Hanoi Old Quarter café draws Western tourists with maze-like entrance

Western visitors describe the hidden destination as a ‘hidden gem’ in the heart of the bustling city.

After seeing reviews of the café on TikTok, Jasmin, a tourist from Britain, was determined to find the mysterious entrance on Hang Bac Street.

“I wasn’t scared at all. The LED lights made the journey to the café feel mysterious and exciting,” Jasmin said.

“When you step in from the street, you’re a little surprised by the sudden change in lighting.”

She followed the narrow passage toward the staircase, winding her way upward before suddenly finding herself overlooking a beautiful skylit courtyard.

“Wow! This is an amazing open space," she exclaimed.

“It’s truly a destination with such a distinctive traditional character.”

Jasmin and her friend are spending time traveling around Vietnam.

The chance to discover hidden cafés tucked away in the middle of busy cities was one of the reasons she wanted to visit Hanoi.

She enjoyed a cup of coconut coffee in the café’s peaceful surroundings, completely removed from the noise of the street outside.

Although she had only recently arrived in Vietnam, Jasmin was already able to pronounce Vietnamese fairly well.

“Ca phe ngon! (Coffee is tasty),” she said in Vietnamese.

South Korean tourist Kyu, however, admitted that he was slightly nervous when entering the dimly lit alley.

Once inside the café, he found the atmosphere fascinating and captivating.

“The staff were very friendly. They told me about Vietnamese coffee culture, and in return I performed a little magic trick for them,” Kyu said.

The café has received a 4.9 out of 5 rating from more than 2,000 customers on Google.

Owner Tran Hoa Binh said that he rented the premises after the COVID-19 pandemic.

What initially attracted him was precisely the dark.

The building’s old-fashioned design, original patterned floor tiles and skylit courtyard, which allows natural light to flood in, were additional factors that convinced him to take the space.

The café’s interior is relatively simple, furnished with wooden chairs and a few small tables.

Two seats are also arranged in front of the skylit courtyard.

Binh remains focused on the quality of every cup of coffee while looking for ways to tell the story of Vietnamese coffee culture.

“There is something special about this place: more than 90 percent of our customers are Western tourists,” he shared.

“They enjoy the experience of going deep into the narrow alleys of the Old Quarter and finding the café themselves.

“They see it as a ‘hidden gem.’”

A coffee enthusiast, Binh has devoted considerable time to studying Vietnam’s coffee-growing regions.

At the café, he tells the story of coffee through each drink on the menu.

For its signature egg coffee, he uses beans grown in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak.

According to Binh, the beans have a flavor reminiscent of black pepper, making them particularly suitable for pairing with egg.

All drinks are brewed directly at the counter using a phin, a traditional Vietnamese metal filter, after customers place their order, allowing visitors to watch the brewing process from start to finish.

Binh said Western tourists are especially interested in the stories behind the coffee-growing regions and the care that goes into preparing each cup.

“They like talking with the staff to understand why the coffee tastes the way it does,” he said.

The café’s approach to egg coffee also appeals to international visitors.

Its recipe emphasizes balance and uses less sugar, a flavor profile that Binh said is particularly well suited to Western tastes.