RESTAURANTS - French Quarter
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HAPRO CAFÉ
Hoan Kiem Lake’s best sitting spot – other than the park benches – is here at the southwest corner, where you can get good coffee, western breakfasts (US$1-2), sandwiches or ice creams.
Le Thai To & Hang Khay Sts; open 6.30am-11pm
BOBBY CHINN
A slick lounge/restaurant with tables overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake and Moroccan-style nooks and hookah pipes behind ruby red curtains, half-Egyptian/half-Chinese Bobby Chinn isn’t worried about rules. His wacky menu show a mix of dishes for western tastes – burgers, pastas, sandwiches, salads, steaks – along with fusion Southeast Asian dishes like carmelized basa fish with cucumber salad or grilled jumbo prawn with sticky rice and red curry. It’s all superbly prepared, some quite creative (eg filet mignon spring rolls). The good-value lunch menu (US$6-11) samples some of dinner’s offerings (mains $12-20), for a lot less. San Franciscans may enjoy Pete’s Coffee on the menu (it’s US$3.50, but who cares?). Later on DJs and comics and musicians occasionally take over. Covers of the Stones’ Some Girls overlooks urinals in the men’s room.
Tel 04-934-8577; www.bobbychinn.com; 1 Ba Trieu St; open 11am-late
KOTO
Combine your visit with the Temple of Literature (about 1km west of the French Quarter) with the breakfast buffet (or a lunch) at this stylish air-conditioned, cushioned-seat lounge, across the street. Everything fuels Koto’s charity efforts to help street kids, and it’s hard to beat the buffet – with a line of pancakes, fresh fruit, eggs, toast and jams (US$4). Later on the upstairs lounge – which gets hot – has a happy hour (5-7pm).
Tel 04-747-0337; www.koto.com.au; 59 Van Mieu St; open 7am-10.30pm Tue-Sat, 7am-5pm Mon
PHO 24
If you just need noodles – like, now! – in a clean, comfortable spot near the center, this Saigon-based chain serves up good beef noodles in the ‘southern style’ (US$1.65).
1 Hang Khay St, at Hang Bai St (across from Hoan Kiem Lake)
HOA SU
A converted French villa in a rather elusive alley, the relaxing Hoa Su serves good Vietnamese and French dishes as part of its program to give jobs/training to disadvantaged youth. Popular with stylish locals and expats of all stripes, it’s not only a good cause, but tasty. Outside seats are popular, particularly for the set lunches (about US$6), featuring shrimp scampi or pork filets. I preferred going a la carte: the papaya salad with shrimp instead of beef (ask) is excellent, and a whole-fried fish with rice paper that can serve two people is about US$7.50. Lots of wines, and the refreshing frozen lemon juice is served like a slushy. WiFi access.
Tel 04-942-4448; www.hoasuaschool.com; 28A Ha Hoi St; open 11am-10pm Mon-Fri, 7.30am-11.30pm Sat & Sun
LE CLUB BAR/METROPOLE
Popular for business meetings, the Metropole’s lobby restaurant oozes in yester-year grace, with a sunroom, French-era antiques and shiny wood floors. The lunch buffet is US$16 (noon-2pm), a chocolate buffet for afternoon snackers is US$10 (3-5.30pm) and the Sunday brunch is US$18 (noon-2.30pm).
15 Ngo Quyen St
PARIS DELI
Sun-lit, French-style bakery with comfy wicker seats set in an old villa, this deli (the nicer of the two locations in Hanoi) is good for snacks, US$2 sandwiches, salads (US$2.50-4.30) or snacks.
6 Phan Chu Trinh St; open 7am-11pm