From the outside, this café looks like any other Hanoian hangout; but the inside is an artistic whirlpool of delicious drinks and local musicians.
The walls sport beautiful paintings with dark themes and the shelves are host to a collection of odd antiques holding stories as interesting as the people sitting under them. The bathroom is (apologetically) built in the 1970s and not a place recommended to spend any time unless it’s an emergency.
The chairs are riddled with young bands practicing their original songs and hitting tuc-laos, vaporizers, and chain-smoking cigarettes almost as if they were plucked from the Beatnik era in North Beach, San Francisco.
From the outside, this café looks like any other Hanoian hangout; but the inside is an artistic whirlpool of delicious drinks and local musicians.
Not only are the wares and clientele of this café offbeat, but so is the fare. The coffee is a classic, jet-fuel-style Vietnamese drip and the juices and smoothies are made so well one can’t help but keep coming back for more. I personally recommend the creamy and sour Sinh To Chang Leo, a smoothie made with passion fruit and condensed milk and is reminiscent of the famous coconut coffee from the infamous Cong Cafe chain.
Overall, if you’re looking for a way to touch your creative and offbeat roots while enjoying a delicious smoothie or coffee in a quiet area of Hanoi, Tiem Ca Phao is the place to go.
Tiem Ca Phao Hanoi
Address: 103/D6 Trần Huy Liệu, Giảng Võ, Ba Đình, Hà Nội