to multi-level Western-style establishments.

Cafe Nha San, Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional TravelersThis secret garden hang out, Café Nhà Sàn, has unfortunately closed since we last visited.

Coffee Drinks

The Vietnamese have also put their own twist on coffee drinks, which brings another dimension to the Vietnamese coffee culture. We thoroughly enjoyed these treats on both of our trips to Hanoi, despite not being big coffee drinkers.


 

Favorite Coffee Shops in Hanoi

There are all kinds of coffee shops in this city. With two trips to Hanoi covering about three weeks total, we barely scratched the surface of what’s out there.

But we did get great recommendations from our friends who live here and did some of our own research on cafés that are good for digital nomads. Below are some favorites we recommend checking out.

Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers

 


 

Home Coffee Store

One of our favorite discoveries was the Home Coffee Store in the Ba Đình district. It is clearly decorated by an artist with a taste for whimsy and has even been re-decorated since our last visit!

Every room on each of the three floors (and rooftop terrace) is uniquely appointed with antiques and creative flair. We loved it! They also had good wifi, and their blended drinks were pretty good, too.

Prices were mid-range compared to the other places we saw (about $1.85).

Home Coffee Store, Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers

Home Coffee Store, Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers

Home Coffee Store - Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers


 

Cộng cà phê

The coconut ice-cream with coffee poured over the top (about $2) is a specialty our friends introduced us to at Cộng cà phê, a mini-chain of coffee shops decked out in funky communist paraphernalia.

There are at least a dozen of these shops in and around Hanoi and we have now been to three. Although we’ve always gone to just hang out, they would be a decent place to work online as well (unless there’s someone smoking next to you).

Cong Caphne, Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers


 

Café Giảng

This café in the Hoan Kiem district serves up one of the most unique coffee concoctions we’ve seen: egg coffee (about $1.20). With the creamy texture of eggnog and the flavor of sweet coffee, it was absolutely delicious!

Just to be sure our memories didn’t fail us, we returned a year later on our second trip and we’re still fans.

Café Giảng - Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers

We probably would have missed the entrance if we hadn’t seen a picture first. There is a long hallway that leads back to the café. We ate at one of the tiny tables on the second floor.


Cafe Cuối Ngõ

The name of this café literally translates to “end of the alley,” a hidden treasure where you’d never expect. Finding it is part of the adventure, especially since the location on Google Maps is not quite accurate (see our corrected map below) and you get to duck through an ancient-looking archway. 

The place is not large and neither is the menu, but it’s full of mystique and fascinating art. We ordered two hot teas, coffee with sweetened condensed milk, and an orange juice for about $5.20 total.

Cafe Cuối Ngõ - Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers

Cafe Cuối Ngõ - Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers

Cafe Cuối Ngõ - Coffee culture in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers


Now that we’ve tried some of these interesting variations on the generic cup of joe, we’re curious: what are some favorite coffee concoctions in places you’ve visited?


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4 Cool Cafes and Coffee Treats in Hanoi, Vietnam | Intentional Travelers

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2 Comments

  1. I love exploring the coffee (or tea) culture when I travel. Those coffee drinks look delicious! Thanks for participating in the #MyGlobalLife Link-Up!

    1. Thanks! It was really fun – and we’re not even big coffee people. It’s definitely worth trying whatever is the local/traditional favorite.

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