Hanoi is weird and wonderful and one of my favourite places on Earth. It’s a huge, smoggy, busy city, but you’ll probably spend most of your time around the Old Quarter, which is easily walkable and packed with things to do. Unusually, the shops on streets in the Old Quarter form monocultures — all the tin shops on one street, plumbing shops on another, toy shops on another, and so on. I was told that this was because for centuries tradespeople would travel long distances from their village in order to get their wares as close to the king as possible to receive his favour, and therefore had fewer qualms about being next door to a shop that sold the same type of product. Indeed, it was sometimes helpful if, say, you’d forgotten your smelting iron and needed to borrow one.
A street food tour is a must. We tended to spend about 60-70k Dong (about £2.50) a plate, and were usually very satisfied with just one course. Go for an early morning walk around the Hoan Kiem Lake just outside the Old Quarter, where a legendary giant turtle is said to have popped his head from the water to snatch away a sword given by the Gods to the Emperor to defeat the Chinese invaders (basically, Vietnam’s Excalibur myth). We looked for this turtle. No dice. We also enjoyed one of the city’s famous at a little cafe around here which is much nicer than it sounds.
Hanoi is also the gateway to much more, with overnight buses north to the famous hiking trails around Sapa and the motorbike trails beyond Ha Giang and south to beautiful Hoi An, and the beautiful but overcrowded Ha Long Bay archipelagos. My advice for heading further afield though? Take the train. It’s clunky, no-frills and must be booked sometimes weeks in advance, but as it heads south is one of the most beautiful coastal lines in the world.
EAT
Street eats A food odyssey through the cobbled roads of the capital’s Old Quarter is a must. Take a bike tour with Vespa Adventures (around £60) to enjoy classics including bun cha (grilled pork patties with rice noodles) and bo ne (sizzling beef, fried egg, pâté and peppercorn sauce served with melt-in-your-mouth bread).
Star power Hanoi has three restaurants with a Michelin star: Gia, Hibana by Koki and Tam Vi. Of the three, it’s Tam Vi for me. Set in a wooden building styled with vintage furniture, it offers homely dishes such as cha la lot – minced pork wrapped in betel leaves.
On track With caged songbirds hanging from the ceilings of the cafés that line its rail tracks, ‘Train Street’ (above) is a unique location for lunch. Have a beer and wait for the carriages to swing by on their way from Hanoi Station.
STAY
Gold standard The chandelier-spangled Capella Hanoi (above) is as opulent as it is theatrical: each of the 47 rooms is named after an opera singer, play or song and guests can enjoy a 24-carat gold facial at the spa. Rooms from around £265 (capellahotels.com).
Lake lustre L’Hôtel du Lac, a few hundred feet from Hoan Kiem Lake, has art deco vibes and a stylish rooftop bar. The lake is a cultural hotspot after dark, and you’ll see half the city here doing exercise classes before work. Rooms from around £110 (hoteldulachanoi.com).
Cheap and chic For something more intimate (and lighter on the wallet), Aira Boutique Hanoi in the Old Quarter has a rooftop bar with an infinity pool and serene views of the skyline. Cocktails are under £5 – try the Golden Bay, a mix of gin, ginger and lemon juice. Rooms from around £30 (airaboutiquehanoi.com).
LOVE
Family affairs The Vietnam Museum of Ethnology (vme.org.vn, entry £1.15) presents a rich history of the country’s 54 officially recognised ethnic groups and has a wonderful garden in which traditional hilltop homes have been proudly reconstructed.
Caffeine hit Set in a charming old French villa, Loading T (@loadingt_cafe) is a must-visit. Its owners roast their beans with cinnamon and the menu lists coffee drinks (above, from around £1.45) fused with such ingredients as yogurt, egg (much nicer than it sounds), salt, coconut, banana or lime.
Sax appeal Long Waits (longwaitsjazz.com), in Hoan Kiem district, is surely the finest place for jazz in the 1,000-year-old capital: it’s a cosy theatre with space for a few dozen guests, a stylish wooden bar and an exceptional house band. How’s scat?
