Top 10 Best Street Food Spots in Hanoi Old Quarter

Lý Quốc Sư Street is perpendicular to Nhà Thờ Street. Mentioning this street, people often think of Lý Quốc Sư Pho, but there's a snack that many remember whenever passing by St. Joseph's Cathedral: the small, golden, delicious pillow cakes at 52 Lý Quốc Sư. What's special about these pillow cakes here is the thin, crispy crust along with the incredibly tasty dipping sauce.

Street snacks have long been an integral part of the daily life of Hanoi's food enthusiasts. On cool or chilly days, wandering around the city and enjoying the small, crispy pillow cakes is a perfect match.

The crispy pillow cakes are cut into bite-sized pieces. The filling is well-cooked, not too mushy, and still retains the flavor of shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms. Alongside the hot plate of cakes is a bowl of refreshing green papaya salad and raw vegetables. All these components create the unique flavor of the traditional Hanoi snack, which, though not famous, has been captivating for many years. And since then, whether luxurious or sidewalk stalls, pillow cake vendors have always been a stopping point for Hanoi's food lovers.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Address: 52 Lý Quốc Sư, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Phone: 0946 656 056

Fanpage: www.facebook.com/Banhgoigocda

Opening Hours: 09:00 - 16:00

Tràng Tiền Ice Cream has been around since 1958 and has never been forgotten, making it a timeless flavor. Over the years, this ice cream brand has continued to grow and become famous throughout Vietnam with its name being one of the top ice cream brands. Knowing this ice cream is not just about the traditional flavors anymore; nowadays, with the changes and developments of modern people, many new ice cream flavors have been introduced.

For only 5,000 to 15,000 VND, you can enjoy a delicious, fresh, and fragrant Tràng Tiền ice cream, whether it's on hot summer days or cold winter days. Coming to Tràng Tiền is like entering an ice cream kingdom loved by not only children but also adults. The taste of Tràng Tiền ice cream is completely different from any other flavor, it's standard and amazing. Walking around Hoan Kiem Lake and enjoying Tràng Tiền ice cream sticks has become a habit for many people visiting Hanoi. This shows that this special brand has become part of the culture and lifestyle of the people here.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Address: 35 Tràng Tiền, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Phone: 0969 963 839

Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/kemtrangtiensince1958/

Website: http://www.kemtrangtien.vn/

Donuts have long been a favorite snack for many, and near the pedestrian street, there's a shop selling savory and sweet donuts right at No. 5 Luong Ngoc Quyen, rated as one of the best donut shops and well-known to many. Located at the beginning of Luong Ngoc Quyen near Nguyen Huu Huan, although in the expensive old quarter, the prices here are extremely affordable: 3,000 VND/savory donut and 2,000 VND/sweet donut.

The donut shop here is always crowded with people, mostly older folks. Some are molding the donuts, some are frying them, always agile to fry the batches of donuts quickly for customers to take away. The donuts here, both savory and sweet, are excellent, with full fillings, soft and fragrant, golden crispy crust. The sweet donuts have sesame on top, with sweet mung bean filling. The savory donuts have plenty of filling, and the dipping sauce is also deliciously sour, perfectly matching the taste buds. Visit Hải Xệ - Cao Lâu Donut to enjoy these flavorful and delicious donuts!

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Address: No. 5 Luong Ngoc Quyen, Quan Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Opening Hours: 15:00 - 19:00

After a long day out, nothing beats a refreshing cup of fruit salad. And when it comes to delicious fruit salads, there's no better place than Tô Tịch street - a bustling area filled with dozens of fruit salad vendors. The fruit salad vendors here are always bustling with customers, and each cup of fruit salad usually contains watermelon and papaya, along with seasonal fruits such as pineapple, jackfruit, strawberries, grapes, and dragon fruit.

Fruit salad is a favorite snack for many, and some vendors even add jelly and ice cream to make their offerings more appealing and attract more customers. Depending on the vendor, the fruit salad may be served in a bowl or cup, but overall, the prices are quite reasonable and filling. Recently, to cater to customers' diverse dining and drinking needs, Tô Tịch Street Fruit Salad vendors have also started offering smoothies, fruit juices, and yogurt with fruit salad.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Address: Tô Tịch Street, Hàng Gai Ward, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Opening Hours: 15:00 - 22:30

Speaking of enticing dishes for young people, one cannot overlook the dessert at Chè 4 Mùa Hàng Cân. Hanoi boasts numerous delectable dessert spots, but if you haven't visited the following address, you'll surely regret it. This cozy dessert shop is located along both sides of the Old Quarter streets, such as 93 Hàng Bạc, offering a wide variety of enticing desserts. The flavor is not overly sweet, refreshing, and fragrant. Additionally, in the Old Quarter, there are many other renowned dessert spots like 60 Hàng Than, 1A Bát Đàn,... open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily for you to enjoy anytime. Depending on the type of dessert, prices range from 15,000 to 30,000 VND, super affordable, right?

Most notably, Chè 4 Mùa Hàng Cân is highly favored by many diners. As one of the most famous traditional dessert shops in Hanoi, Chè Bốn Mùa has been over 40 years old. The shop attracts a stable number of customers throughout the year, during peak hours, customers sit along the sidewalk and even spill onto the street. The secret to the shop's popularity lies in its unchanged traditional flavor over the years. Recently, the shop has introduced some new items such as khúc bạch dessert or yogurt with jackfruit, yogurt with sticky rice, but the signature desserts of Bốn Mùa are all traditional types like lotus seed, green bean, black bean. The desserts here are simple but cooked with a distinct flavor, fresh green beans, cool lotus seeds. It evokes the unforgettable taste of tradition, antiquity, and the quintessence of Hanoi. The shop closes at 10 p.m.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Address: 4 Hàng Cân, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Phone: 098 458 3333 - 0966 396 366

Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/che4mua.hangcan/

This place is also known as 'Ms. Toan's Rice Paper Salad'. The rice paper salad here is abundant, delicious, and extremely appetizing. The rice paper is crispy, combined with the spicy flavor of the sauce and dried beef, the sourness of mango, and the fragrant aroma of fried shallots and cilantro create a favorite dish for you. That's why Ms. Toan's shop is always crowded. Ms. Toan has become the only artisan in Hanoi to be honored with the title and commemorative medal for 'The Essence of Three Regions' Specialty' awarded by the Folk Art Association of Vietnam & Culinary Culture Magazine for her enticing rice paper salad that captivates diners.

For her, rice paper salad is no longer just a means of making a living but has become a work of art, dedicated to those who want to enjoy the essence of street food in Hanoi's Old Quarter. Ms. Toan's rice paper salad is a favorite dish for young people every time they go out on weekends at the pedestrian street. Her rice paper salad is not sweet, the sauce is not too dark or too spicy like Saigon rice paper salad because she mixes it according to a special recipe, without using shrimp paste and dried shrimp. The shredded rice paper and coconut are laid underneath, mixed evenly with sweet and sour sauce, peanuts, fried shallots, cilantro, and 2 boiled quail eggs, making it always bustling with customers coming to enjoy.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Address: 86 Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Opening Hours: 15:00 - 22:00

The entire Đinh Tiên Hoàng street bustles with dried beef salad stalls, yet perhaps no one is unaware of the fact that the best dried beef salad is found at 57A Đinh Tiên Hoàng. A plate of salad here is packed with flavors that will leave a lasting impression. Moreover, the shop also serves an interesting dish called bird salad. Make sure to drop by here to savor this dish! The price for a plate of salad with dried beef, fresh beef, bird meat, and herbs is only 35,000 VND.

The quality of the salad here is superb: the salad has a crispy texture with shredded papaya combined with a perfectly balanced dipping sauce that suits everyone's taste, with the addition of fresh herbs and dried beef making it irresistible. Perhaps, it's also the prime location right by the lakeside that attracts both locals and tourists alike to the shop. The shop's ambiance is perfect for people-watching, breathing in the lake air. Although seating may be tight when crowded, it's also part of the rustic charm typical of Hanoi's streets. Additionally, the dried beef salad shop at 57A Đinh Tiên Hoàng also offers delicious tapioca cakes and rolled rice pancakes.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Address: 57A Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi

Opening Hours: 10:00 - 21:00