Cafes have been a part of Ha Noi’s lifestyle for generations. Cafes in Ha Noi Old Quarter are a feature that visitors should not miss during their time in Ha Noi.
Overview
A typical cafe in Ha Noi
In any season, coffee is a soothing beverage no matter what the weather is like. It is easy, yet sometimes addictive to drink. Nowadays, it comes with new variations, adapting to new demands of customers, from young people who are having their first cup of coffee, to even professional beverage tasters. If you have some free time in the afternoon, cruise around on your motorcycle through the narrow alleys of Ha Noi Old Quarter and find a small café that serves cheap and delicious drinks which reflect the vibe of the thousand-year-old capital city.
In the past, Ha Noi was known for its 4 famous coffee shops: Nhan, Nhi, Di, Giang, proclaimed to be the best cafes in the land. Nowadays, besides those names that have gone down in the books, there are other cafes in Ha Noi Old Quarter with great atmosphere and good drinks such as Ciao, Highland, Cong, etc.
However, if you want a taste of original Ha Noi coffee, it’s best to stick to the old-school. Find one of those classic cafes and feel what used to be here in this courageous city. The vibes that they give out even attract young people, those who love Ha Noi and pay homage to the people that paved the way for them to live their lives.
Cafe Dinh
How Cafe Dinh looks from the outside
No need to go far, while touring around Hoan Kiem lake, stop by at the area where they sell a lot of backpacks, you shall discover a special cafe. This is just a small cafe located on the second floor in a tiny house on 13 Dinh Tien Hoang street. And maybe that’s why it’s called Cafe Dinh.
The inside of Cafe Dinh
The owner of Cafe Dinh is a descendant of the first owner of Cafe Giang, which was the first coffee shop in Ha Noi. The cafe is always packed, even under the heaviest rain or the sunniest day. Customers are mostly friends, acquaintance, or those who would like to try out something new. Prices are affordable and the drinks are tasty.
Cafe Dinh is a place for you to reminisce whether you are alone or sitting with some friends. The place is decorated with black-and-white pictures, a couple of old speakers that plays songs that drove young people crazy some time ago, a few vases to match the season and tiny chairs.
Cafe Giang
Egg coffee in Cafe Giang
Let’s take a few footsteps from Hoan Kiem lake. Cafe Giang, as mentioned above, is the first cafe in Ha Noi. Today you can find two of these, one at 39 Nguyen Huu Huan street, the other at 106 Yen Phu, each is ran by a different son of Mr. Giang, the man who founded the original Cafe Giang, which used to be in Hang Gai street. I would recommend the one on Nguyen Huu Huan, the place has a more ancient vibe, as well as for the view. Egg coffee is usually what people come to Cafe Giang for. This drink is served in a large cup. You might want to order a hot one as winter is coming. A hot cup of coffee will be put inside a bowl of hot water, so that you may have a long conversation and still enjoy your drink. Though it has changed throughout the years in many aspects, and long-time customers haven’t been feeling the same every time they come here, the flavor is still there, and it still brings back some wonderful memories.
The others
Sadly, among the 4 famous coffee shops of Ha Noi Old Quarter, only one remains. Cafe Nhan, Cafe Di and Cafe Nhi are gone, making way for the new, the young, the next generation. Nguyen Huu Huan is the cafe street of Ha Noi. It is here where you can find most coffee shop brands available in Vietnam. Most of them are newly founded, serving to match the preference of young people. You might find them easy to enjoy and nicely decorated.
What is nice about having coffee in Ha Noi Old Quarter is before you have coffee in Ha Noi Old Quarter. That is when you have to walk slowly, look left and right to find that old coffee scent, to seek that exact house number and squeeze yourself in that long, narrow alley in Nguyen Huu Huan street to see all that space inside Cafe Giang, or when you tip-toe up the stairs in Dinh Tien Hoang street to find Cafe Dinh on the second floor.
Ha Noi is constantly changing. It is inevitable, unavoidable, and none of us can live in the past and expect nothing is going to change. That is just human nature and we are made to adapt to changes. It makes everything else change and the coffee shops of Ha Noi Old Quarter are no exception. However, they carry memories. You can easily find a cafe anywhere you go. But it’s not as easy to find a small corner to reminisce like in Ha Noi Old Quarter. Good old small talks, next to a cup of coffee in an ancient Ha Noi from once-upon-a-time, with the good friends by your side are features that are difficult to find anywhere you go, yet you can find them all here.
