You might have heard that everything is cheap in Vietnam, especially the drinks. While that might be true 90% of the time, it’s not true everywhere. Don’t let that scare you!
Sure, you can keep going to Beer Street every night and get a cup of beer for 25 cents. But if you want something more then this list is for you. Do you want to have a drink with a great sunset view? Or are you looking for a good mixed drink AND good food?
Maybe you just want something other than cheap home made beer. Here are in no particular order.
Good Drinks and Good Food
These five bars not only had a good variety of drinks but they also had fantastic food. Some could fit into one of the other categories and if they do I’ll be sure to mention it but we went here specifically to eat AND drink. There is no particular order here because we liked them all but the first one was our favorite on this list.
If this is your first time to Vietnam check out my article on the Perfect 2 week Vietnam Itinerary.
Standing Bar
1. Standing Bar: 170 Trแบฅn Vลฉ, Trรบc Bแบกch, Hanoi, Vietnam
Standing Bar sits along the eastern side of West Lake and with it’s amazing view of the lake it could easily fit into the next category. I’ve placed it here because the food was AHHH-MAZ-ING!
A little pricey when compared to most of Hanoi but not more than you would pay elsewhere in the world. We sat upstairs on the deck and shared several appetizers as we drank.
The Standing Bar has a pub-like atmosphere and they mostly serve beer (19 taps of Craft Beer/Cider)but they do have a small selection of alcohol. They also have a DJ later in the evening. I would have to say that Standing Bar is one of the best bars in Hanoi.
Hanoi Social Club
2. Hanoi Social Club: 6 Hoi Vu Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 84, Vietnam
Hanoi Social Club was a little hard to find. The address didn’t quite line up in google maps but with the alleys in Hanoi that’s no surprise. The alleys don’t always run in straight lines.
We just kept walking around a few different alleys in the area and finally stumbled upon it. It wasn’t too far off from where it was supposed to be. This Hanoi Bar has 3 levels of seating and the place has a rustic-garden-oasis feel. The food was delicious with lots of healthy options and the drinks were good!
La Place
3. La Place: 6 Au Trieu, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
La Place sits directly across from St. Joseph Cathedral and the food was so good that we went there twice during our stay in Hanoi. It has a mix of Western and Vietnamese foods as well as Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten free options.
Service is pretty fast and food is very affordable. FYI…There is a cafe next door called Vivienne and I would avoid it.
Hanoi 1930 Bistro
4. Hanoi 1930 Bistro: 2 floor, 1 Dinh Tien Hoang Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Hanoi 1930 Bistro is super easy to find and actually hard to miss. It is located directly across from Hoan Kiem Lake and overlooks a huge roundabout where the chaos of motorbikes and taxis takes place.
Get a seat outside overlooking the road where you can watch it all happen! They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner so there’s lots of food options. Or just sit and have drinks!
Pasteur Street Brewing Co
5. Pasteur Street Brewing Co: 1 Au Trieu Behind the St. Joseph Cathedral, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
Pasteur Brewing Co is a Pub style bar with food and craft beer. There isn’t any other alcohol served here so if you want to drink it’ll have to be beer. The food is really good and they do have Vegetarian options. It sits on the same street as The Place right behind the cathedral.
Good Drinks with a View
We are almost halfway through our list of 11 Bars you have to visit in Hanoi. We went to these next two places specifically for the views! Food is served at both places but we only had drinks so I can’t comment on how the food is. But you definitely won’t be dissappointed by the view.
We went to both places right before sunset and it was absolutely beautiful at both.
6. Terraco Sky Bar: 8th Floor, 33-35 Hang Dau Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 100000 Vietnam
We’re Halfway through our list of bars you have to visit in Hanoi. Terraco Sky Bar is on the 8th floor of the La Sinfonia del Rey Hotel overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. You’ll get 360ยฐ views of the Old Quarter in Hanoi so you definitely want to be here at sunset.
Terraco has a DJ on Friday nights and Live music on other nights so be sure to check their schedule. They do serve food with a mix of Vietnamese and Western food. They do accept reservations on their website but you might get lucky (we did) if you just walk in.
7. Serein Cafe & Lounge: No 16, Long Bien Apartment, Tran Nhat Duat Street
Serein Cafe is easy to spot if you’re near the Long Bien Bridge. If you’re looking at the bridge just turn 180ยฐ and it’s right there.
The view of the Long Bien Bridge from the cafe is beautiful. Again, we came right before sunset and it was pretty spectacular. Drinks at this Hanoi Bar were some of the priciest drinks we had at almost $15 each. More than I would pay anywhere else for sure.
You can just go up on the balcony and view the bridge without buying anything so I would recommend doing at least that.
Good Drinks and Unique
The final four spots on our 11 Bars you have to visit in Hanoi is all about their uniqueness. The atmosphere at these bars will be something you’ll remember long after you’ve left Hanoi.
Prague Pub
8. Prague Pub: 42 P. Ma May, Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Prague Pub is located on Beer Street and is probaby the cheapest place for drinks on this list. You HAVE to visit beer street at least once while in Hanoi!
Besides the cheap drinks, Prague Pub also serves food that was pretty good. Be warned: If you just google Prague Pub, google maps will take you to an old location close to beer street that also used to be a hostel. It’s shut down so you definitely want to make sure you’re on beer street.
Trust me, you’ll know you’re there because there’s a ton of bars and loud music.
The Unicorn Pub
9. The Unicorn Pub: 2a Hang Than, Nguyen Trung Truc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi Vietnam
If you want a really unique Hanoi Bar experience then you’ll definitely want to go to The Unicorn Pub. This place features specially crafted cocktails that look almost too pretty to drink. Almost.
It has a Jazz Lounge feel but when we were there they were playing Blues Music. They have happy hour, live music, and special events so check out their website. This Hanoi Bar was one of our favorites.
Polite and Co
10. Polite and Co: 5b Ng. Bao Khanh, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 111000, Vietnam
Number 10 on our list of bars you have to visit in Hanoi is Polite and Co, a really cool 20’s themed bar. You’ll feel like you stepped out of Hanoi and into a different time.
It was dark inside but the ambiance was great. Drinks were around $10 but the bartenders do not skimp on the alcohol. They do have a happy hour so if you’re looking to save a little money then head over when they open at 5pm.
Kumquat Tree Bar
11. Kumquat Tree Bar: 1 P. Nguyen Khac Can, Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi Vietnam
The Kumquat Bar is a true Speakeasy Bar. If you want to get in, you have to know the secret password. It’s easy enough to obtain by heading to their Facebook page and messaging them for it.
You’ll be asked what time you plan on arriving and you’ll be added to the list. There’s no obvious sign outside for the bar so you’ll need to look around and look for some stairs that lead up to a door. This Hanoi Bar won’t get busy until later in the evening so go early if you want the bar to yourself.
11 bars you have to visit in Hanoi Map
Here’s a map of the location of the 11 bars you have to visit in Hanoi. The majority of them are located in the Old Quarter.
Final thoughts on the 11 Bars you have to visit in Hanoi
Anytime you’re traveling and looking for a spot to eat and/or drink, it can be hit or miss. Hopefully this list of 11 Bars you have to visit in Hanoi will give you a good starting point to an enjoyable meal and fabulous drinks.
It was fun going all over the place and testing out the best bars in Hanoi so I hope you enjoy them too!
