Top 7 Old Coffee Shops In Vietnam

Coffee originated from the West, following the French came to Vietnam from the colonial period around the year 1857. At first, coffee was only for the nobility, French officials, or the officer in urban areas. Nowadays, coffee became a popular drink in the life of Vietnamese. Let’s check out top 7 coffee shops that have been famous for dozen years in Vietnam!

1. Lam Café

Café Lam was sold in 1952 in Chi Linh flower garden, the shop named after its owner Mr. Nguyen Van Lam. Before having an own shop, a peddler named Lam sold café for officers at the Chi Linh flower garden (Ly Thai To flower garden). After a while, Mr. Lam no longer sold café in a stroller, but opened a coffee shop on Hang Voi Street.

The coffee in Lam Café has a unique taste, appealing to customers with a strong coffee flavor and a little burnt, properly dried. Coffee beans in Lam Café are carefully selected, roasted and grinded 100% coffee bean (without flavoring and additives) at a special rate, so that the coffee has remained the same taste for 60 years. With the slogan: "never old, never forget", Lam café has attracted countless people to enjoy.

Cafe Lam

Besides that, Lam café is also famous for paintings. According to Mr. Lam family, in the past, the painters came here and became familiar with Mr. Lam, they kept drinking and then ... writing down the debit notebook. Sometimes they borrowed money from Mr. Lam to buy fabrics, pens and paints. When they do not have any money, they brought pictures to pay Lam instead. Over the years, the walls in Lam Café is full of paintings, all are original, unique.

Address:

• 60 Nguyen Huu Huan, P. Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
• 91 Nguyen Huu Huan, P. Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 07:00 - 22:30

Price: VND 15,000 - 50,000

2. Nhi Café

Nhi coffee shop has not changed, it is still the same with the past, do not "upgrade" any infrastructure.

Everything in the café shop such as: cup, spoon, chair, etc. were so simple and old. The space of more than ten square meters was also smaller, crowded, noisy and slightly dirty. The wall made cannot blow away the smell of people and smoke, the smell of coffee, the moldy smell of moss. But Nhi Café was still crowded, overloaded, the customers have to sit on the sidewalk.

Nhi Cafe

Coffee here is also prepared in a different way, coffee is put in ceramic teapots. Whoever calls for coffee, they will mix 2 small cups of pure coffee and added sugar or condensed milk, making foam with a mixer and finally adding ice cubes. Coffee is dark, dense, strong and aromatic.

Address: No.2 Hàng Cá, Hoàn Kiếm District, HN

Opening hours: 7:00 - 22:00

Price: VND 15,000 - VND 33,000

3. Giang Café

This kind of drink makes a unique and interesting feature for the capital of Vietnam, coffee egg is the wonderful mixture of the biter of coffee and sweet and fat of egg. Giang cafe is the birthplace of egg coffee and it also made Hanoi coffee on the top 17 must-try coffee in the world, voted by Buzzfeed.

Giang Cafe

Giang cafe is one of the oldest coffee brands in Hanoi, founded in about 1946 by Nguyen Van Giang, who was a bartender at the Metropole Hotel during the French colonial era. Perhaps, the famous egg coffee flavor of Giang coffee shop was specifically derived from the capuchino when working at Metrophole. Nowadays, Giang Café was divided into 2 café shops, one located át 109 Yen Phu Street and the other at 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street. The two café shops are opened by the two sons of Mr. Giang.

Address:

• 109 Yen Phu, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
• 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 07:00 - 22:30

Price: VND 15,000 - VND 33,000

4. Dinh Café

The owner of Dinh café is Mrs. Bich who is Giang's daughter. Dinh Café shop opened in the 1990s, after Mr. Giang passed away, Mrs. Bich decided to open an egg coffee shop. Dinh is located on the second floor of an old French mansion. If you want to Dinh Café shop, you must go to the second floor by an old stairs.

Dinh Cafe

Especially, the tiny balcony overlooking to Hoan Kiem Lake is a good place to enjoy the feeling of three in one: Hanoi Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem Lake and delicious egg coffee. The scent of egg coffee, lotus tea, jasmine, watching the streets through the small balcony will be the best way to admire a peaceful Hanoi.

Address: 13 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Opening hours: 7:00 - 22:00

Price: VND 15,000 - 50,000

5. “Hell” Café

“Hell” Café is a creepy nickname given to a no name, no brand, and no day off coffee shop during 60 years by customers. It was a coffee cart of Mr. Dang Ngoc Con and his wife in 330 Alley, Phan Dinh Phung street, Phu Nhuan district, Ho Chi Minh City.

Mr. Dang Ngoc Con

The things that make "Hell" Café become special are everything are in the cart known as "small but full of strength". One of the most important coffee making equipment is the cloth strainer. It is used to filter coffee and always cherished by the Mr. and Mrs. Ba, because "the longer the cloth strainer is used, the stronger the taste of coffee".

Address: 330 Alley, Phan Dinh Phung street, Phu Nhuan district, Ho Chi Minh city

Opening hour: 24/24

Price: VND 15,000 – 40,000

6. Cheo Leo Café

Cheo Leo is one of the oldest coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City. It was opened 77 years ago by Mr. Vinh Ngo who was a member of Hue royal. After Mr. Vinh Ngo passed away, Cheo Leo was operated by Mrs. Nguyen Thi Suong, who is the third daughter of Mr. Vinh Ngo.

Clay Pot

In Cheo Leo, the way of making coffee with clay pot is still intact like the first days. Making coffee with a clay pot preserves the flavor and ensures that the drink remains hot when served customers.

Address: 109 Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, 3 district, Ho Chi Minh city

Opening hour: 05:15 - 18:45

Price: VND 13,000 – 21,000

7. Chieu Café

Chieu coffee shop opened in 1969 and being one of the rare coffee shop that have existed since pre - 1975. Ms. Nguyen Tuyet Mai, who is the owner of the shop, explains the name “Chieu” meaning: calling or summoning.

Chieu Cafe

The original purpose was a meeting place for boy scouts, gradually, Chieu café became a familiar place for students and intellectuals in Saigon at that time. The black color of the wooden wall and the way to prepare filter coffee in Chieu still remains as the old style like the memory that has been preserved for many years.

Address: 124/1 Cao Thang street, 3 district, Ho Chi Minh city.

Opening hour: 07:30 – 22:00

Price: VND 25,000 – 75,000

 

Relaxing with a cup of coffee in an old space will give tourists a chance to live slowly, enjoy the lifestyle of last decade…

Thanh Van

Image source: Internet