What is it about Vietnamese food? I love it and wherever I can find a good Vietnamese restaurant, I’m there. Too bad there aren’t enough good Vietnamese chefs living in other parts of the world where they can open restaurants and banish, once and for all, the gooey, gloppy, fattening, tasteless blubber that passes for cuisine in many countries. I would wholeheartedly support a special visa programme for good Vietnamese cooks.

Since I posted my favorite restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) a few days ago, I thought I’d add my favorites in Hanoi. Of course, not every restaurant listed here serves Vietnamese food since you would like a diversion every now and then.

Green Tangerine
48 Hang Be St.
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 825 1286
French-Vietnamese

Verticale
19 Ngo Van So St.
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 944 6317
www.vertical-hanoi.com
French Vietnamese

Restaurant Bobby Chinn
1 Ba Trieu Street
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 934 8577
http://bobbychinn.com

Wild Lotus
55A Nguyen Du Street
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 943 9342

Blue De Thuy
28 Tong Duy Tan, Hoàn Kiếm
Hanoi, Vietnam
Eclectic
+84 4 928 5900
www.bleudethuy.com.vn

Emperor Restaurant
18B Le Thanh Tong St.
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 826 8801

Wild Rice
6 Ngo Thi Nham
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 943 8896

Vine Restaurant
31A Xuan Dieu, Tay Ho
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 719 1448
www.vine-group.net

Bun Cha
20 Ta Hien St
Hanoi, Vietnam
In old quarter for bun cha, a lunchtime dish that consists of barbecued minced-pork balls in fish sauce

Cha Ca La Vong
14 Cha Ca St
Hanoi, Vietnam
+84 4 3825 3929
Popular restaurant in Hanoi where you cook meat, fish and vegetables on hot coals on your table.

Pho Thin
13 Lo Duc St.
Hanoi, Vietnam
In downtown area, it’s the place for pho