8 places to eat and drink in Hanoi and Vientiane
When I visited the countries formerly known as French Indochina last year, I almost neglected their capitals. Even though I started my trip in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, I mostly used it as a departing point for a 2-day trip to Halong Bay and a day trip to Ninh Bình, rather than a destination in its own right. As such, even though I stayed in Hanoi for a total of 3 nights, I did not explore it as much as I would’ve liked.
Similarly, when I visited Laos, I stayed in the country for a total of 6 nights. Of those, 3 were in Luang Prabang, 2 in Vang Vieng, and only the last night was in Vientiane, the capital.
Last, I visited Cambodia, but only Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat. As I had already spent 3 weeks traveling around the region, I had no time left to visit the capital Phnom Penh.
Whilst in Hanoi and later in Vientiane, I realised there were a lot of sights worth visiting, so my schedule was jam-packed. I also realised that there were a lot of wonderful places to eat and drink. Here’s my top 8:
5 places to eat and drink in Hanoi
Bun Cha Ta Hanoi
As soon as I arrived in Hanoi, I headed to Bun Cha Ta, where my friends (who had arrived earlier that day) were waiting for me. Located in the Old Quarter, this small restaurant is famous for the bún chả. This is a Vietnamese dish of grilled pork and noodles, thought to have originated from Hanoi. Bún chả is served with grilled fatty pork over a plate of white rice noodles and herbs with a side dish of dipping sauce. The restaurant is popular with a relatively young crowd. Like many other places in Hanoi, they do not accept card payments (luckily my friends had some VND with them).
Binh Minh Jazz Club
Afterwards, we went for a walk around the Old Quarter and eventually headed to Binh Minh Jazz Club, not far from the Opera House. We enjoyed the cocktails, as well as the live jazz music courtesy of a local band. What a perfect way to finish our first night in Vietnam!
Banh Mi 25
What began as a humble sandwich cart has grown into one of Hanoi ‘s favourite spots for banh mi. It is also located in the Old Quarter. We went there for lunch and to try one of Vietnam’s most famous foods: a baguette filled with meat and savoury ingredients. You can either have it as a take away or sit down, like we did.
Café Giảng
Afterwards, we headed to the nearby Café Giảng, where we tried Hanoi’s specialty coffee: egg coffee. Traditionally prepared with egg yolks, sugar, condensed milk and coffee, it was nothing short of delicious!
Hanoi Train Street
On our last night in Hanoi, we headed to the so-called Train Street. On either side of this narrow street, there are many cafes and bars with outdoor seating areas, where customers can safely watch the train passing within arm’s length; owners will typically move the stools closer to the wall and advise patrons to do so as the train approaches. After the train has passed, people are free to wander on the train tracks, taking photos. Of course, we could be no exception.
3 places to eat and drink in Vientiane
Almost a week later, having stayed in Luang Prabang for 3 days and in Vang Vieng for 2 days, we took the train to Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
Tomou BBQ
Soon after we arrived in Vientiane, we headed to Tomou BBQ, a popular outdoor restaurant famous for its barbecue. This was one of the most memorable experiences I had in the whole trip, and I would highly recommend it.
Tomou BBQ is located close to many of the city’s sights, which we visited the following day. Wat Si Saket is a Buddhist wat (temple), situated on Lan Xang Road, on the corner with Setthathirat Road. Built between 1819 and 1824 by Chao Anou, the last monarch of the Kingdom of Vientiane, Wat Si Saket is believed to be the city’s oldest surviving wat. Ho Phra Keo is a former temple, situated on Setthathirath Road, to the southeast of Wat Si Saket. It was first built in 1565 to house the Emerald Buddha, but has been rebuilt several times. Nowadays, it houses the national museum of religious art. Not far from there, there is the Wat Si Muang, a Buddhist temple built in 1563.
Naked Espresso
Naked Espresso is a small Laotian coffeehouse chain, with several locations in Vientiane. I had already visited the Naked Espresso in Vang Vieng. In Vientiane, I visited the one close to Patuxai, a war monument built in the mid-20th century and dedicated to those who fought in the struggle for independence from France. The monument is also called the Arc de Triomphe of Vientiane as it resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The Cabana Design Studio & Café
Just before leaving Vientiane and Laos, we went to the Cabana Design Studio & Café for a light lunch and coffee.
Further reading
To better prepare for my trip to Vietnam and French Indochina, I used the Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand.
If you enjoyed this post, check out the following posts about Vietnam:
‘9 coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City‘
‘9 places to eat and drink in Hội An and Huế’
Health information
Before my trip, I had the Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines. Whilst in Vietnam, I exercised caution and avoided drinking tap water, eating raw vegetables and buying food from street vendors (especially at the beginning). As a result, I was fortunate enough not to experience any gastrointestinal symptoms.
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)