Lâm's Java Joint (Bun Street Branch)

Lam's Java Joint is a well-known chain, beloved by patrons of all ages. Unlike the usual simple style, their latest establishment on Bun Street presents a refreshing facade, prompting TopListCafe to embark on an earnest review mission.

A side path from Lam's Java Joint's entrance leads to the beverage crafting area, complete with seating for guests.

Location

Since the beginning of 2021, Lam's Java Joint seems to have made a decision to precisely change its brand name. The old fan page named 'Lam's Java Joint' ceased updates from January 2021, transitioning to 'Lam's Café' – coinciding with the launch of the Bun Street branch.

This branch is situated at No. 9 Bun Street Alley, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.

NOTE: Lam's Café is located within Bun Street Alley, a small lane intersecting Bun Street. Therefore, do not mistakenly search for No. 9 Bun Street outside.

Bun Street is a rather spacious and easily navigable ancient thoroughfare. Despite its distance from Hoan Kiem Lake, the surrounding area doesn't feel suffocating due to the relatively low population density and complexity, still receiving a hint of cool breeze from nearby West Lake and Truc Bach Lake.

As a result, the overall impression of Lam's Café is quite airy, pleasant, and tranquil from the moment you set foot in.

Don't be discouraged by the narrow alley before reaching Lam's Café. You can comfortably park by the roadside without worrying about occupying space or inconveniencing others. There's also La Viet Coffee nearby, but that's a review for another occasion.

Ambience

Overall Impression

Having visited numerous Lam's Café outlets before, stepping into Lam's Café was an eye-opener, revealing significant changes in the overall style of the establishment. The investment in space is the first noticeable difference, as the area here is quite expansive, providing ample comfortable seating for large groups of friends without feeling cramped.

Seating is arranged into three main areas to cater to guests enjoying their drinks: the outdoor area, indoor area, and the side passage.

The interior corner sofa seats are more spacious and comfortable compared to the outdoor seating.

Décor & Interior

Still following a simple design approach, Lam's Café has undergone significant refinement. From plants, lighting, wall paintings to furniture – everything surpasses the typical imagery found in familiar Lam's Café outlets on Nguyen Huu Huan Street.

Utilizing a modern bright white color scheme complemented by the deep brown tone of wood is sufficient to create effective contrast without worrying about becoming outdated. Additionally, the café has arranged various accessories to add distinctive accents, preventing the scenery from becoming dull.

The decoration concept following a traditional Tet theme is visually appealing and harmonious, despite Tet having passed. The clusters of wall paintings are carefully selected to complement the same supporting color tone and similar style.

Another notable advantage that leaves a significant impression is the shelves displaying coffee bean packages, strategically placed near the entrance or windows – serving both decorative and informative purposes, helping customers understand more about the quality of the beans used for brewing.

Service Quality

Beverages

Lam's Café still focuses on traditional offerings (Vietnamese coffee, smoothies, fruit juices...), without following the trend of foreign cafes. Since it was evening, I ordered yogurt coffee and lotus seed drink, avoiding caffeine late at night to ensure a restful sleep.

The average price ranges from 35,000đ – 50,000đ, maintaining affordability like other branches despite the investment in location and space within the old quarter.

*Originally, I would rate the two drinks above 7.5/10. However, since coffee at Lam's Café chain also receives many compliments, I'll give it an 8/10, hoping that the next time I try coffee, it will meet expectations.

Music & Wi-Fi

The café mainly plays US-UK hits, with a lot of rap and hip-hop, which are catchy but perhaps not entirely suitable for Lam's Café vibe.

The volume is a bit loud, sometimes I have to manually lower the speakers, but later on, a staff member turns it back up as before. I guess it's because there are no outdoor speakers, so they want to make sure the sound travels out while ensuring a comfortable atmosphere (!?)

The Wi-Fi is fast and stable, no annoying connectivity issues encountered.

Service

In the evening, there are two male staff members handling the bar, also taking turns to watch over the parked vehicles for guests. They're friendly, but slightly lacking in enthusiasm when guests arrive, even though I came quite early at 6:30 PM rather than late at night.

Perhaps it was because there were few customers that evening that the staff became complacent and negligent. There were only a total of 3-4 small groups of customers throughout the evening, yet it still took quite a while after they left for the glasses to be cleared. At the same time, the staff took advantage of the time to browse the web and play games instead of paying attention to the state of the café.

If I have the opportunity to return to Lam's Café, I will visit during the day to experience a livelier atmosphere and also to see if the coffee flavor here lives up to its reputation.

I hope that the minor shortcomings mentioned above will be acknowledged and addressed promptly by the café, so that future customers will always feel happy to recommend an ideal café in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter to their friends.

Posted by: Lai Xuan, Teacher

Keyword: Lam's Café (Bun Street)