There are so many coffee shops in Hanoi. To try them all in a day wud be suicidal - overdose!
Most popularly recommended by local Hanoians is the "HIGHLANDS COFFEE " located at one end of the Hoan Kiem Lake and has a fantastic view of the Lake and its "Sword Temple". To me, their coffee is overrated. Not much difference to any others on the street.
Others famous ones are NANG CAFE in HANG BAC Street, HANG HANH CAFE, QUAT CAFE, GIANG CAFE, LAM CAFE..... and most of them have small little chairs with small tables. And served with a plate of Lotus seeds to keep you occupied while sipping their super strong coffee.
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| our things to do ! |
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| having my first Vietnamese super strong coffee in my raincoat! |
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| Lam Cafe |
The Lam Cafe, the perfect refuge for artists, poets, to refresh their minds for creativeness. Situated in a shaded street, it brings you a relax ambience with its simple artistically decorated bamboo furniture and colorful framed oil paintings, ceiling fans and tiny teapots on the tiny wooden tables.
Quynh Café. Down in a quiet side street, this unassuming cafes’ entrance is marked by a simple red lantern and ornate ironwork doors. Stepping inside, you not only see the bamboo furniture on tiled floor but also the tiny plants adorn wooden shuttered windows. Looking on damp-streaked walls, you may surprise with wooden arrows and trumpets, farming implements and ancient hunting pistols. Breathing the cool air from the antiquated table-fan, wallowing in soft French background music, you will desire to stay longer...
A good example of authentic Hanoi cafe is the Hang Hanh, an atmospheric slender street veering off the city's central Hoan Kiem Lake. Here, the annoying young and cool Vietnamese sit and watch the world go by. In the late afternoon with the last rays of sunshine, the place starts to buzz! and at weekends the place heaving with dating couples...
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| sitting on small little chairs sipping their caffeine with "kuah Chee" |
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| a typical local in her winter wrap! |
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| 69 Cafe local Vietnamese cuisine |
an ACCIDENTAL discovery - the "ELEGANCE CAFE" with fantastic local coffee. Full house inside with lots of smokers too. So we opt to sit by the cold winter winds to sip our coffee!
This local Vietnamese restaurant, "NEWDAY RESTAURANT" is recommended by our Hotel conceige. But to our disappointment, the food is so -so only! and not cheap too. And we met another traveller who was also recommended to eat here by their hotel ! 
