Egg Coffee Hanoi: 7 BEST Old Quarter Cafes for Vietnamese Egg Coffee
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If you’ve been keeping up with my Instagram stories , then you probably know just how obsessed I am with the Vietnamese egg coffee in Hanoi. Say what… did you just say egg coffee?! Yep, you heard that correctly! Egg yolk coffee, or ca phe trung, can be found in a number of cities throughout Vietnam. With that being said, there is certainly no shortage of this traditional delicacy in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi.
I was recently traveling solo to Hanoi for a few weeks and heard about the egg coffee phenomenon almost immediately upon arrival in the city (from both locals & tourists!). After drinking my first cup and giving it my utmost approval, it only felt right to make it my personal mission to hunt down the best egg coffee in Hanoi (I mean, how could I not?!).
Whether you’re feeling thirsty, grossed out or just plain intrigued by all of this, read along to discover which cafes you should visit for the best egg coffee in Hanoi, Vietnam!
Feel free to skip to any specific section using the links below. :)
Table of Contents
What is Vietnamese Egg Coffee?
While there are a seemingly endless number of recipe variations, Vietnamese Egg Coffee is essentially coffee (espresso) with sugar, condensed milk & egg yolks mixed together. Depending on who’s serving you this creamy drink, you might even find cheese & a few other secret ingredients blended in.
I know, I know — it sounds gross and I’m probably not tempting you yet. But I promise you, one sip of this drink and you’ll never want to drink your morning coffee without egg yolk in it ever again.
Vietnamese Egg Coffee History
While each cafe in Hanoi has its own unique story, its important to understand the overarching history behind the egg coffee movement.
Vietnamese Coffee
Around the time of the French War, there was a scarcity of fresh milk throughout Vietnam. In response to this shortage, many Vietnamese coffee-lovers decided to line the bottom of their cups with condensed milk & then pour coffee on top (which is how regular Vietnamese coffee is served today).
Vietnamese Egg Coffee
In 1946, Mr. Nguyen Van Giang (a bartender at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel) decided that he wanted to create a signature Vietnamese version of the Cappuccino. With the shortage of fresh milk in Vietnam, however, Mr. Giang had limited options. He eventually came up with the idea of substituting milk with whisked egg yolks to create the first cup of Vietnamese egg coffee. This drink turned out to be a huge success, and Giang Cafe was born!
1. Giang Cafe
Address: 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm
Opening Hours: Daily 7am—10pm
Giang Cafe is usually the first spot that everyone wants to hit when they hear about the famous Vietnamese egg coffee delicacy. I mean, how could you not pay a visit the cafe where it all began?!
As mentioned previously, the first cup of Vietnamese egg coffee (ca phe trung) was invented in 1946 by Mr. Nguyen Van Giang. This secret recipe has been passed down for generations and is currently being served up at Giang Cafe (now owned by Mr. Nguyen Van Giang’s son, Nguyen Van Dao).
The first time I ventured in Giang Cafe, I was incredibly overwhelmed and turned right back around towards the exit. It was very crowded inside and I was feeling a bit claustrophobic (raincheck!).
A few days later, I woke up at 7am to be the first one to arrive at Giang — what a difference that made! Aside from a couple of other locals, I was the only one inside the famous egg coffee cafe (maybe its finally time to make early mornings a habit…).
The owner of Giang, Nguyen Van Dao, and one of the cafe employees (pictured above) were SO incredibly sweet. They didn’t speak much English but went out of their way to ensure that I was properly taken care of during my visit!
There are a TON of options to choose from at Giang (I mean, it is recognized as the number one spot for Vietnamese Egg Coffee for a reason). Don’t get too overwhelmed, though— you can keep it simple like me and just go for the “Cafe Trung — Nong”, or hot egg coffee (iced egg coffee is amazing too, though— more on that later).
If you opt for hot, your coffee cup will be served to you inside a bowl of hot water; this is to retain its temperature and is standard practice at Giang (yay for avoiding cold coffee!).
2. Cafe Lam Hanoi
Address: 29 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm
Opening Hours: Daily 8am—11pm
Alright, I honestly almost gave up with Cafe Lam. I kept hearing everyone rave about it, but I could not locate this cafe to save the life of me. I walked into 3 different locations before finally finding the right one. No, I wasn’t being picky— this specific location is the only one that actually serves egg coffee (or at least out of the locations I visited in the area!). However, if you aren’t fussy for egg coffee, Cafe Lam also serves up some great Vietnamese iced coffee.
How to get to Lam Cafe: To help you avoid my confusion, make sure you follow these tips. You’ll want to make sure you head to the location at 29 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hàng Bạc, Hoàn Kiếm— you will see a sign above the cafe reading, “Passion for Shoemaking”. The main entrance is actually located slightly to the right of Cafe Lâm, under a red sign that says “Galuti” (I swear, some of the cafes in Vietnam are like Mission Impossible to find).
Coffee Taste: A tad less creamy than some of the other egg coffees I tried, but amazing nonetheless! Cafe Lam definitely lives up to its hype, but just make sure to scout out the correct location first so you don’t waste time walking around aimlessly like I did (learn from my mistakes!).
3. Cafe Pho Co Hanoi
Address: 11 Hàng Gai, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm
Opening Hours: Daily 6am—10pm
Chances are, you’ll easily pass by Cafe Pho Co (or Cà phê Phố Cổ on Google maps) without a second glance — it honestly took me an embarrassing amount of time to find this adorable cafe. You’re actually going to enter through a silk store (painted bright red with “Silklike” in white lettering), then follow along the corridor until you reach the Cafe Phố Cổ sign.
While Cafe Pho Co may be difficult to spot out initially, this cafe is conveniently tucked away from the hustle & bustle of the busy Hanoi Streets — making it one of the best hidden gems for egg coffee in the entire city!
While all of the cafes on this list are undoubtedly amazing, I have to admit— not many egg coffees can compare to the recipe being served up at Cafe Pho Co. I mean, just look at the photo below… is your mouth watering yet?!
4. The Note Coffee Hanoi
Address: 64 Lương Văn Can, Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Opening Hours: Daily 6:30am—11pm
The Note Coffee was actually an unexpected option for me in regards to egg coffee, but they certainly did not disappoint! I was initially visiting the cafe because I heard it was a very “Instagrammable” spot with colorful sticky notes plastered all over the walls. What I didn’t realize until I arrived, however, was that the Note Coffee happened to serve my favorite new Vietnamese treat — so of course I had to order myself a cup of ca phe trung (egg coffee).
Whether or not you actually want to try the egg coffee, I highly recommend paying a visit to the Note Coffee while in Hanoi — this place truly is an experience in itself. At the risk of sounding sappy, this little Instagram cafe left me in positive spirits and genuinely had me feeling hopeful about humanity. There were so many beautiful stories written on the wall — I barely could tear myself away from them. I won’t go into too much detail but I will say that my experience at the Note Coffee was one I’ll definitely never forget.
Oh and in case you’re wondering, my cup of ca phe trung at the Note Coffee was incredible and definitely deserving of a spot on my list of best egg coffees in Hanoi. I suggest ordering 2 cups if you plan on staying at the cafe as long as I did…
5. Cafe Nang
Address: 45 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hang Bac District
Opening Hours: Daily 8am—11pm
There are a few Cafe Nang’s in Hanoi, 2 of them being located relatively close to one another. My personal favorite location is situated at 45 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hang Bac District — this spot is incredibly cozy, charming & quiet. The second level offers a great view, so order your egg coffee downstairs and then head up the stairway for some amazing ambience while you sip that egg coffee!
There’s tons of comfy seating options, outlets (what I always look for) and a vibrant floral mural painted on the wall (where’s the Instagram boyfriend at when ya need him?!).
I actually opted for an iced egg coffee at Cafe Nang rather than the traditional, hot drink. No particular reason — I just wanted to change things up a bit and it happened to be one of the hottest days during my visit to Hanoi. This cool alternative ended up being such a nice refresher (seriously guys, I think I enjoyed the iced egg coffees 10X better than the hot ones!).
6. Cafe Dinh
Address: 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm
Opening Hours: Daily 7am—9:30pm
Cafe Dinh is a wonderful little cafe located near Hoan Kiem Lake, where you’ll also be able to enjoy live music and festivities for the fam! Just make sure you’re watchful of your surroundings (as always) because this area can get a bit touristy (and where there’s tourists, there’s typically pickpockets!).
Once in the general area, Cafe Dinh shouldn’t be too difficult to spot out. However, I included a photo below to help you out in case you get lost! You’ll see a travel booking office on your left and a phone repair shop on your right — you’re going to enter a small alleyway under a sign that reads, “Shop 13 Cafe Dinh” and follow this path until you reach the cafe on the second floor.
Once you’re actually in Cafe Dinh, you’ll be in good hands! The owners here are so kind, and their Vietnamese egg coffees are beautifully crafted— I mean, just look at that photo below!
Cafe Dinh Coffee Taste: Very creamy— just make sure you stir it well because the espresso at the bottom is pretty strong.
7. Cafe Trứng (Egg Coffee Cafe Trung)
Address: 37 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Lý Thái Tổ, Hoàn Kiếm
Opening Hours: Daily 8am—9:30pm
Cafe Trung (or Egg Coffee Cafe Trung on Google Maps) is located right next to Giang Cafe. While I probably wouldn’t rate this spot as number 1 on my list, the egg coffee is delicious nonetheless and well worth the trip. And because the locations are so close to one another, Cafe Trung is a great option if you happen to be a bit overwhelmed with the crowd over at Giang Cafe (or if you just want to go for your second helping of egg coffee!).
So where is the best egg coffee in Hanoi?!
While there were a number of amazing contestants for the best egg coffee in Hanoi, I have to give it to Giang Cafe — this place has kept the egg coffee tradition alive & well since opening its doors back in 1946. The creamy delicacy served here is spot-on and is well worth the wait (and if you can’t stand the crowds, you better wake up early for a good spot!).
With that being said, Cafe Pho Co definitely comes in a close second with the Note Coffee trailing right behind. Nonetheless, all of these egg coffee cafes were truly phenomenal and I had a blast testing out the different recipes!
Private Hanoi street food tour
While I thoroughly enjoyed my little mission to find the best egg coffee in Hanoi, I must admit — this excursion isn’t for the faint of heart. While most of the cafes are located relatively close to one another, there are a few outliers in the mix that require you to bring some good walking shoes. You might also want to keep in mind that drinking multiple egg coffees back-to-back probably isn’t the safest or healthiest thing to do. So if you plan on taking up this little challenge, I suggest spreading your cafe visits out over a week or two (to give yourself some breathing room).
Suggested Tour:
However, if you would honestly just rather skip the hassle and opt for a private Hanoi street food tour (which offers both the best Vietnamese food and the best egg coffee), then consider booking one of the tours below!
Each tour above includes at least one traditional egg coffee, along with a wide range of Vietnamese dishes such as banh cuon (filled rice noodles), pho (noodle soup), and the famous banh my (a Vietnamese sandwich).
I hope you enjoyed my little mission to find the best egg coffee in Hanoi, Vietnam! If you found this article useful and want to keep my tips in mind for your next trip, feel free to save it for later by “pinning” any of the images in this blog post to your travel board(s) on Pinterest!
Hi there! I’m Fallon. A Florida native who, after receiving my masters degree in the U.K., decided to nix the 9-5 path in search of something more. Now, I run my graphic and web design business straight from my laptop, all while traveling the world. I’ve now traveled to over 25 countries and have knocked some pretty big adventures off my bucket list… and I’m just getting started. Follow along my journey as I present tips, guides and resources on solo female travel, photography, videography, entrepreneurship & the crazy lifestyle of a digital nomad.