If you are a coffee lover like me and find yourself in Hanoi, Vietnam, then you will be pleasantly surprised by the amazing coffee and cafés scattered throughout the city. Hanoi is not only known for its history, culture, and food but also for their coffee and cozy cafés. Although you can find amazing Vietnamese coffee all over Hanoi, some of the must visit cafés specialize in two variations of coffee made famous in Vietnam, egg coffee and coconut coffee. From cafés serving up thick and strong egg coffee to the cold and refreshing coconut coffee, here are 5 of the must visit cafés in Hanoi that we visited and loved.
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If you are familiar with coffee in Hanoi or coffee in Vietnam in general, you’ve probably heard or seen of Egg Coffee and Coconut Coffee.
How does egg coffee and coconut coffee differ from regular coffee and what exactly is it?
Both these variations of coffee are famous in Hanoi and almost every café has their own unique twist.
Egg Coffee
Egg coffee, otherwise known as ca phe tung in Vietnamese, is a style of coffee made famous in Hanoi. Egg coffee is just that, it’s coffee with egg yolks in it. There is a shot of espresso at the bottom, at the top layer is a mix of egg yolks, condensed milk, and sugar.
Why would I drink egg coffee? is egg coffee safe to drink?
Egg coffee was delicious! More of a dessert then actual coffee. Some egg coffee that I tried in Hanoi tasted a bit like tiramisu. I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t like tiramisu!
Egg coffee is perfectly safe to drink! Generally the eggs used are pasteurized eggs and cooked in one way or another. When we were at Ma Xo Café, the barista told us they boil the coffee with the egg and it even goes in the oven, so it does get cooked.
How is Egg Coffee prepared and how do you drink it?
The egg yolk, condensed milk, sugar, and other ingredients are mixed together and boiled. you can then add the espresso or coffee to the bottom or pour it over the froth egg mixture. Ether way the coffee settles to the bottom. The egg mixture rests on top. The egg mixture on top is thick, frothy, and sweet. The café should provide a spoon. You can either eat the egg on top like a dessert, mix it well with the coffee, or do a little bit of both! I felt the coffee at the bottom was strong, so I preferred to mix it with the egg.
After that, simply relax and enjoy!
Coconut Coffee
Coconut coffee is another style of coffee in Hanoi that has become a favorite amongst both locals and tourists.
Coconut coffee seemed to be different at every café we visited and I loved each variation of this refreshing drink.
In Vietnamese, Coconut Coffee is Ca phe dua. It is a coffee that is mixed with coconut milk and condensed milk. Sometimes, cafés will add coconut shavings to the drink for additional flavor.
Coconut coffee at least that I had was served chilled with either ice cubes or frozen cream on top. It’s meant to be a refreshing drink especially during the hot summer months in Vietnam.
With coconut coffee, you still get that traditional Vietnamese coffee but with a hint of coconut flavor. At some cafés it tasted more like a dessert drink while other cafés prepared it differently so the coffee was not to be overpowered. Regardless of how it is made, coconut coffee in Hanoi is delicious, refreshing, and a must when visiting Hanoi.
5 Must Visit Cafés in Hanoi
If you are looking for some of the best cafés and coffee shops in Hanoi that specialize in egg and coconut coffee, I have 5 for you that are worth visiting. These cafés were either recommended to us by friends that live in Hanoi or food guides that really know the city. Based on all of that cafés and coffee shops we visited while in Hanoi, here is a list of what I think are must visit cafés in Hanoi.
I’ve tried traditional Vietnamese coffee before and thoroughly enjoy it. I’ve heard awesome things about egg and coconut coffee prior to visiting, so I set out to try these styles of coffee. These 5 must visit cafés in Hanoi are based on my experience with ordering both egg and coconut coffee.
Café Dinh
Located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Café Dinh is one of the more popular cafés in the area. Although difficult to find at first, Café Dinh is a must visit café in Hanoi.
When visiting Café Dinh, look for the sign outside, walk through a narrow path and walk up the stairs until you reach the café.
Café Dinh is known for their egg coffee, so that is what I tried here.
For 30,000 Vietnamese Dong, or just around $1.25, you can enjoy a warm cup of freshly made egg coffee.
The egg coffee here is really good! The coffee is strong and the egg mixture on top was thick and flavorful. Here, I recommend mixing the coffee and egg together to help with a little of the bitterness.
Overall, Café Dinh was probably my go to place for egg coffee. It’s probably one of the better places to visit while in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and the atmosphere was very pleasant and relaxed.
Address: 13 P. Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 7 days a week from 7:00 – 22:30
Price: Egg Coffee – 25K
Hidden Gem Coffee - Quan Ch Phe Tai Che
We went to Hidden Gem Coffee because it was a stop along our Hanoi Countryside Motorbike Tour. Otherwise, we would have never found or even hear of this fun café.
We visited this coffee house for lunch but had an egg coffee after eating. It was a traditional egg coffee prepared in the traditional way.
Jill doesn’t drink coffee, so she had a tiramisu drink with egg on top similar to egg coffee and it was equally as good.
This place had a fantastic lunch menu as well. I’d recommend the Rainbow Salad and Banh My. I forgot to take a photo of my coffee, but the food here was so photogenic. At least I have photos of the amazing lunch we had here.
The best thig about Hidden Gem Coffee was the atmosphere of the restaurant. All the decorations here from the chairs, light fixtures, even the fish tank, are made using recycled material.
Address: 1 Hàng Mắm, Phố cổ Hà Nội, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 7 days a week from 7:00 – 22:00
Price: Egg Coffee – 45K
Coconut Coffee – 50K
Ma Xo Café
Ma Xo Café is a cute coffee house located on an island in ho Truc Bach.
Ma Xo Café had one of the more relaxed atmospheres and nice views of the lake. This café also had one of my favorite egg coffees. It is here that the barista told me it would take about 10 minutes to prepare the coffee and they heat it up in the oven.
The egg coffee was strong, bitter, and sweet all in one tasting, it was delicious! Since the coffee is strong, I recommend mixing it with the egg to help with the bitterness.
If coffee is not your thing, Ma Xo Café offered other beverages like teas, kombucha, and many other drinks.
Address: 152 P. Trấn Vũ, Trúc Bạch, Ba Đình, Hà Nội 11117, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 7 days a week from 8:00 – 23:00
Price: Egg Coffee – 60K
Coconut Coffee – 60K
Melbie Café and Bakery
If you are looking for a café in Hanoi to try good coffee, cake, and just take a breather, then Melbie Café and Bakery is the perfect place.
Melbie Café and Bakery was recommended to us by our food tour guide. It is located just north of the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum just before accessing the bridge to the lakes.
Melbie Café and Bakery is a cute café wit multiple floors. Upon entering I ordered a coconut coffee here with a Red Velvet Cake. Jill had an iced fruit tea, so it is not just coffee here being served.
We comfortably sat upstairs under the cool air conditioner. Honestly, we’ve been walking all day and needed a long rest, this was the perfect spot for it as they had delicious drinks and Wi-fi.
The coconut coffee here was much different then my first coconut coffee at Xofa Café and Bistro. The coconut coffee here was a traditional one with coconut milk and coffee.
Address: No. 9A Đ. Thanh Niên, St, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 7 days a week. Fri, Sat, and Sun from 8:00 – 23:00, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs from 8:00 – 22:30
Xofa Café and Bistro
Another Café that was recommended by our food tour guide was Xofa Café and Bistro. Located just a few steps from Hanoi Train Street, Xofa Café and Bistro seemed to be a popular coffee place in Hanoi by both locals and tourists.
This café had a relaxed atmosphere with both indoor and outdoor seating. I was told that they were famous for their coconut coffee so I had my first experience with coconut coffee here.
I ordered the Single Espresso Coffee with coconut milk and condensed milk. At first I was shocked by how the coffee looked. It looked like coffee with frozen foam on top. As I took my first sip, it was fabulous and refreshing. The coconut shavings on top added a nice touch. I knew this would be a hard coffee to beat and it was as it is still my favorite coconut coffee in Hanoi.
Besides coffee, Xofa Café and Bistro also serves delicious teas.
Address: 14 P. Tống Duy Tân, Hàng Bông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 7 days a week, Open 24 Hours
Price: Coconut Coffee – 68K
Conclusion
Hanoi is a surprising destination for coffee lovers and is home to many cozy and unique cafés and coffee shops. For the coffee connoisseur, it is recommended to try Hanoi’s famous and well known egg coffee and coconut coffee. Whether you are looking for a unique twist on local coffee like egg coffee or a refreshing beverage to sip on during the heat of the afternoon in Hanoi, you can’t go wrong with trying these Vietnamese coffees in Hanoi.
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