Nightlife in Hanoi

Hanoi's bar scene splits cleanly. Street-drinking bia hoi culture dominates the Old Quarter. Composed cocktail and wine bars cluster around Tay Ho. Bia hoi joints are tiny operations. They serve fresh-brewed beer on plastic chairs at the edge of the road. They are as Hanoian as anything in the city. Etiquette is simple. Sit down. Hold up fingers for how many glasses you want. Do not expect the menu to extend beyond peanuts and dried squid. The corner of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen is the nexus of this world. Moving upmarket, craft beer bars have taken hold across the Old Quarter's side streets. Rooftop bars with views over Hoan Kiem Lake have become a minor cottage industry. They are polished enough to feel like a destination. They stay small enough to avoid feeling corporate.

Hanoi may shut bars by midnight. The food scene runs on a different clock. Some of the best pho in the city comes from carts that set up after 10pm. They cater to the post-drinking crowd and night workers alike. The Old Quarter is the best hunting ground. Walk three or four blocks in any direction from Beer Corner and you will find something worth eating. The logic is the same as any good late-night food culture. Vendors know their customers have been drinking. Portions are generous. Broth is restorative.