Hanoi's best food is street food, and mostly morning food: phở, bún chả, bánh cuốn. My list of saved places had almost none of these classics, so I added three Vietnamese places from 34travel's Hanoi guide (it's from 2017, so I checked each on Google: still open, rated 4.2 or higher) and two more, bánh mì and chả cá, on the advice of other travel guides. From my own list come the places for when you want something other than Vietnamese: pizza, Indian and craft beer. I have no notes of my own on them; the descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews.
Prices are Google's average spend per person; prices of single dishes and tickets come from reviews. Valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 100,000 ₫ ≈ $3.85.
In short
- The Vietnamese essentials: phở at Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn, bún chả at Tuyết Bún Chả 34, bánh cuốn at Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền Thanh Vân, all under 100,000 ₫ (≈$4).
- Bánh mì and chả cá: Banh Mi 25 on Hàng Cá (cash only) and fish with dill at Chả Cá Thăng Long, on the street named after the dish.
- Timing: phở on Bát Đàn is served 6:00–11:00 and in the evening, bún chả at Tuyết only until 17:30, bánh cuốn until 13:30 and in the evening.
- When you need a break from phở: Pizza 4P's (book ahead), RK Spice for Indian, and Pasteur Street for craft beer brewed with Vietnamese ingredients.
Vietnamese food
Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn
Phố Cổ · phở · under 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 6:00–11:00 and 17:00–21:30
Google Maps · 49 P. Bát Đàn
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 5,600+): one of Hanoi's best-known phở shops, recognised by the Michelin Guide. Only a few kinds of beef phở, cuts of meat hanging right by the counter, very fast service and shared long tables. Cheap. Opinions split: some call it the richest broth in town, others (Vietnamese diners among them) find it too sweet and don't get the hype, and the service draws frequent complaints; sometimes you have to fetch your own bowl.
Tuyết Bún Chả 34
Ba Đình · bún chả · under 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 8:30–17:30
Google Maps · 34 Hàng Than / P. Nguyễn Trung Trực
According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 580+): bún chả (grilled pork with rice noodles, herbs and a dipping broth) with a Michelin mention for years now. People praise the light, slightly sweet, non-greasy broth with a smoky edge from the grill, the tender pork and the generous portions; a bowl costs a little more than nearby, but many call it the best in town. Daytime only. The setting is as basic as it gets and the floor can be littered; when it's full, they send you to a second room a couple of minutes' walk away.
Bánh Cuốn Gia Truyền Thanh Vân
Phố Cổ · bánh cuốn · under 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 7:00–13:30 and 17:00–21:00
Google Maps · 14 P. Hàng Gà
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 770+): a family place making bánh cuốn, thin steamed rice rolls filled with minced pork, mushrooms or shrimp and topped with fried shallots, served with a dipping sauce. The pork and shrimp fillings and the Vietnamese chả sausage get the most praise, and plenty of people order a second round. A great breakfast, quick and cheap. Not everything is on the menu, so ask the staff.
Banh Mi 25
Phố Cổ · bánh mì · under 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 7:00–21:00
Google Maps · website · 25 P. Hàng Cá
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 17,500+): the best-known bánh mì in Phố Cổ, with a crisp, light baguette and numbered fillings. Sandwiches 1, 2 and 3, the creamy pâté and the pork belly get the most praise; there are vegetarian options and a good salt coffee too. Even the priciest sandwich is around 50,000 ₫ (≈$2). You order at the counter and sit in a small room across the street; there's nearly always a queue, shorter before 9:00. Cash only.
Chả Cá Thăng Long
Phố Cổ · chả cá, fish with dill · daily 9:00–23:00
Google Maps · 17A P. Chả Cá
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 570+): the place for chả cá, the Hanoi dish the street itself is named after: pieces of grilled fish finish cooking at your table in a pan piled with dill and spring onion, eaten with rice noodles, herbs and fermented shrimp sauce. The staff show you how to put it together. One portion is around 170,000 ₫ (≈$6.50) per person, and sets can include spring rolls. By 18:30 the room is full; upstairs is plain and noisy, and some found the fish a bit dry.
When you want something other than Vietnamese
Pizza 4P's Bao Khanh
Hoàn Kiếm · pizza · 200,000–700,000 ₫ (≈$8–27) · daily 11:00–23:00
Google Maps · website · 11B P. Báo Khánh
According to Google Maps reviews (4.9 from 29,000+): a pizzeria with a Japanese twist that many call the best food of their whole trip. Thin wood-fired pizza with burrata, salmon miso pizza, crab pasta and a passion fruit and ricotta dessert. Very friendly staff. Always packed, so book; from the counter seats you can watch the pizzas being made.
RK Spice Indian Restaurant
Phố Cổ · Indian · 100,000–200,000 ₫ (≈$4–8) · daily 11:00–23:50
Google Maps · website · 6 P. Hàng Lược
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 7,900+): a simple Indian restaurant in Phố Cổ that many walk into by chance and leave happy. Reviewers praise the mutton biryani, butter mutton, lemon rice and naan, both cheese and potato. Big portions, fair prices, halal. For when a week of phở is enough.
Pasteur Street Craft Beer
Hoàn Kiếm · craft brewery · 100,000–500,000 ₫ (≈$4–19) · Mon–Thu 11:00–23:00, Fri–Sun 11:00–0:00
Google Maps · website · 1 P. Ấu Triệu
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 4,000+): the taproom of a Vietnamese brewery right behind St Joseph's Cathedral, with beers brewed from local ingredients, each with its own story. Good food to go with them (tuna tataki and grilled okra get mentions), a patio with fans and live music on Wednesdays at 20:00. Some complain it's hard to catch the staff's attention.
One last thing
Eat local in the first half of the day: the phở on Bát Đàn closes at 11:00 until the evening, and Tuyết Bún Chả 34 shuts at 17:30. Save the evening for pizza and beer — and carry cash, many small places don't take cards.
More on Hanoi: coffee, bars, what to see and buy