Coffee culture in Vietnam is a characteristic part of its cuisine, especially in the capital of Hanoi. Coffee was brought to Vietnam during the French colonization and in the ancient capital, the Hanoians have made it a signature with multiple changes. Let’s explore the traditional cup of coffee in Hanoi in the Top 7 Ancient Cafe with Travel Sense Asia!

The famous Nhân - Nhĩ - Dĩ - Giảng...

Nhân Cafe

Address: No. 39D, Hàng Hành Lane, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Working Hours: Mon-Sun, from 8 AM – 10:30 PM (subject to change during holidays)

Signature: Drip Coffee

Drip coffee is typical for the way the Vietnamese enjoy their coffee. Deep and slow. They have a unique filter called “phin” to make coffee. It consists of a small aluminum cup, a filter chamber and a lid. It really takes time to have a nice drip coffee, but it’s totally worthy.

Café Nhan has been bonded to Hanoians since 1946. However, against popular belief, it didn’t belong to any family or man named Nhân.

The founders of Nhân Cafe didn’t invent the label name in the heart of Hanoi Old Streets either. Café Nhan was the child of Nguyen Van Thi and Tran Thi Thanh Ky. They were a Hanoian couple during the time of war. When they had to evacuate to a small village outside Hanoi, they found their way to buy coffee beans and make their own drip coffee to ease the nostalgia of their hometown.

After Vietnam gained freedom, Mr.Thi and Mrs.Ky returned to Hanoi, bringing the brand “Nhân Cafe” back to its origin. In the late 1950s, Nhan coffee became the top-of-mind destination for coffee culture in Hanoi.

Nhân Cafe is now following a new direction, combining a lot more Hanoian specialties in their menus like breakfast, beer… Still, people come to this place to find the authentic taste of Vietnamese coffee. Up to now, Nhân Cafe has developed into a production company providing ground coffee for famous restaurants and supermarkets.

Nhĩ Cafe

Address: No. 2, Hàng Cá Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Working Hours: Mon-Sun, from 7 AM – 10 PM  (subject to change during holidays)

Signature: Brewed Coffee In A Vietnamese Teapot

Like Nhan Cafe, Nhĩ Cafe has also been established for more than half a century. It has experienced many ups and downs with Hanoi and Hanoians, witnessing the historical fluctuations of the land from war to peace.

Throughout so many years, Nhĩ Cafe still nestles in a small area in Hàng Cá Street. Due to the crowdedness in the Hanoi Old Streets, the coffee shop couldn’t enlarge or even upgrade. That’s why the space in Nhĩ Cafe is rather antique and nostalgic. The wooden chairs fade over time, hiding gritty old walls. Also, it’s very difficult to get to Nhĩ Cafe without a huge crowd of people enjoying the unique coffee brewed in a Vietnamese teapot.

The coffee is put in ceramic teapots, measured in tiny traditional cups, then added sugar or milk before being whisked. To finish, the waiters drop some ice cubes to dilute the density of home-brewed coffee. 

If you want to leisurely enjoy a cup of Nhĩ Coffee, try to arrive there in the early morning to avoid the hassle. Let’s drink a cup of coffee and watch the streets while the flow of people is still sparse. You will feel the inner peace of a busy Hanoi.

Dĩ Cafe

Together with Nhân-Nhĩ-Giảng, Dĩ Cafe was one of the four coffee pillars in Old Hanoi. Unfortunately, we could no longer enjoy Dĩ Coffee. No one really knows why Dĩ Cafe closed and disappeared. But it left a huge regret for coffee lovers not only in Hanoi but also in the world. Dĩ Cafe today only exists in the memories of the ancient Hanoi, as well as in the stories passed from generation to generation.

Giảng Cafe

Address:  No. 39, Nguyễn Hữu Huân Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Working Hours: Mon-Sun, from 7 AM – 10 PM  (subject to change during holidays)

Signature: Egg Coffee

The cafe was founded by Nguyen Van Giang, who used to be a bartender at the Metropole Hotel during the French colonial period. He is famous for inventing the legendary Egg Coffee, which was included in the top 17 coffee drinks worldwide according to Buzzfeed. The “super” egg coffee is an ingenious variation of the Capuchino drink. It is now sold in many coffee shops, but to find the original taste, you should visit Giảng Cafe.

The cafe is hidden in a tiny corner of Nguyễn Hữu Huân Street. And if you do not look carefully, you will accidentally miss it. Despite the decent exterior, the inside of Giảng Cafe is pretty spacious with two floors.

The interior of the restaurant doesn’t have too sophisticated decoration. Everything is kept simple and minimal. Wooden furniture, ceramic cups with the Giảng Cafe logo.

Up to now, the restaurant has also expanded the menu, not only selling coffee separately but also extending to other drinks. However, when coming to the restaurant, the two most popular drinks are egg coffee and hot cocoa. Egg coffee in Giang has reached the point of being enjoyed by foreign visitors to Hanoi.

Foreign articles about egg coffee are always in the top search. For many foreigners, Vietnamese coffee is bitter and “aggressive”, different from the “lightness” of Italian coffee. In the egg coffee cup at Giang, the sweet smooth egg cream layer mixes with the bitter taste of black coffee, creating a great combination, making people addicted immediately. If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a try right now, when you get the chance. It would be a pity to miss it.

Giảng is one of the oldest coffee brands in Hanoi. But Giảng does not exist just because of egg coffee, you should also try many other drinks at Giảng Cafe such as Egg cocoa, egg green tea, egg green bean drinks or egg coffee with a shot of rum…

...and their "neighbors"

Năng Cafe

Address:  No. 6, Hàng Bạc Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Working Hours: Mon-Sun, from 7 AM – 10 PM  (subject to change during holidays)

Signature: Very Strong Drip Coffee

In the old days, Năng Cafe used to be the only coffee shop with 2 floors. The appearance of Năng remains almost unchanged after 50 years of operation. The second floor with a spacious balcony, always flooded with daylight. Again the heavy black painted wooden tables and chairs, the white lime walls with a thin layer of wood full of old nostalgia. This second floor is usually less crowded during working hours. If you sit close to the balcony and look down, you will see Hang Be street.

Located on a narrow lane in Hoàn Kiếm District, you will have to carefully walk through a messy row of chairs before reaching the reception and order desk. The bartenders here preserve the traditional way of brewing coffee using an aluminum filter. But what will strike you the most is the taste of the coffee. Using specialty coffee beans, condensed cups of coffee at Năng will immediately make people stunned.

Even though there is no parking space outside the cafe, Năng Cafe is always at the max capacity. Whether morning, lunch, afternoon or evening, this cafe is always busy.

Lâm Cafe

Address:  No. 60, Nguyễn Hữu Huân Street, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Working Hours: Mon-Sun, from 7 AM – 10:30 PM  (subject to change during holidays)

Signature: Coffee In An Artistic Space

Situated in the heart of the old town, Lâm Cafe has quietly engrossed itself in the rhythm of time and the change of Hanoi’s streets. First opened in the 1950s by a painting collector, Lâm Cafe became popular as many contemporary artists had painting exhibitions here. Popular names among Vietnamese art such as Bui Xuan Phai, To Ngoc Van, Duong Bich Lien all have dropped off and enjoyed a cup of coffee at Lâm Cafe.

The paintings are hanged in harmony, giving guests a sense of lightness, tranquility, and sometimes a bit of nostalgia.

Lâm Cafe is also famous for its pleasant taste of roasted coffee, a unique Café flavor that only the shop has. The coffee beans here are carefully selected and possess the combination of ingenious flavor to bring a rich and indescribable feeling, a passionate aroma that you only need to drink once, it will be unforgettable.

---