8 Great Restaurants in Hanoi

La Terrasse Du Metropole is located in the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, one of the finest hotels in Vietnam. Class and culture seem to embrace everything associated with this esteemed hotel and this restaurant is no different. Taking cues from Parisian bistros, the ornate facade and parquet flooring are instantly reminiscent of 20th-century France. 

Sample delicacies such as oysters, French cheese, assorted cold cuts or go for something more hearty like steak-frites or coq au vin. Open all day, it is worth stopping by if only for a coffee, to be able to enjoy the charming design. Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is easy to find, just south of Hoan Kiem Lake in the French Quarter.

Highway 4 is a restaurant everyone in Hanoi should visit at least once for its ambient dining experience and its Vietnamese menu. The restaurant's large menu runs through Vietnam’s entire culinary heritage. The specials are highly recommended, particularly the catfish spring rolls. 

Popular with locals and visitors, all food at Highway 4 is served with plenty of local herbs which the restaurant tries to source sustainably. With separate sections in the menu for fire, wood, metal and water (relating to the cooking techniques) Highway 4 is perfect for large groups with disparate tastes.

Sen 60 Ly Thai is a sophisticated restaurant in Hanoi serving a buffet dinner that will impress everyone – even people who don’t usually like buffets! Located in the heart of the French Quarter, the ivory-colour scheme and neocolonial architecture is a suitable match for the excellent seafood, oysters, sashimi, crab, escargot and Vietnamese spring rolls served inside. 

The service is seamless here and the cost of the buffet is excellent value, especially considering its proximity to the Hanoi Opera House and several of the finest hotels in the city. There are 3 other branches of Sen in Hanoi but this is the best of the bunch.

Green Tangerine is a restaurant in Hanoi that evokes the feel of a quaint bistro found in the back alleys of Paris. The restaurant is small but beautiful and serves some of the most creative dishes in Hanoi. 

Definitely one for the gastronomists, the chef uses French cooking techniques and adds signature touches best seen in dishes such as king prawns cooked with mango and rum liquor served with carrot cake or marinated pigeon with coffee and cocoa served with beet, strawberries and mashed eggplant. The set lunch deal is amazingly good value and highly recommended for any budget.

Hanoi Social Club is a top spot to head to in Hanoi if you're looking for a cool, bohemian hangout with amazing western brunch dishes. The coffee and smoothies are excellent as well, and the second-floor chillout room feels more like a friend’s apartment than a cafe. The soundtrack is varied and modern, there’s a library of books and free Wi-Fi. 

Come around lunchtime and try the poached egg and avocado – it’s certainly as good as anything you might get in a cool cafe on the shores of Sydney Harbor. Quite hard to find down a side street a few minutes west of St Joseph Cathedral.

Quan An Ngon is a successful Hanoi restaurant that opened its first of many subsequent branches in Saigon. The concept was jumped on by foreign visitors hungry to try the full range of Vietnamese cuisine in one restaurant. The Premise of Quan An Ngon is like a luxurious food court, with different food stations positioned around the periphery of the restaurant serving regional specialties from across Vietnam, all cooked fresh to order. 

Some complain that it lacks true authenticity with reduced flavors to appease the Western palate, but everything is very well prepared and the restaurant is beautifully designed in traditional Vietnamese style.

Xuan Xuan Restaurant might not win any award for style, but if you want to eat like a local this Vietnamese BBQ is among the best in town. Sit down on the ankle-high stools and order a selection of meats (from pork, beef and goat udders) and vegetables. Everything is brought on a large platter and you barbeque your own dinner over a small gas burning stove. 

It’s a fun experience, eating elbow to elbow with a diverse range of customers and the taste is truly delicious. Located in the heart of the Old Quarter, look for the crowds of happy diners spilling out onto the sidewalk.

La Verticale is a fantastic fine-dining restaurant housed in a colonial-style mansion in Hanoi. The layout of the restaurant is special, with an open kitchen dominating attention. Even so, the food doesn’t disappoint with a seasonal menu that reflects the herbs and spices of the region, produced using French techniques. 

Duck terrine, ratatouille, veal in tamarind, and Mekong fruits sorbet are all popular dishes here, while there is also a set menu with optional wine pairing. The wine list is excellent, the service diligent and the ambiance is suited to romance. There is also a roof terrace with excellent views across the city, best enjoyed after dinner with a nice cool drink.