Hidden Gems of Hanoi: Top Non-toursity Places to Go
You’re basically so sick of the crowds and touristy places? Or you had a list of top things to see in Hanoi and already went through all the items. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, check! The Old Quarter, check! Train street, check! Temple of Literature, check! Then, now, what’s next? Let an original Hanoian reveal some real hidden gems for you in this blog.
Well…Having your own bucket list and getting it done is a good start. But my advice to you is not to let the typical tourist attractions in Hanoi distract you from what it’s really about: enjoying the atmosphere, tasting the food, and watching all the street life unfold. I suggest you ignore the usual listicles of temples, buildings, or museums, at least to begin with. The sights are not bad, but I think you’ll probably stumble upon them anyway as you move around the city. So, let it show up coincidentally and start your new journey with our recommendations below.
Phở gà (Chicken noodles) hides in small alleys near the cathedral
It is not exaggerated to say Phở is one of the dishes that defines our cuisine. You may have heard of Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư and Phở Bát Đàn. Coming to try, you may see this situation:
A long queue of visitors in front of Phở Lý Quốc Sư in Hanoi
Tired of the long queue to get the famous yet daily dishes of us, why don’t we go another 500m, along Ly Quoc Su street, coincidentally pass the cathedral, to try the chicken phở in a small shop hidden in the alley? Let a guide from Hanoi e.Buddies tell you how to get in there.
A detailed guide to the hidden Phở Mai from a guide of Hanoi e.Buddies
After finding the shop, feel free to enter, pick any vacant seat, then wait until you can order since the “chef” – Mrs. Mai can’t remember if all guests ordered at once. Mrs. Mai cooks many types of noodles here, but you should definitely try the chicken mixed noodles (phở trộn gà) and chicken dipping noodles (phở chấm gà) since chicken noodles make their name.
A German couple going on a walking tour with Hanoi e.Buddies tried to use chopsticks at Phở Mai
Although the shop can be overwhelmed sometimes, especially around lunch time, a bowl of phở is worth the wait.
- Address: 40 Nha Chung Street
- Opening hours: 8 AM – 1 PM
- Price range: ~$1.3 – $1.9
Hanoi House, a famous yet hidden charm with a view of the St. Joseph Cathedral
After having some phở, let’s go back to the church to find this coffee shop. Why is it called “famous yet hidden”? It’s famous and Instagrammable because you may probably see this picture when scrolling through Instagram. It’s its balcony, where you can enjoy the view of the cathedral in front of your eyes.
The popular balcony of Hanoi House
People see the pic, but often don’t know how to get there since it’s located in an old collective housing block. To get there, you have to go inside the small alley next to the block, turn right, follow the first stairs, then open the door on your right.
Hidden stairs in the housing block leading to the Hanoi House
The shop indeed is a bar and café. During the day, you can sit on its balcony to enjoy a cup of Vietnamese coffee or tea; after the sun goes down, you can enjoy cocktails with jazz inside the house.
The bar inside Hanoi House
- Address: 47A Ly Quoc Su Street
- Opening hours: 10 AM – 1 AM (the next day)
- Price range: ~$1.3 – $9.5
Mão Bookstore – the oldest hidden bookstore in the Hanoi old quarter
After having your stomach full, let’s walk to the south of the Hoan Kiem Lake to discover this old bookstore. Like the Hanoi House mentioned above, the bookstore is also a part of the collective housing block of Hanoi locals.
Entrance to the hidden Mao Bookstore
People said the owners of Mao Bookstore are like the patron saints of the bookselling business on Dinh Le Street. Because after the bookstore was built by Mrs. Mao and Mr. Luy, Dinh Le Street began to have many other bookstores opened to become the book city it is today.
Interior space of the collective housing block No. 5 Dinh Le Hanoi
Mao Bookstore was originally just a small bookshelf that the owners placed on the sidewalk of Dinh Le Street, outside the Hanoi Post Office. After years of hard work, they bought a small house on the second floor of the collective housing block No. 5 Dinh Le to do their business. This small bookstore is indeed the gem of Mrs. Mao. Until now, their bookstore has attracted a large number of book lovers to visit every day.
Mao Bookstore, looking from the collective housing block No. 5 Dinh Le
Please note that this is a residential area; you should be quiet. Bookstores also have their own regulations to ensure that the space inside is only for reading culture and book enthusiasts. For example, you will have to contact their fanpage in advance and pay a small fee when bringing professional filming equipment into the bookstore.
The interior of Mao Bookstore
- Address: 5 Dinh Le Street
- Opening hours: 9 AM – 5 PM
Bún đậu Hàng Khay (fried tofu with vermicelli and shrimp paste), would you dare to try?
Having shared about this “culinary ambassador” of Hanoi in our previous blogs, how could we forget to recommend a place to try?
Just a few steps from the aforementioned Mao Bookstore, located in the South of the Hoan Kiem Lake and the Hanoi Old Quarter, Bún đậu cô Tuyến is the top pick of Vietnamese youngsters who hang out in the Old Quarter on weekends. However, for foreigners, it seems to be a lesser-known place to eat, probably because of the distinct pungent flavor of the dipping sauce made from fermented shrimp.
For those who dare to take on new cuisine challenges, the obstacle now lies at their hidden location. To get there, you have to find alley No. 31 on Hang Khay Street, go straight to the end, then the shop will be on your left.
Alley No. 31 Hang Khay with flags leading visitors to the Bún đậu mắm tôm shop
Bún đậu cô Tuyến has a diverse range of toppings, namely pig’s leg, pork belly, pig offal, green sticky rice patties, and fried spring rolls; all are placed onto the banana leaves. The typical orange color of the grilled pork offal and the green color of the fresh banana leaves are unique points that differentiate this shop.
Bún đậu mắm tôm with various toppings at Ms Tuyến shop (cre: Ninh Tito)
- Address: 31 Hang Khay Street
- Opening hours: 7 AM – 9 PM
- Price range: ~$1.5 – $3
Phúc Lợi stamp, where traditional stamps are made in the midst of a modern city
Back to the heart of the old quarter area, let’s find something for your postcards. In the bustling old quarter of Hanoi, tourists may easily pass by the Phuc Loi Stamp at 6 Hang Quat Street, where an old man sits and carves wooden figures. He is Pham Ngoc Toan, the owner of the shop, who quit teaching to preserve the traditional craft. For him, this traditional craftsmanship is a treasure that needs preservation, especially in today’s digital age.
Mr. Toan is carving a stamp
You can buy the premade stamps here with the pattern of tourist attractions and symbols of Hanoi. For a more complicated pattern, the craftsman may need 15-30 minutes to complete. A stamp from Toan’s shop usually costs 70,000VND ($2.9), regardless of the number of details or length of words.
A tourist making a stamp order
A clover stamp with a name takes the craftsman 30 minutes to carve (cre: VnExpress)
- Address: 6 Hang Quat Street
- Price range: from ~$2.6
Nắng cafe – a secret coffee shop with a view of Hang Ma Street
The old quarter offers tourists a lot of coffee shops, as we shared in our previous blog. Not going far from the area, this time, let’s have a sip of coffee at this hidden coffee shop. Nắng cafe is on the second floor of an old house on Dong Xuan Street, just a few steps from the Dong Xuan market. On the first floor, there are two grocery stores where they sell various daily essentials. Right between the two shops, there is a small path leading to the center of the house block, where you can reach the stairs to the second floor.
Entrance of the hidden Nắng cafe
Though the coffee shop is quite small, with an ordinary and nostalgic interior, the brightest gem here is its balcony.
Nắng cafe’s balcony with full of sunlight
Like the name of the café, “Nắng”, which means sunny, I immersed myself in the golden rays of sunlight reflecting on its balcony during golden hours. And look over there! The whole scene of Hang Ma Street, with its decoration and the hectic life of locals in the old quarter, is all shown in front of your eyes.
The view of Hang Ma Street from Nắng cafe
- Address: 27 Dong Xuan Street
- Opening hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Price range: ~$1.2 – $2.8
Hỏa Xa Cafe – the lesser-known train street in Hanoi
The train street is indeed a must-try activity in Hanoi. However, I must admit: it can be a bit much sometimes due to the noisy touristic activities. People talking to order some drinks, coffee shop staff ordering, vendors trying to sell more, tourists going around to find the spot, random guys honking when the train comes,…. It’s thrilling to experience this, but if you’re just a chill guy getting dizzy enough with the hectic Hanoi, I’ll suggest going to see the train at Hoa Xa Cafe, a coffee shop right next to the Long Bien station, where the train running through the train street is heading to.
A night tour of Hanoi e.Buddies and staff from the Embassy of Germany at the Hoa Xa cafe
This coffee shop is located in the North of the Hanoi old quarter, a 6-minute walk from the Dong Xuan market. This café is actually a train waiting room for passengers of Long Bien station, with the idea of offering them a place to see trains passing while sipping coffee. From this idea, their drinks are also named after a journey for passengers.
The train arriving at Long Bien station (cre: Hoa Xa Cafe)
Designed in French style, the coffee shop has four sides with arched glass windows, offering views of Long Bien Bridge, Long Bien Station, and Phung Hung Railway. Visitors can enjoy a cup of coffee, observe the train station, and take photos here.
The view from one of the windows at Hoa Xa Cafe
Hoa Xa Cafe is a cool little gem, especially for anyone looking for a unique and quiet version of train street in Hanoi. The occasional train passing is a rare treat. Daytime visits would offer a better view, but even at night, it had its own charm too.
- Address: Long Bien Station
- Opening hours: 7 AM – 11 PM
- Price range: ~$1.2 – $2.2
Still can’t find those hidden gems of Hanoi, join us on our journey!
The train taking you to the Hoa Xa Cafe above is our last stop for the blog today. I believe Hanoi hides its true gems in alleys that many locals don’t even know. It wasn’t planned to visit, but sometimes the best finds are the ones you stumble upon. While exploring the busy Hanoi life, I’d like to think of these places as save points in a video game. These little oases let you get away from all the noise and recharge for a while. And I hope my dear readers will find so.
Traveling is all about connecting, not just among places and itineraries, but it’s also about connecting with humans. If it’s confusing for you to find those hidden gems of Hanoi, feel free to connect with us via our TripAdvisor, Facebook, and Instagram. Hanoi e.Buddies will help you explore the city in a local way, even the small alleys where hidden treasures of the city lie. Everything is free upon your click to connect with places and people during your trip.