10 Glorious Cafés With The Best Coconut Coffee in Hanoi

Created by Colleen | Updated : 12 March 2024 |

Do you love coffee?  Does your current repertoire range from Americano to a Latte with the occasional Cappuccino?  Prepare to be re-educated in Hanoi. For me, wherever we travel now, coffee will always be measured by Hanoi.

We had ten days in the city to sample some of their best coffee. We didn’t sleep some nights but had a great time tasting.  There are some amazing little coffee shops in Hanoi; read on and we’ll share what we learned.

This is a long post; I really got into the Vietnam coffee culture so either grab a cup of your favourite brew and enjoy the read or click here to jump down to the list of our favourite coconut coffee in Hanoi.

There are small coffee stalls across Hanoi.  Brightly coloured signs, a few small stools and a menu is all that is needed

Our Vietnam Coffee Journey

Gerry is a tea drinker; he felt at home in India and Sri Lanka with their ample offerings of quality tea.

I like coffee.  I know folks rave about a French coffee but honestly for me it’s not so great. Jordan with its aromatic cardamon or a Spanish café con leche are both wonderful things.  Having heard so much about Vietnamese coffee I was keen to get tasting.

In Ho Chi Minh we dabbled but we were still uneducated.  We tried the famous black drip coffee and discovered a richness and nuttiness with a slight hint of chocolate. As we continued our travel through Vietnam, and tried the southern Vietnamese white coffee.  It was good but a little too sweet and a tad too short for me.

In Hoi An I discovered Coconut Coffee.  I was thirsty and wanted a long drink.  The person in front left with a big glass so I ordered the same.  I was hooked.

Gerry had been working his way around teas for a month but was quietly dissatisfied.  That was until Hue.  We stumbled upon Cong Ca Phe.  Gerry tried their Saigon Brown, which is good but I finally convinced him to go coconut.  He found his coffee. 

For Gerry, and indeed many visitors, Cong Ca Phe will always be the best and the measure by which all other coffees will be judged. 

Between Hue and Hanoi we hit a coffee drought but oh my Hanoi.  If you love coffee you’ll fall in love with Hanoi and it’s coffee culture.

Gerry in Cong Caphe in Hue where he had his first Coconut coffee

A Potted History Of Vietnamese Coffee

The French brought coffee to Vietnam but the Vietnamese made it their own.

Given how popular coffee is today and the number of cafes that exist, it’s hard to believe that 50 years ago tea was the nations favourite drink.

It feels like coffee has been part of the Vietnamese culture forever, but it only arrived in 1857.  Small plantations followed but even 100 years ago coffee was just a minor industry.  The war years interrupted production and consumption and it was only after reunification that coffee become so much part of Vietnamese life.

Vietnam is now the world’s second largest coffee producer, with only Brazil growing more.  And here they grow and use Robusta beans, which delivers the famous glorious coffee flavour.

Condensed milk became a thing because fresh milk was never a common commodity in Southeast Asia. In order to enjoy their favourite drink (next to wine!) the French colonialists needed to import condensed milk from France. 

Condensed milk came with another advantage, in that it required no refrigeration.  And as luck would have it, sweetened condensed milk is the perfect bedfellow for strong Robusta beans.  Et voila.  Vietnamese coffee was born. 

What Makes Vietnamese Coffee Different?

Vietnamese coffee is strong, bold, and full of flavour.  I have honestly never tasted a coffee quite like it.  Much of this taste is down to the coffee beans.  Unlike most other places in the world who use Arabica beans, the Vietnamese grow and use robusta coffee beans.

The Vietnamese would also argue that the secret to their coffee is also in the roasting and brewing. Beans can be roasted with wine or salt and butter, we even saw it roasted with chocolate on our Mekong Delta tour. 

Coarsely ground beans are added into the phin, which sits on top of the cup and slowly brews the coffee. In our coffee class, we were told that the phin is key to making the perfect strong robusta brew, which is rarely bitter. And it’s all about quality, quantity and timing.

Once brewed, their strong black elixir is used as the base for their many different coffees. Order from any little mobile coffee stand and their plastic bottle of pre-made black coffee will appear.

a Vietnamese drip filter, called a Phin.  Sat on top a cup of brewing black coffee
Vietnamese black coffee served with a Phin

Coffee Language and Coffee Terms In Vietnamese 

Ordering a coffee in Vietnam was confusing; with so much choice I sometimes stumble and just order what I think I know.  This was wrong but after two months I was just about getting the hang of it.

Top Tip : I have two pieces of advice for coffee lovers; 1) experiment and 2) take a coffee class.

The Vietnamese order the coffee + the milk choice + temperature; so coffee + black + hot is Ca Phe Den Da.  But don’t worry because virtually every café we visited had the menus in Vietnamese and English.

Simple Coffee Translation Guide

  • Ca Phe : Coffee
  • Den : Black
  • Sua : Milk
  • Nua : Brown
  • Nong : Hot
  • Da : Ice

★★★★★

IF YOU LOVE COFFEE : TAKE THE CLASS

  • 3 hour class offers lots of tasting and history
  • Hands on class, making coffee and leave with recipes
  • There are cheaper classes but without the tastings and in-depth knowledge

Coffees That You Should Try In Hanoi 

There’s a lot of choice.  Black coffee or white coffee? Hot or Cold?  Yoghurt coffee, chocolate coffee, peanut butter coffee, egg coffee, salt coffee or maybe even glorious coconut coffee? Vietnamese coffee is as diverse as the country itself. Every coffee shop will have its own signature, and its own style, taste, texture, colour and aroma.

When we first arrived I was a little overwhelmed by the choice and I remembered the awful mistake I made in the USA when I ordered a white coffee and it came with no coffee. I would recommend you take some time to study the menu and don’t be afraid to experiment.

Black Coffee : Ca Phe Den

This is Vietnamese coffee at its most simple; strong and intense and full of flavour.  The coffee is made from Robusta beans, with around twice as much caffeine. To me this felt like an espresso coffee equivalent and is a must for lovers of strong coffee.  This isn’t a big coffee so don’t expect a mug.

The hot coffee usually (not always) arrives with the traditional phin above the cup.  You need to wait for your coffee to brew and drip before you drink. 

As with most coffee you can choose hot (da) or iced (nong).  And if you don’t want ice or sugar do specify this when ordering. 

Milk Coffee : Ca Phe Sua

Arguably the most popular of all Vietnamese coffee and it’s served hot and cold.  In the north and in Cong Caphe this is also called a Saigon Brown (Ca Phe Nau).  You can drink this both hot and cold and both are good.

The hot version can also be delivered in a cup with a phin on top, slowly dripping and brewing your coffee.  Your cup will already have a layer of sweetened condensed milk which the coffee drips into.  Once brewed and your phin is empty, you remove it and stir the coffee into the milk.

It’s a great strong coffee but for me I often found it a little lukewarm; the iced version negates this issue.  I also found it a little sweet and a tad small; I definitely prefer a larger coffee.

If you find it too strong, the melting ice softens the strength and lessens any bitterness.  I never found it too strong but Gerry prefers a milder taste.

Very Milky Coffee : Bac Xiu

This is more common in the south.  I wasn’t a fan and I could really only taste milk and the coffee was lost.  And oh my it was sweet.  I don’t add sugar to my tea or coffee and I found this undrinkable.

This coffee is made like a standard Milk/White Coffee but with more condensed milk and more sugar and often served on ice.  I don’t think this is a coffee lovers drink, the coffee flavour just wasn’t there. 

Yoghurt Coffee : Ca Phe Sua Chua

Yoghurt coffee is another drink unique to Vietnam.  Said to help promote good health in the heat, this is a based on a traditional Vietnamese milk coffee but with an added blend of yoghurt and sometimes coconut milk.  And lots of ice.

The yogurt adds a creamy texture with a nice tang.  This coffee is strong and because it’s not so sweet I found it more refreshing. 

Egg Coffee : Ca Phe Trung

This drink is uniquely Vietnamese!  I had to work my way up to trying this.  It just sounded too weird.  And sadly, my first egg coffee was everything I thought it would be.  Thank goodness for our coffee class and a teaspoon of vodka!

Egg coffee was invented in Hanoi in the 1940s when there was a scarcity of milk.  The resourceful Mr Tri Hoa Nguyen decided to whip up raw egg yolks into a cream and hey presto, egg coffee was born. You can still visit his coffee shop in Hanoi where his son still makes the coffee.  Or you can opt to visit his daughters coffee shop a few minutes away, and try her version.

My first try wasn’t pleasant and had a strange back taste and a slight eggy smell; we learned later that the vodka removes this.  Egg coffee is usually served hot (but can be cold) and comes in its own mini bain-marie to help it stay warm.  Locals will spoon off some of the creamy egg topping first but I preferred just to mix.

If you’re a coffee fan and you’re visiting Hanoi then you really must try egg coffee. My favourite was from Hanoi Coffee Station (and second favourite the one I made in our coffee class).  This is definitely a coffee to split opinion. It’s a marmite kind of thing; you’ll either love it or hate it. I’m glad I tried a few but I won’t miss it. 

Coconut Coffee : Ca Phe Cot Dua

And finally, the famous Coconut Coffee!  I was told that only tourists drink coconut coffee.  I dispute this as we drank coconut coffee across Vietnam and a great number of the other customers seemed pretty local to us.

I’d also read that if a milkshake and a Vietnamese iced coffee ever had a baby it would be a coconut coffee. This is true.

I’ve been drinking this coffee since Hoi An.  I still feel like the little coffee shop beside our homestay there made the best; but maybe you just always remember your first.

Coconut coffee isn’t made with ice-cream but a blend of condensed milk, coconut cream and ice.  And it’s all about the blend.  Added to this mix is a measure of black Vietnamese coffee.

There is a huge variation in the quality of this drink and for me it was really important that the blend of coconut and coffee was just right.  Not enough coffee and it’s too sweet.  Get the ice blend wrong and it’s too difficult to drink; it should have the consistency of a slush puppy. 

Top Tip : You need to drink coffee coconut slowly.  Go too fast and you get the worst ice-cream headache ever; so you have been warned.

Salt Coffee : Ca Phe Muoi

I kept putting off ordering this coffee.  When I finally did try it I was horrified; I’d discover maybe the best coffee ever and we were leaving Hanoi!  Don’t be like me, try the Salt Coffee.

Vaguely reminiscent of a salted caramel ice-cream, this coffee originated from Hue.  There are many stories of how a young wife added salt instead of sugar to her husband’s coffee.  He loved her so much that rather than disappoint her, he drank it (aaaahh).  But he soon realised that he loved the taste.  Word spread and little by little everyone in Hue was drinking salt coffee.   And the legend of how it was discovered always involves love and happiness and all things nice.

Salt coffee is made like white coffee but there is an added salty cream that sits on top.  The salt taste is subtle and it really brings out the coffee flavour.  Mix the coffee with the cream once it’s served for the perfect cup of coffee. Salt Coffee is wonderful and a great additional to my Vietnam coffee armoury.

Top Tip : Looking for a great value, comfortable, 4* Hotel in Hanoi? Read our review of the San Grand Hotel

coffee menu in Hanoi showing the range of coffee on offer

10 of the Best Coconut Coffees in Hanoi And A Couple of Misses

It’s fair to say that we drank a lot of coffee in Hanoi.  We like to do real research for our readers and whilst the results are only our opinion, I do think we tracked down some of the best coffee shops in Hanoi.

We also took a coffee class which I thoroughly recommend.  We did this on our second day in Hanoi and it really helped educate me on Vietnamese coffee culture.

We actually visited way more than 10 good cafes during our time in Hanoi but I wont list them all.  I have though included the highs and a couple of lows.

Hanoi has hundreds of coffee shops; it even has a Coffee Street.  Follow your nose and you find your own favourite but there are a few giants and gems on our list that are definitely worth a visit.

★★★★★

IF YOU LOVE COFFEE : TAKE THE CLASS

  • 3 hour class offers lots of tasting and history
  • Hands on class, making coffee and leave with recipes
  • There are cheaper classes but without the tastings and in-depth knowledge

Hanoi Coffee Station (Hit)

Hanoi Coffee Station made our favourite coconut coffee and for us it wears the crown. 

This is a small but ever popular cafe.  We tried to visit a few times but it was closed so double check opening hours on their website.

We both unanimously agreed that this was the best Coconut.  The coffee was well blended and retained it’s strong coffee taste but equally a strong coconut taste; for us it was the perfect combination. We also liked the quantity, a good spoon to stir and the perfect size straw.  The slush was also just right. 

I wish I’d tried their peanut butter coffee; I’ll forever regret that choice.  I opted for an egg coffee in the name of research, which was very good (for me the best I tried).  But I still think of that missed out on peanut butter coffee.  If you try one then please do get in touch and tell me it was awful!

You can also buy food at Hanoi Coffee Station.  They offer a great range of vegetarian options, including non-dairy milks if you prefer.  It’s a great place to linger.

Top Tip : Go to Cumulus restaurant first for lunch. It’s right opposite Hanoi Coffee Station and it was possibly the tastiest meal we had in Vietnam.

the best coconut coffee in hanoi? Maybe? Our favourite taken from the balcony of Hanoi Coffee Station

Bancong Café and Restaurant (Hit)

We stumbled upon Bancong Restaurant by accident, it wasn’t on our list but it was great find.  It’s definitely more of a restaurant than a café but the coffee was nonetheless very good.

The coconut coffee was large, always a plus for me! The slush was just about perfect too.  My only complaint would be I would prefer a slightly stronger coffee taste, but for Gerry it was spot on.  We enjoyed our visit and went back a second time.

We also ate here a few times as it was close to our hotel and we’d also recommend the restaurant.  You need to climb three flights of stairs but it’s worth the effort and the whole café and restaurant are beautifully decorated.

Bancong is in a great location in the heart of the Old Quarter not far from Beer Street so an easy addition to your itinerary.

Top Tip :  The straws here are a tad too big (wide) which means you can over-slurp, resulting in ice-cream headache so sip gently!

large glass of coconut coffee in Bancong restaurant in Hanoi topped with coconut shreds

Hanoi Egg Coffee (Miss)

I’d read that this was the café to visit in Hanoi to try the famous Egg Coffee.  The name kind of gives it away. 

On Google and Trip Advisor there are glowing reviews so we made it our first stop to try this signature coffee.  I’ll start by saying that we did arrive late so perhaps they were closing up?  Maybe we should have returned another day?  But this was possibly my least favourite coffee stop.  

We ordered a coconut and an egg coffee.  Firstly I don’t believe they brought us coconut; I think it was an iced white coffee or a Saigon Brown.  At least I hope that it was the case because it was an awful Coconut Coffee.    

The Egg Coffee was everything that I hoped it wouldn’t be.  It left an eggy back-taste, which stayed in the mouth.  It also had a slight eggy smell.  I definitely felt that I’d eaten a fried egg yolk rather than drank a cup of coffee.  Needless to say I never finished this coffee and we never returned.

Both the Coconut Coffee and the Egg Coffee lacked the typical intense flavour that you would expect from Vietnamese coffee.  I’m not even sure the Coconut was a Coconut. They were both small and they just didn’t hit the spot. Neither were terrible but equally they weren’t memorable either.  Sorry guys but you don’t make my shortlist and we can’t recommend this coffee.

colleen tasting egg coffee for the first time and the weak looking coconut coffee served at Hanoi Egg Coffee
Colleen trying Egg Coffee for the first time; my face says everything!

Vi Anh Café (Hit)

Before starting our quest to find the best coffee in Hanoi I did a lot of research and read far too many reviews.  Life when travelling never follows the plan 100% and this is true for our visit to Vi Anh Café.  A good lesson in not always following the plan!

Our walking tour ended here and the group stopped for coffee.  This café is overlooked by many because it doesn’t make top 20 lists.  Indeed, according to TripAdvisor it’s ranked #239 out of 552 coffee shops in Hanoi.  I believe that rating is not because of its coffee quality but because only 3 people have reviewed it.  

So our local guide brought us here and the coffee was very good.  He told is they had the best Egg Coffee but we didn’t try.  A fellow walker tried the Salted Coffee and raved about it.

We tried an iced white and a Coconut coffee and both were great.  Not the best but certainly not the worst.  They both had a strong coffee taste and the balance of coconut was good, as was the blend. 

The café has a strong local aesthetic.  It felt more traditional and less touristy which is a good thing.  If you’re passing Vi Anh then do stop.  The coffee was good, the ambience nice and it wasn’t as busy as some places we visited. 

glass of dark coffee and coconut ice; coconut coffee in hanoi

Chayfood And Dessert (On The Fence)

This isn’t a café, definitely a restaurant but we added to the list as it’s vegetarian and vegan. I eat mainly vegetarian food and we actively seek out great vegan restaurants. Chayfood was good but not great  BUT everything on the menu is vegan.

The coffee choices are vegan but limited.  You can choose from Black or White coffee and of course the milk is non-dairy.  There was no Coconut Coffee which is a shame as it could so easily be vegan.

The coffee was smooth but not a strong taste and unless you are specifically looking for vegan coffee, I wouldn’t suggest you visit just for the coffee. 

We did eat and the food was good. I felt that Chayfood could be great but it was lacking a little pazzazz.  When we visited the service was incredibly slow and I wondered if the usual chef was absent?  The portions weren’t big and we felt that it was a little expensive but again, if you are looking for a good vegan choice then visit Chayfood.   

glass of vegan white coffee on a wooden table

The Note Coffee (Hit)

This made it to my original list because it had great reviews and to be fair the Coconut coffee here is really good.  Do be aware that this is a very popular, quirky café, right beside the lake in Hanoi and as such it can get very busy. 

We climbed up to the third floor to find a table; as luck would have it a couple were just leaving and we grabbed a window seat. They take your order at your table and the wait for your coffee isn’t long so the service is great.

The Note Café is famous for its décor.  Every inch is covered in Post-it notes.  They are provided on every table and you’re free to be creative with a message.  My guess is that the post-it notes get covered pretty quickly but it’s interesting to spend some time reading all the messages.

The Coconut Coffee was very good.  It had a nice blend, no lumps of ice making it easy to drink but I felt it was a tad too creamy.  I would have preferred a little stronger coffee taste but for Gerry it was perfect.  Gerry also ordered a fresh juice to which he gave his seal of approval too.

My only negative were the plastic cups; not very planet friendly but they are recycled.

If you’re looking for a quirky coffee stop in Hanoi, with good ambiance, close to the lake and serving great coffee The Note has to be a great choice. 

the note cafe has thousands of post-it notes on the walls and furniture, the picture shows colleen surrounded by post-it notes on every wall

Cafe Giang : The Original Egg Coffee (Hit)

No coffee lover can come to Hanoi and not visit Café Giang; at least that’s what everyone says.  The coffee stop is on many tours and all the guides recommend a visit. 

This is one of the oldest cafes in Hanoi and home to the family who invented Hanoi’s famous Egg Coffee so of course it made our shortlist. 

We liked the egg coffee here.  There was certainly no egg taste or smell as we had with other coffees.  The base coffee had a good flavour too.  It was a little sweet for me but perfect for Gerry.

We also ordered a coconut coffee and that was a little disappointing.  It felt a little like a Saigon Brown Coffee and we wondered if she had mis-understood our order?  We’ll go with that explanation as the café does get great reviews. 

This is a really busy coffee house, with large groups arriving regularly.  We found it easy to find seats albeit small traditional stools.  All in all a good visit to an historic place in Hanoi.  I would recommend you add it to your list but for me the Egg Coffee was a hit and the Coconut coffee was on the fence.

view of 2 coconut coffees in glasses and one egg coffee in cafe Giang Hanoi

Phuc Long (Miss)

During our walking tour of Ho Chi Minh city the guide told us that if we wanted to try the best coffee in Vietnam then we would need to visit Phuc Long.  He told us it originated from Hanoi (where you’ll find the best coffee) and he recommended a visit.  

Two months later we finally made it and oh boy were we disappointed. For starters we felt this was more of a chain coffee; a bit like Starbucks. Nothing wrong with that but not the historic hand blended coffee shop we’d imagined.

The second disappointment was that there was no Coconut coffee option.  Instead we opted for a traditional Iced White.  Third disappointment, just like the Note everything came in plastic but at least again it’s recycled.

The coffee was good.  It was a solid coffee but unremarkable and nothing stood out as making the visit worthwhile.  There were many people sat with laptops and my guess is that it makes a good workplace.  But for a visitor looking for something special we’d say give it a miss. 

coffee in plastic cups and straws and paper cups filled with ice from Phuc Long in Hanoi

Loading T Café (Hit)

This coffee shop has so many great reviews it had to make our to-do-list but also Gerry had spotted the photos of the cats so it was added; note we never saw any cats!

Loading T are reputed to have one of the best Egg Coffee’s in town and I’ll hold my hand up and admit I didn’t try one but I really LOVE their detailed instructions on how to enjoy the perfect egg coffee.

This little café is beautiful, such a great place to relax; its location is just off the busiest areas of the Old Quarter is has a wonderful relaxing vibe.   

The coconut coffee is excellent, one of our favourites.  It comes with a great coffee flavour and a really good texture.  It could almost be the best we tried and we would 100% recommend that you add Loading T to your itinerary; you will not be disappointed.

Top Tip : Loading T is not far from St Josephs Cathedral and also en route to the Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton) so it makes a great stop between visits.

cartoon instructions on how to drink an egg coffee from Loading T in Hanoi

Always Café : The Harry Potter Café (On The Fence)

Another coffee shop that we stumbled upon totally by accident; indeed we were heading to the Hidden Gem Café.  Gerry spotted a picture of a Pastel de Nata (his favourite snack in Porto and Lisbon) and the rest as they say was history.

This has to be the strangest café on our list and it only made the cut because it is so unusual.  I think I would only recommend visiting Always Cafe if you’re a Harry Potter Fan. Everything inside is themed.  The menu, the drinks, the walls.  They have Harry Potter themed games and you can even dress up for Harry Potter themed photos.  It’s an interesting place.

I ordered a Coconut Coffee and it was a little disappointing.  The coffee taste was strong but a little bitter and the ice wasn’t blended enough so as you drank you had tiny lumps of ice with your drink.  You almost had to crunch them.

Gerry ordered a Butter Beer and a Pastel de Nata.  He felt the drink was refreshing and a mix between lemonade and caramel.  He liked it and would order again. I also ordered one of their Potions; a raspberry gin.  That was GREAT and oh so strong!  I think it was perhaps 90% gin and 10% raspberry.

All in all this was a fun place and I can see how a Harry Potter fan would love it here.  I’m not sure you’d visit if you were looking for the best coffee in Hanoi but it was a good stop and hey; why not?

Always Harry Potter theme cafe with Themed potion bottles containing different drinks

Hidden Gem Coffee Hanoi (Hit)

If ever a café lived up to its name it’s Hidden Gem Cafe in the old quarter; it’s a peach of a coffee shop.

It was here that I tried my first Salt Coffee. Oh my goodness why did I wait so long?  It’s iced and thick, but not too thick.  It has a strong coffee taste but not bitter at all.  It’s creamy but not overly.  It’s like the Goldilocks of coffee and reminiscent of salted caramel ice-cream. Gerry and I fought over this drink.  It was ordered as an extra and we both loved it.

Their coconut coffee was equally great; but not as great as the Salt coffee!  It was a tad too sweet for me but I did manage to spill some of my coffee so maybe this affected the taste.

The café is great, it has a lovely ambience and the service is good.  It felt spacious with high ceilings, and we also ordered food, which we’d recommend. One of our favourites stops in Hanoi and you should add it to your list. 

Top Tip : There are two entrances to this café.  We arranged to meet a friend and we were each waiting at different doors.  Both alleys lead you to the same spot so better arrange to meet inside!

The interior of Hidden Gem Cafe in Hanoi with lots of space, plants and natural light

Cong Caphe (Hit)

Our Coconut coffee journey began with Cong Caphe.  Our honest opinion is that you can’t go wrong if you visit and order their coffee.  It is a chain and the coffee could be a little stronger but we’ve never had a bad drink here.

The service is great, the ambience and aesthetic is fun and we’ve tried a few of their coffees and never been disappointed.

I posted in a travel Facebook group before we left home and asked for favourite coffee shops in Hanoi.  For every recommendation there was another vote for Cong.  People love this coffee.  It had to make the list.

There are a few in Hanoi but we opted for the café on the big roundabout beside the lake.  It was a good choice. Add it to your list and go enjoy a great coconut coffee.

P.S. Gerry says ‘you can’t go wrong with a Cong’

our first coconut coffee from Cong Caphe in Vietnam

Café Dinh (Hit)

Keeping things in the family, the daughter of the inventor of egg coffee decided to open her own coffee shop; in competition with cafe Giang.  Her café is called Café Dinh and it was recommended during our Coffee Class.

It’s in a prime location close to the Water Puppet Theatre and yet it took us a while to find the way in.   If you get lost ask; everyone will point the way.

This little café has grown in popularity but has very much kept its local aesthetic and honestly it looks a little unloved BUT nothing could be further from the truth.  It has simply kept its original look for authenticity.

However, you visit Dinh for their coffee and the coffee is very good.  Indeed it has a reputation as offering the best egg coffee in Hanoi but I was ‘egg-coffeed-out’.  Coconut coffee wasn’t on the menu so I opted for a yoghurt coffee and it was great; it had strong coffee flavour without being too sweet which many coffee’s in Vietnam can be.

This is definitely making the shortlist and worthy of a visit.

Cafe Dinh wall sign, showing the way to the cafe

Highlands Coffee (On The Fence)

We discovered Highlands Coffee in Danang during Tet.  It was one of the few places open and so it became our go-to.  We were less adventurous in those days too so we stuck with their Latte.

Highlands Coffee is the Starbucks of Vietnam.  It’s a large chain and they are everywhere.  They don’t serve Coconut Coffee and their iced white coffee tends to be a lot of ice and little coffee

If you’re looking for a Latte fix they’re ok but the coffee really could be stronger.  We liked it better than Phuc Long but it’s not a patch on Cong and some of the others that we tried. 

Hanoi Coffee Culture : Did We Find The Best Coconut Coffee?

Coffee is so deeply woven into Vietnamese life. Hanoi boasts countless cafes, reflecting the city’s love for coffee.  There is so much choice that there is a coffee here for everyone.  Did we find the best Coconut coffee in Hanio? Who knows? Did we find some of the best coconut coffee in Hanio? Absolutely!

My advice for the less adventurous is to start at Cong CaPhe but do wander into the streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter and seek out some of the café’s on our list.  Coffee in Hanoi is excellent and you will not be disappointed. 

We fell in love with Hanoi.  It’s one of our new favourite cities.  And we fell in love with Hanoi’s coffee culture.  Whether you’re looking for a Coconut coffee or an egg coffee or a plain old cup of black, chances are you’ll find it here!

The Last Word : Take a Coffee Class, they’re really good! We took the class in the box below but there is also a 1 Hour class that is more budget friendly.

★★★★★

IF YOU LOVE COFFEE : TAKE THE CLASS

  • 3 hour class offers lots of tasting and history
  • Hands on class, making coffee and leave with recipes
  • There are cheaper classes but without the tastings and in-depth knowledge

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance

Whenever you travel, you should have great travel and medical insurance.  None of us expect anything bad to happen, but in the event of an incident, you want to be sure that your insurance will cover you.

I’ve ended up in hospital in Peru, Indonesia, Portugal, Japan and Ireland. Every time my insurance took care of everything. I would never leave home without full and comprehensive insurance.

TrueTraveller : We have this policy and are very happy with the cover, especially considering our ages and pre-existing conditions.

Globelink: We have used and recommended Globelink for years and not heard of any issues. They are a great choice for European and UK Residents.

Genki : This is an EU based company offering long term policies for nomads and travellers. Their monthly rates are very competitive for longer trips too.

Safety Wing : Many of my travelling buddies from the USA recommended Safety Wing; we’ve not used them personally but know folks who have.

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Colleen in Salamanca on the Via de la Plata

Hey I’m Colleen. I’m married to Gerry, we’ve three fabulous kids and been living in France for almost two decades. I fell in love with Spain in the 1980s and I’ve walked 1000s of miles along the Camino de Santiago. Now we’re exploring and walking the world and I can’t wait to share what we’ve learned!

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