Hanoi Street Food: What to Eat and When, From Pho to Bia Hoi

Hanoi street food follows the clock: pho and steamed rice rolls at breakfast, bun cha at lunch, snacks and coffee in the afternoon, and grilled food with bia hoi at night. This guide from our Vietnam travel blog explains what to eat at each time of day, which streets to head for, and how to eat well and safely.

Knowing what to eat in Hanoi, and when, matters because many stalls cook one dish and close once it sells out. Pair this guide with our Hanoi guide for sightseeing, and if you need a visa, apply for a Vietnam e-visa online.

A day of eating:

Breakfast dishes

Breakfast is Hanoi's favorite meal out, and the city's most famous dishes are morning food. Arrive early for the best bowls.

Pho

Pho in Hanoi is a clear, fragrant beef or chicken noodle soup, served with herbs and lime on the side and less sugar than southern versions. The best stalls have queues from dawn. Our guide to Vietnamese noodle soups compares it with other bowls.

Banh cuon and xoi

Banh cuon are silky steamed rice rolls filled with pork and wood-ear mushroom, dipped in fish sauce. Sticky rice (xoi) with toppings is the grab-and-go breakfast; look for red xoi gac around Tet.

Lunch dishes

Lunch brings the dishes Hanoi is most proud of after pho. Most lunch places serve from late morning until early afternoon.

Bun cha

Bun cha is grilled pork patties and slices in a sweet-sour broth, eaten with rice noodles, herbs and crispy spring rolls. It became famous worldwide after a former US president ate it in Hanoi in 2016. Hang Manh street is known for it.

Cha ca and bun rieu

Cha ca is turmeric-marinated fish fried at the table with dill and spring onions, eaten with noodles and peanuts; Cha Ca street is named after it. Bun rieu is a tangy tomato and crab noodle soup, cheap and filling.

Afternoon and evening

Afternoons are for coffee and sweets: egg coffee, iced tea and che desserts. Our guide to Vietnamese coffee culture explains the drinks.

At night, the Old Quarter fills with grilled skewers, fried spring rolls (nem ran) and draft beer called bia hoi, poured fresh daily and served on plastic stools.

Hanoi street food by street

Many Old Quarter streets specialize in one dish, so walking around is the best way to eat. Follow the crowd to the busiest stalls.

Ta Hien street and the surrounding corners are the bia hoi center at night. The weekend night market near Dong Xuan Market sells snacks. Lanes around the Old Quarter hide noodle and rice-roll shops that have cooked the same dish for decades. Two last tips help you eat better: food tours and eating safely.

Eating well in Hanoi

A little planning turns street food into the highlight of a Hanoi trip. These two tips help.

Food tours

A walking food tour with a local guide takes you to stalls you would not find alone and explains how to eat each dish. Evening tours are the most popular.

Eating safely

Choose busy stalls that cook to order, drink bottled water and wash your hands before eating. Start slowly with raw herbs if your stomach is sensitive.

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