Night Life

Bia Hoi at Ta Hien Street

Ta Hien runs south to north, from Hang Bac to Ma May, and is an extension of Dinh Liet street which goes down to the north of Hoan Kiem lake. This street is famous for its trademark Bia Hoi, souvenir shops and cozy bars.

It has two distinct sections. From Hang Bac to Luong Ngoc Quyen it’s a standard, Old Quarter tourist street. It’s the place to head for rip-off DVDs but is also home to a couple of tiny bike rental places. You’ll also find some good souvenir shops along here, including a tiny shop selling lamps and mugs decorated with propaganda poster images.

The junction with Luong Ngoc Quyen is bia hoi corner, where you can while away the hours sipping cheap beer and people-watching.

North of the junction, the road narrows and has recently been refurbished: the first 100 metres or so of the road has been paved and the buildings all look the same. It’s very neat and tidy, although perhaps a bit out of place in the jumble that is Hanoi’s Old Quarter. This is where you will find a number of small bars with full of foreigners and expats.

(From Travelfish.org)

Café Nha Tho

Café Nha Tho sits in the shadow of Hanoi's most imposing Catholic Church. In a somewhat bizarre but quintessentially Vietnamese juxtaposition, gown-draped painted angels stare down from the building's frontage at the hoards of young, hip Hanoians who crowd the pavement on tiny stools. The close social proximity that is the norm here may take some getting used to, but it's all part of the conviviality of the city, and you'll start to feel every bit the local as you chew on pumpkin seeds, drink sua chuathach – glasses of ice, yoghurt and candied fruit – and enjoy local street foods.

(From The Guardian)