Here are my suggestions for where to eat popular Vietnamese dishes such as Bun Cha, Pho, and Bahn Mi in Hanoi. There’s also a section for Other options, including restaurants offering a variety of local cuisine.
Bun Cha
The first food recommendation we got from our guide in Hanoi was this one:
Bun Cha Dac Kim (Bún Chả Đắc Kim)
The restaurant is located here. It’s also in the Hanoi Michelin Guide, where you can read more about it.
My dear husband was in charge of getting us there, as I’m terrible at reading maps, and of course we ended up going to the restaurant across the street. This was the first time I had Bun Cha and I found it quite tasty. This was the restaurant where we actually ate:
Bun Cha Mai Anh (Bún Chả Mai Anh), located here.
Bun Cha is nothing more than a broth served with grilled pork meatballs, to which we add rice vermicelli noodles, aromatic herbs, and lettuce leaves. The famous fried spring rolls couldn’t be missing at the table either. Spring rolls were one of those things we ate every single day in Vietnam, because I really love them, and so does Maria Rita, which is great because she’s super picky about food. I found Bun Cha to be quite a hearty meal, so we couldn’t eat anything else that day as we were eating late, but I highly recommend it!
Here’s another recommendation for Bun Cha, which is also very popular:
Bun Cha 41 Cua Dong (Bún Chả 41 Cửa Đông)
Located here.
Pho
Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su (Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư)
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try this famous Pho restaurant in Hanoi, but it had a long queue outside when we passed, so it must be good!
When travelling with children we have to make compromises, and sometimes we can’t do everything we would like to, and this was one of those examples. Hélio was the one who lost out more as he is the biggest Pho fan in our house. I wish I could enjoy Pho more as it looks really appetising, but it’s not really my thing.
Read more about the restaurant here.
Bhan Mi
This is my favourite Vietnamese food! I know it’s just a baguette sandwich, but I love it, love it! The filling, usually spicy, can be chicken, pork, beef, or even vegetarian. But one thing’s for sure, it’s packed with flavour. Fortunately, I’m lucky enough to eat it often in Singapore, so I didn’t try this restaurant that follows, but it’s very popular in Hanoi.
Banh Mi 25
Located here. Be prepared to queue up.
Others
Cha Ca Thang Long (Chả cá Thăng Long)
This restaurant serves catfish that is freshly cooked at the table, with vegetables and herbs added to the pan fryer over a small fire. Rice noodles and peanuts are also served on the side. Doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? It certainly wasn’t one of my first choices, but we ended up here because it was right in front of our hotel and quite popular with the locals. The food surprised me very much, and being Portuguese and used to eating only sea fish, I must say that this dish was very good, and I highly recommend the restaurant.
As you can see on the website here, there are two restaurants on the same street, one fancier with a courtyard at the entrance leading into a century old house at 6B, and a more casual one, where we went, at 2B.
KOTO Van Mieu
As well as serving delicious Vietnamese food, this restaurant is also a social project that provides training and skills in the hospitality industry to underprivileged young people, creating opportunities for those who have not had the chance for a better life. Located near the Temple of Literature, it is an excellent choice to combine with a visit to Vietnam’s first university. You can read more about this project on their website here.
Since our visit in October 2022, this restaurant has been renovated and looks even nicer. And now they offer cooking classes, check out their website.
