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If you have any Vietnamese friend, you would know that most Vietnamese people are in love (addicted) to coffee. Beside being one of the top coffee exporters in the World, Vietnam has also been nurturing an exclusive coffee culture for decades. Contrary to Western coffee, Vietnamese coffee is somewhat stronger and a lot sweeter, although we can always figure out the equivalence among different types of coffee in the world.

We drink coffee every morning to kick start our day, after lunch to stay awake for work, or even at night when we have wrapped up a pile of paper for the next morning. While traveling, we usually experience jet lag and rely on coffee to keep us awake when we need to. Usually, we either run to the nearest coffee shop for our convenience or spend a decent amount of time googling for one that suits our taste.

Are you ready for some of the top Vietnamese coffee experience of your life? Here are Top 5 of Hanoians’ favorite coffee shops, that either specializes in Traditional Vietnamese coffee or Western style coffee, or both.

Café Lâm

Address: 60 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Old Quarter

Coffee: Vietnamese Coffee

Style: Old Hanoian, Historical

Hours: 6.30 am – 7.30 pm

Price: $

Widely known and loved by locals, Cafe Lâm is more than just one of the best and oldest coffee shop in Hanoi. It is a family tradition that has been carried on for decades, beginning with Mr. Lam, a Hanoian art collector, who learned how to make coffee from his late father and passed it on to his children. For many years, Cafe Lâm has been the favorite gathering place for the people of Hanoi.

As for the coffee selection, Cafe Lâm offers Traditional Black Coffee, and Brown Coffee (black coffee with condensed milk), both hot and cold. According to Mr. Lâm, the coffee beans were personally selected by him and carefully crafted for each customer.

Café Giảng

Address: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street, Old Quarter

Coffee: Vietnamese Coffee

Style: Old Hanoian, Historical

Hours: 7.00 am – 10.00 pm

Price: $

Another Old Quarter’s iconic coffee shop is Cafe Giảng, founded in 1946 by an ex-Métropole bartender. This coffee shop had been relocated a few times and is now situated in a small alley on Nguyen Huu Huan street. It has the distinctive look of an old Hanoian coffee shop and an extremely cozy atmosphere. However, Cafe Giảng is hardly ever quiet as both tourists and locals come and leave the shop every second.

Although Cafe Giảng offers both Black and Brown Coffees, its Egg Coffee (coffee, fresh egg yolk, condensed milk, cream, and cheese) is by far the most popular. As a matter of fact, whenever people think about getting a sip of egg coffee, they always try to swing by Cafe Giảng, rain or shine. The legendary Egg Coffee by Mr. Giảng was created back in the days where fresh milk was still scarce and egg yolk was used to replace the latter. Turns out, it was one of the most iconic and delicious creations ever, according to The Guardian UK.

Café Đinh

Address: 2nd floor, 13 Dinh Tien Hoang street, Hoan Kiem District.

Coffee: Vietnamese Coffee

Style: Old Hanoian, Historical

Hours: 7 am – 10.30 pm

Price: $

Xofa Café

Address: 14 Tong Duy Tan Street, Hoan Kiem District

Coffee: Vietnamese and Western

Style: Quiet, Hipster, Work-Coffee, Lounge

Open Hours: 24 hours

Price: $$

Xofa Café is the ideal gathering place for both the young generation of Hanoi as well as foreign travelers due to its aesthetic yet simple architecture and a wide selection of coffee/food. It is also located in the iconic food street of Ha Noi, surrounded by various restaurants as well as travel agencies.

Regarding their Vietnamese coffee selection, it consists of Traditional Black Coffee, Brown Coffee (black coffee with condensed milk), Milk Coffee (using fresh milk), local’s favorite Bạc Xỉu (black coffee with coconut and condensed milk) as well as Shaved Ice Coconut Coffee (my personal favorite). On the Western side, they do make delicious Cold Latte (the hot version is also available), Peanut Butter Latte, Mocchacino, Cappuccino, Expresso, and of course Americano – which are all crafted from Italian coffee.

Reng Reng

Address: Alley #17, 12B Ly Nam De Street

Coffee: Vietnamese and Western

Style: Quiet, Cozy, Hipster, Book Coffee, Minimalist

Hours: 7.00 am – 3.00 pm (Tues – Friday), 7.00 am – 7.00 pm (Sat & Sun), Monday Closed

Price: $$

Reng Reng is a very unique coffee shop on our list. It does not do a lot of advertising and doesn’t even have a sign in front of its shop. Upon entering the shop, you will notice the tantalizing smell of Arabica coffee sourced from Da Lat Province in Vietnam, as well as complete silence (except for the sound of the coffee machine upstairs). That is because Reng Reng staff will ask you to refrain from talking too loudly in the shop (except for, I believe, Saturday).

Reng Reng offers both Vietnamese & Western style coffee. On their Vietnamese menu, you will find Brown Coffee (which consists of Expresso and condensed milk), Bac Xỉu, and the shop’s specialty, Bà Nà coffee (Espresso, cream and condensed milk). My personal favorite is the latter due to its creamy and thick texture, although it can make light [coffee] drinker a little bit dizzy sometimes. On their Western menu are some of the classic Ristretto, Espresso, Lungo, American, Cappuccino, and Latte.

The shop is also quiet small and doesn’t always have enough seat; If you are worried about not being able to enjoy the coffee indoor, you can always bring your own takeaway cup for an additional 5.000 VND discount.

Regarding how to find this gem, there are two things you need to remember: 1) Ly Nam De is a one-way street and 2) number 12B, that is supposed to come after 12A, is actually before the latter.

Cộng Cà Phê

Address: Multiple Locations Across the City

Coffee: Vietnamese

Style: Lounge, Hipster, Vietnam in the 60s – 70s

Open Hours: Varies (24 hours for some locations, early-until-late for others)

Price: $$

Cộng Cà Phê is a Vietnamese Coffee chain that has garnered many good responses from across the country for its creative concept and well-crafted coffee/beverage. They are almost the equivalent to Starbucks in America, with, maybe, minus the quick-take-out feature.

Beside offering Traditional Black, Brown, and Milk Coffees, Bac Xỉu, Cộng Cà Phê also craft Saigonese coffee such as the Black Iced and Iced Milk. What’s really special about Cong is actually their Shaved Ice selection, consisting of Mung Bean (Đậu Xanh), Green Sticky Rice (Cốm), and Cacao Powder dip in their Vietnamese sourced coffee.

All Day Coffee

Address: 37 Quang Trung street, Hoan Kiem District.

Coffee: Vietnamese and Western

Style: Cozy, Stylish, Work-coffee

Open Hours: 7 am – 11.45 pm Everyday

Price: $$

These are only 7 among many other good coffee shops in Hanoi. Each one of them is suitable for different moods and occasions and you will definitely have an unforgettable experience in each coffee shop. If you would like to dig deeper into how your coffee was sourced and crafted, have a quick read here.

If you have any question or comment, feel free to drop one below in the comment box.

Remember, it’s not just coffee, but also a cultural experience!

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