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are two of the busiest thoroughfares
in town.
Further south of Hoan Kiem Lake,
Trieu Viet Vuong street is a treasure
trove of coffee shops of all shapes and
sizes. Near Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum are
many cool stops to escape the heat and
mingle with Hanoi’s cool crowd along
Dien Bien Phu street. Elsewhere, over
on Nguyen Du street, a number of cafes
play host to men who gather with their
caged pet birds to listen to their song.
The originals
Travellers who visit Hanoi also like
trying Lam, Nhi, Nang or Giang cafes –
the four oldest in the capital.
Nhi Cafe is located at 2 Hang Ca
street and it still has the same small
wooden chairs as decades ago.
Lam Cafe can be found at 60 Nguy-
en Huu Huan street (another can be
found at number 91), just 5 minutes
stroll from Hoan Kiem lake. This is the
oldest coffee shop in the ancient capital
and its walls are covered in paintings.
The story goes that before the cof-
fee shop became famous, many starv-
ing artists would hang out here. They
would exchange their latest works for
credit and drink coffee for free until it
was time to create another one. This
exchange meant Lam Cafe was both
full of art and artists, creating a unique
atmosphere that still exists to this day.
Giang Cafe is on the same street at
number 39. This is a tiny garden style café
which is best known for its egg coffee. A
plant-filled balcony catches the sun and
is a great place to try a Hanoi specialty.
While many cafes maintain their
old concepts, Nang Cafe has expanded
from its original base at 6 Hang Bac
with the addition of six new modern ca-
fes. Besides its two most popular drinks
- ca phe nau (hot coffee with con-
densed milk) and ca phe nau da (iced
coffee with condensed milk) - the cafes
offer a wide range of fruit juices, black
tea and soft drinks.
Modern cafes
Alongside traditional Vietnamese
coffee shops, a host of contemporary
options are now on offer. Among them,
five stand out.
Oriberry Coffee (36 Au Trieu, Hoan
Kiem district, and 25 Xuan Dieu, Tay
Ho district) is the café of choice for a
real cappuccino experience in Hanoi.
timeout
29
L
ocated high on the fourth floor,
The Coffee Club Cafe Bistro is the
ideal place for breakfast, afternoon
tea or an evening get-together.
You can choose to take a seat in the
air-con restaurant, or on the airy terrace
overlooking the jade-colour waters of
the lake. The menu is diverse, ranging
from east-meet-west salads to appetiz-
ing pork, chicken, beef and seafood
main courses. There is also a fine se-
lection of delicious sweet desserts and
seasonal fruits and you should not miss
the Italian pizzas and pastas.
The drink list is attractive, with awide
range of fresh fruit juices, smoothies,
mocktails, cocktails, spirits, and more.
As the name suggests, the venue
is a great place to enjoy a coffee, with
the excellent Italian Illy brand brewed
to perfection. An amazing nine-Arabica-
bean coffee of the highest order, Illy
delights customers. This is a coffee born
of eight decades of experience and un-
matched knowledge of coffee roasting.
In the cup, the Illy blend is a sym-
phony of flavours. There is a taste, a
feel and an aroma that is uniquely Illy;
velvety, immediately sweet and deli-
cately balancing floral and fruity notes
with caramel, toast and chocolate. It
is naturally fragrant with aromas of al-
mond and honey.
Especially for this summer, let try
its Summer Coolers Promotion with Ha-
zenut Jelly and Caramel Freeze coffee.
Head to the Coffee club to try this su-
perb blend and enjoy it with a romantic
view of Hanoi’s most famous lake.
Coffee Club Cafe Bistro
3B Le Thai To street, Floor 4th,
tel: 04 3938 1168 / 0919 293 949
COFFEE CLUB
CAFE BISTRO
A romantic rendezvous
Housed in a French colonial building, Coffee Club Café
Bistro offers a perfect view of the legendary Hoan
Kiem Lake in the heart of Hanoi, writes
Duc Hanh