Hanoi Cafés: 9 Worth a Seat Near the Temple and Lake

In Hanoi, "going for coffee" is often not about the coffee. It's about sitting, talking, watching the street or getting through a deadline. The nine Hanoi cafés below are grouped by what you want from them, and the furthest is about a 20-minute walk from Narcissus. Addresses checked in October 2026.

Hanoi cafés right by the Temple of Literature

A 10–15 minute walk from the hotel.

• Phin Bar by Refined – 43 Văn Miếu: a Western-style bar counter where you sit facing the barista and watch phin and specialty coffee being made. For people who are serious about coffee.
• Café Aguri – 3 Văn Miếu: minimalist Japanese style, matcha as the house speciality, a loft, and a view across to the temple. Good for studying, working or an easy date.

Tip: go into the Temple of Literature at 8 AM while it's quiet, take your photos, then cross the road for coffee.

Egg coffee, at least once

• Café Giảng – 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân: the café behind the story of egg coffee, open since 1946. The entrance is a narrow alley; hours 7 AM–10 PM. It gets busy and cramped at peak times, so go early.
• Đinh Café – 13 Đinh Tiên Hoàng: climb the stairs to the first floor and take a window table for a view of Hoan Kiem Lake. Old, cosy and very old-Hanoi.
• Cafe Phố Cổ – 11 Hàng Gai: walk through the courtyard of an old house and up the stairs to seats looking straight over the lake. Its egg coffee gets plenty of praise too.

Lake views and fun photos

• The Note Coffee – 64 Lương Văn Can: walls covered in sticky notes from visitors around the world. Write one, stick it up, take the picture; upstairs looks over the lake.

Quiet, for working and reading

• Tranquil Books & Coffee – 5 Nguyễn Quang Bích: shelves of books, soft music, everyone talking in low voices. Open about 8 AM–10 PM; there's a second branch at number 8 on the same street.
• Blackbird Coffee – 5 Chân Cầm: specialty coffee from Vietnamese beans: phin, hand brew, cold brew and an egg coffee of its own. Open 7 AM–9 PM.

Black coffee, old-Hanoi style

• Cafe Lâm – 60 Nguyễn Hữu Huân: a long-running black-coffee café with old furniture and no air conditioning. One hot black coffee and the city slows down.

And a rooftop at Narcissus

Narcissus Tuc Mac has a glass-roofed café on its rooftop. Bring your laptop up in the morning, or watch the street lights come on in the evening without going anywhere.

Good to know

• For a good table at the lake-view cafés, arrive before 9 AM or early afternoon on a weekday; weekend evenings fill up.
• Many Old Quarter cafés sit down alleys with narrow, steep stairs, so wear flat shoes.
• Most drinks at these cafés cost about 35,000–80,000 VND; specialty coffee can cost more.
• Opening hours change; check the map before you go, or ask Tiên right here on the site.

Hungry? See where to eat near Hanoi Station. Going out later? Try Hanoi after dark.