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9 Best Restaurants in Hanoi for Local Food Experience

9 Best Restaurants in Hanoi

While Hanoi’s street food scene offers hundreds of options, the city’s restaurant scene is equally curated to provide a diverse, fulfilling, and unique culinary experience that reflects the distinct flavors of this region. Let’s dive into 9 of the best restaurants in Hanoi and see if any of them catch your fancy.

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Tầm Vị

Recommendation for best restaurants in Hanoi
Recommendation for best restaurants in Hanoi

Tầm Vị should top this list of best restaurants in Hanoi as it has been awarded a Michelin star for two consecutive years (2023, 2024). The restaurant feels like a humble old Vietnamese home opening its doors for guests to savor a traditional meal and enjoy a cup of tea. The restaurant’s rustic wood tones accentuate traditional Vietnamese motifs and the vibrant colors of its dishes.

The menu is all about the quintessential Vietnamese home meal, featuring rice, vegetables, soup, meat dishes, side dishes, and dipping sauces. Tầm Vị’s meals are simple yet exquisitely capture the soul of Vietnamese home-cooked cuisine in a rustic, elegant, and flavorful manner.

Sen Tonkin Restaurant & Cafe

Sen Tonkin Restaurant and Cafe at West Lake
Sen Tonkin Restaurant and Cafe at West Lake

Inspired by the Tonkin Lotus image, this restaurant near West Lake makes an impression from the get-go with its lotus-leaf-shaped entrance. The restaurant’s decor vividly reflects Tonkin’s heritage, using red bricks, floral tiles, wooden furniture, yellow-painted walls, and terracotta murals depicting folk tales. Lotus motifs, decorative pieces from middle-class Vietnamese homes of yesteryear, and Đông Hồ ancient paintings complete the quintessence ambiance.

Sen Tonkin restaurant menu, offering both Eastern and Western dishes, is crafted from fresh local ingredients and presented with an artistic flair. The restaurant offers indoor dining, window-side seating with lake views, and outdoor seating on the upper floors.

Uu Dam Vegetarian Restaurant

Vietnamese Vegetarian Restaurant Uu Dam
Vietnamese Vegetarian Restaurant Uu Dam

Named after the Udumbara flower, a sacred bloom believed to descend from heaven, Uu Dam offers a tranquil, Buddhist-inspired setting for diners to fully immerse themselves in the vegetarian dishes served.
The menu highlights locally-sourced ingredients, and the restaurant’s beverages are as creatively concocted as they are beautifully presented. Uu Dam also serves vegetarian hotpot options.

Home Hanoi Restaurant

Home Hanoi is one of the best restaurants in Hanoi
Home Hanoi is one of the best restaurants in Hanoi

Home Hanoi offers a serene garden oasis right in the heart of the bustling city. With pathways winding through greenery and a house adorned with lush plants, it is the perfect retreat for those seeking to escape the hectic streets of the capital and enjoy a meal in a peaceful, verdant setting.

The restaurant spans four floors, each uniquely decorated with its own distinct charm. The atmosphere at Home Hanoi is both classic and visually delightful, exuding a relaxed and inviting vibe. Here, you can indulge in delicious Vietnamese cuisine, complemented by a menu of creatively concocted beverages that are sure to tantalize your taste buds.

May De Cuisine

May De Cuisine one of the best restaurants in Old Quarter Hanoi
May De Cuisine one of the best restaurants in Old Quarter Hanoi

Located on Ma May Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, this restaurant combines indoor and outdoor seating with ample natural light. The architecture evokes traditional Northern Vietnamese village homes from the 20th century, using brick, tiled roofs, and wood, with a vintage yellow paint finish. The interior is adorned with typical Vietnamese household items, enhancing the culinary experience alongside the ambiance.

The menu offers a blend of Western and Vietnamese dishes, with a wide range of beverages. The staff is skilled at accommodating international guests, and the food is consistently praised for its flavor and freshness.

Vị Hanoi Restaurant & Cafe

Streetside restaurant Vị Hanoi
Streetside restaurant Vị Hanoi

“Vị Hà Nội” translates to “Flavors of Hanoi,” and the restaurant lives up to its name with a rustic, traditional Vietnamese charm. The decor is simple yet thoughtful accented with fresh flowers, artwork, and traditional fabric tablecloths. The space exudes warmth, airiness, and a welcoming vibe.

The food is flavorful, and the drink menu offers many innovative options. At night, diners can choose to eat indoors, on the sidewalk, or on the balcony, enjoying the street view below.

MẸT Vietnamese restaurant & Vegetarian Food

Met Vietnamese restaurant in Hanoi
Met Vietnamese restaurant in Hanoi

Compared to the other restaurants on this list, MẸT offers a more casual and energetic dining experience. The space is still steeped in Vietnamese folk culture, and the dishes are beautifully presented. The atmosphere is incredibly relaxed and friendly, with a focus on traditional Vietnamese dishes and vegetarian options.

The restaurant chain has eight locations scattered around Hanoi Old Quarter at Hang Trong, Hang Bac, Hang Gai, Bach Dang, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Luong Van Can, Hang Be, and Hang Bo, making it easy to find a nearby spot to enjoy a meal during your walk.

KOTO Văn Miếu

KOTO Văn Miếu
KOTO Văn Miếu

Located near the Temple of Literature, this restaurant exudes a bright, classic, and minimalist Indochine architectural style. The ground floor serves coffee and crafts, while the menu offers a variety of Vietnamese and Western dishes, catering well to international tastes. KOTO’s food presentation is impressively meticulous and creative.

Beyond its culinary offerings, KOTO is a pioneering social enterprise in Vietnam, employing individuals with disabilities who undergo training. Founded to provide opportunities for disadvantaged street children, the restaurant has a heartwarming mission that adds a layer of meaning to your dining experience.

MIAs Restaurant

MIAs Restaurant in Hanoi
MIAs Restaurant in Hanoi

MIAs – one of the best restaurants in Hanoi – located within a hotel. It is a small yet highly-rated restaurant known for serving traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Although hidden in the lower floors of Solaria Hotel, the restaurant’s quiet ambiance and high-quality food make it a local favorite.

The decor is simple, with a touch of traditional Vietnamese style, and the food is always meticulously prepared. MIAs offers dishes from all three regions of Vietnam—North, Central, and South.

Here is a curated list of 9 of the best restaurants in Hanoi, offering a traditional culinary experience with controlled quality, distinctive spaces, local ingredients, and unique styles. Dining costs range from approximately $8 to $28 per person, depending on the restaurant you choose. You can contact the restaurants directly to inquire about their menus and make reservations. These spots are well-versed in serving international guests, so you need not worry about any language barriers when dining at these local establishments. Eviva Tour Vietnam wishes you an exquisite and satisfying culinary adventure in Hanoi.

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