Egg Coffee at Cafe Pho Co: you’ll have to pass through a clothing store on Hang Gai (Silk Street), into a courtyard filled with antiques and birdcages, and up a few sets of stairs. 

The drink tops Vietnam’s traditional dark-roast brew with a vigorously whipped mix of egg yolk and condensed milk for a sip reminiscent of liquid coffee cake.

Noodles at Bun Bo Nam Bo or Bun Cha 34: The Old Quarter is all about street-style bun, or rice vermicelli noodle, dishes.

Two standouts here are Bun Cha 34, hawking the Hanoi-born fatty pork and pork belly broth noodles, and Bun Bo Nam Bo, dishing up the namesake southern beef noodle salad that northerners have come to love.

Happy Hour at Bia Hoi U Phao: Sitting on the southeast corner of Ho Tay, or the West Lake, this outdoor pub caters to crowd of almost exclusively locals. 

Craft Beers at Red River Tea Room: Tucked in an alleyway next to the hotel is this expat-beloved wine and craft beer pub offering some of Vietnam’s newest and most exciting bottles.

Housed in a colonial-era villa near the famed St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Porte D’Annam serves Corlou’s known brand of Franco-Vietnamese fare—think a quartet of spring rolls themed after the four seasons of the year, a sesame-laced seabass carpaccio, and sweet and saucy pork ribs.

Dinner at Porte D’Annam: Many of Hanoi’s best meals are found on the sidewalk, but full-service indoor restaurants are increasingly common. Among the pioneers of Hanoi’s upmarket dining scene is French chef Didier Corlou, whose restaurants are as much architectural attractions as they are culinary destinations.

Housed in a colonial-era villa near the famed St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Porte D’Annam serves Corlou’s known brand of Franco-Vietnamese fare—think a quartet of spring rolls themed after the four seasons of the year, a sesame-laced seabass carpaccio, and sweet and saucy pork ribs.