Top 12 Hidden Dining Spots in Hanoi's Narrow Alleyways That Every Food Lover Should Try

Chao Que Restaurant is located at Alley 163 Trung Hoa and is a well-loved Vietnamese eatery frequented by many diners. Each corner of the restaurant captures the essence of traditional rural markets, reflecting the meaning of the restaurant's name. Items typically found in rural markets, such as buffaloes, plows, wells, and banyan trees, are arranged throughout the restaurant, evoking the simple and peaceful rural life of Northern Vietnam amid the city's fast pace. The menu here is highly diverse, catering to the tastes of a wide range of customers.

What makes Chao Que Restaurant stand out is its unique food carts, offering a variety of dishes such as roasted pork, goat meat, poultry, pho and bun, rice with soup, vegetables, beef, buffalo meat, and seafood. Each cart presents a distinct culinary experience, prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients. With a deep love for traditional Northern Vietnamese cuisine, Chao Que ensures that it offers refined versions of rural Vietnamese dishes in a sophisticated and upscale setting, ready to meet the needs of any customer.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address: 1 Alley 163 Hoang Ngan, Cau Giay District, Hanoi
Phone: 0932 811 080 & 0936 571 080
Website: http://mywayvietnam.com.vn/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nhahangchoque.vn/
Opening Hours: 10:00 - 14:00 | 17:00 - 22:00

Dong Xuan Market Food Street offers a wide range of dishes, from traditional to modern, local to international, catering to all tastes—whether you’re craving light snacks or a hearty meal. This vibrant food court has been around for many years and stays open late, making it an ideal spot for visitors to recharge after a long night of exploring the night market.

The food stalls at Dong Xuan Market Food Street are packed with delicious options, each offering some of Hanoi’s most famous specialties. The prices are reasonable, attracting many customers who often lose track of time because they can’t resist the variety of tempting dishes. Despite the affordable prices, the food quality is quite good, and hygiene standards are maintained. There are plenty of cool, comfortable seating areas where you can enjoy your meal. Take some time to visit this food hub with friends to fill your stomach and experience a variety of dishes you may not have had the chance to try before.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address: Dong Xuan Market Alley, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Phone: 0975 744 688
Opening Hours: 07:00 - 01:00

The alley of Phat Loc, Hang Bac, has long been famous in Hanoi for its bun dau (fried tofu with vermicelli). As you enter this narrow alley, you’ll find several stalls side by side, but the most well-known one is Bun Dau Trung Huong. What sets this bun dau apart is the shrimp paste, which is specially sourced from Thanh Hoa. The paste has a fragrant aroma and a light pink color, uniquely prepared by the skillful hands of the restaurant owner.

In addition, the ingredients at Bun Dau Trung Huong are carefully chosen. The tofu is from Mo Village, known for its soft and smooth texture, while the vermicelli is from Phu Do Village, sliced into small pieces to suit customers’ preferences. Fresh herbs, including Vietnamese mint and perilla, are carefully selected from Lang Village. The prices here are very affordable, depending on the side dishes chosen, such as pork, sausage, or offal. One of the highlights is that the tofu is never pre-fried—it’s fried fresh when you order, ensuring it’s hot and crispy.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address:

Tam Thuong Alley, a narrow and secluded spot off the busy Hang Bong Street, is only about 10 meters long but hosts 6 or 7 shops offering fried sour pork, a dish that has made this alley famous. The atmosphere here is typical of ‘street food’ with customers sitting on small plastic chairs. Although the shop is small, it maintains cleanliness at all times. Enjoying Fried Sour Pork - 36 Tam Thuong in this street food setting promises to be a delightful experience.

Fried Sour Pork - 36 Tam Thuong serves two main types of fried sour pork: one wrapped in batter and the other without. The battered version has a crispy exterior, similar to the battered fried foods served in many other eateries. However, the unbattered fried sour pork is the most popular and is what has made this place well-known. The sour pork is placed in banana-leaf-lined trays, served on another chair used as a table. French fries and jicama are also favorite side dishes. In addition to fried sour pork, the shop also offers other snacks such as cheese sticks, fries, jicama, and grilled sour pork, all of which are very tasty.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address: 36 Tam Thuong Alley, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Phone: 0904 509 619
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://nemchuarantamthuong.com/
Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/nemchuaran36tamthuong/
Opening Hours: 09:00 - 23:30

Nestled away from the main streets and away from the hustle of busy areas, Kien Chim Restaurant is tucked deep within a narrow alley on Tam Khuong Street in Dong Da District. It has long been a hidden gem for food enthusiasts in Hanoi, offering an exceptional selection of dishes made from various types of birds. The restaurant, although located in a secluded alley, is spacious and spread over three floors, and the staff is known for their attentive and courteous service.

At Kien Chim Restaurant, diners can indulge in a wide variety of meticulously prepared dishes made from birds like sparrows, doves, quails, storks, and herons. Each bird can be prepared according to your preference: roasted, grilled, in a hot pot, fried with salt, or cooked with sour bamboo shoots. Beyond these bird specialties, the restaurant also serves unusual and exotic dishes made from insects, featuring rich flavors from various regions, such as grasshoppers, cicadas, crickets, stink bugs, and bee larvae.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address: Alley 51, Tam Khuong, Dong Da District, Hanoi
Phone: 0988 828 885
Email: [email protected]

Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063558572077

Opening Hours: 09:30 - 14:30 | 17:30 - 23:00

This is a casual snack spot, perfect for hanging out with friends or a loved one. Phuong Mai's Grilled Skewers with Jelly is a very popular spot, though it can be quite crowded, and due to its location in a narrow alley, seating is limited and the space gets pretty warm. Despite these drawbacks, the restaurant remains packed with customers who sit on tiny plastic chairs to enjoy their delicious grilled skewers and cool jelly desserts.

The grilled skewers here are particularly eye-catching, with a golden honey-colored finish that makes your mouth water. The meat is marinated deeply, grilled just right, and releases an irresistible aroma. Biting into one of these skewers, the flavor is absorbed into the meat, leaving a rich taste. Another highlight is the jelly, which is cool and lightly sweet with a smooth texture. The coconut cream layer is not overly rich, yet adds a delightful fragrance. Enjoying this jelly helps to relieve the heat, providing a refreshing experience. Besides the two main dishes, the restaurant also offers various tasty snacks for you to try.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address: 135 Phuong Mai Alley, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 14:00 - 19:00

If you're a fan of sweet desserts, don't hesitate to visit Alley 92, Cua Bac, and head to Bobochacha's Cafe to enjoy a delightful bowl of sweet soup. The menu is quite simple, offering white, black, and mixed sweet soups, but it's still popular among many customers. The ingredients are of high quality, with soft beans and just the right amount of sweetness—neither too rich nor overwhelming. When you taste it, the sweet aftertaste lingers without leaving you feeling too full.

The shop has limited opening hours, so if you're eager to enjoy these fragrant bowls of sweet soup, be sure to arrive early because the cafe gets crowded quickly. It's a modest spot with small chairs, but over time, it has been the backdrop to countless conversations between people enjoying their desserts. The comforting flavors of the sweet soup seem to ease the stress, which is likely why, despite being tucked away in a small alley, Bobochacha remains so popular. Don’t miss the chance to try a refreshing, flavorful bowl of sweet soup at Bobochacha.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address: Alley 92, Cua Bac, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Opening hours: 09:00 - 23:00

It would be a shame to miss Mâm Son when exploring the best hidden eateries in Hanoi. Mâm Son strives to bring the finest Vietnamese culinary experiences to its guests. Today, the restaurant attracts a steady flow of both local and international visitors. It's also a great place to introduce Vietnamese food culture to foreign guests.

The restaurant features an old-fashioned yellow color scheme combined with traditional Vietnamese furniture, giving you the feeling of stepping back in time. Yet, the ambiance still exudes a sense of elegance and refinement. Beyond the atmosphere, the food is the next aspect that visitors are sure to notice. Mâm Son pays special attention to ingredient selection and meticulous preparation, ensuring that every dish is perfectly balanced in flavor. So, if you're looking to discover the essence of Vietnamese cuisine at a hidden gem in Hanoi, be sure to visit Mâm Son!

Bún Chả Hàng Quạt là thứ quà có sức sống lâu bền nhất của Hà Nội, nên có thể coi đây là một trong những đặc sản đặc trưng của ẩm thực thủ đô. Đây là một món ăn không thể bỏ lỡ nếu có dịp đến Hà Thành. Sâu trong con hẻm nhỏ của Hàng Quạt cũng có một địa chỉ bún chả ngon quên lối về dành cho những ai yêu thích món ăn này lại muốn trải nghiệm ẩm thực lề đường.

Bún Chả Hàng Quạt chỉ đơn giản là một quán ăn đường phố, dọc ngõ kê bàn để khách vào ăn bún, tuy khá đơn giản nhưng quán bún chả này vẫn đông khách đến lúc trưa. Bún Chả Hàng Quạt thu hút thực khách bởi một suất ăn vô cùng đầy đặn, nhiều thịt, nhiều bún. Chả ở đây khá mềm và thơm, chả thịt nửa nạc nửa mỡ, ăn mềm mềm thơm và có vị giòn giòn mọng nước. Chả băm đều tay, ngấm gia vị, thịt xay nhuyễn, thơm vị hành khô. Nước chấm được nêm nếm vừa miệng, không bị ngọt hay chua quá. Thực khách đến ăn có thể ngồi ở chỗ có sẵn ở sâu bên trong ngõ, hoặc gọi mua về.

THÔNG TIN LIÊN HỆ:
Địa chỉ: Ngõ 74 Hàng Quạt, Quận Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Điện thoại: 0974 519 846

Giờ mở cửa: 09:00 - 14:00

Lẩu Ốc Bà Lương is one of the most beloved snail soup restaurants hidden in an alley in Hanoi, with a history spanning over 40 years. What stands out the most is the rich, flavorful broth, along with snails, bananas, and tofu, all perfectly balanced in taste. Additionally, the restaurant offers various delicacies such as snail skewers, snail spring rolls, and snail hotpot, ideal for a cozy gathering with friends. The spring rolls have a slightly spicy flavor and a crispy texture from the snail meat. If one bowl isn’t enough, you can also order a platter of snail rolls wrapped in betel leaves or fried spring rolls to go along with it.

Lẩu Ốc Bà Lương serves hearty bowls of soup that are filling and satisfying. The highlight of this place is the delicious broth, and the snails, bananas, and tofu are always prepared to perfection. The restaurant also offers a variety of dishes like snail skewers, spring rolls, and hotpot for those who enjoy a long meal with friends. The snail spring rolls have a distinctive spicy flavor and a crunchy texture. When enjoying the noodles, you can even order an additional platter of fried spring rolls or snail rolls wrapped in betel leaves if one bowl isn’t enough.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Address: 34 & 64 Alley 191, Khương Thượng, Đống Đa District, Hanoi
Phone: 0982 541 458
Opening hours: 08:00 - 23:00