Vietnamese Coffee Is More Than Just One Thing-Here's Where to Try It All in Hanoi

"The coffee shop, spread across four floors of a narrow building that is more than thirty years old, feels designed for social media, but switch off the camera for a while to soak in the surroundings. Pick up some notes and a pen and write as many messages as you like, then read the missives written by others, from declarations of love to resolutions to special occasion wishes, in a melange of languages."

"Every surface of The Note Coffee's shop-walls, tables, windows, light fixtures, even the air conditioner box on the windowsill-is covered by sticky notes with messages written by customers. Grab a table by the windows that overlook Hoàn Kiếm lake and engage in some people-watching, especially on the weekends when the street becomes a pedestrian-only zone filled with sketch artists, street performers, and roadside vendors. The cafe's signature coconut latte is a great way to beat the heat and a must for coconut lovers."

"In his book Eating Viet Nam, food writer Graham Holliday writes about his Four Questions Theory of asking Vietnamese where to eat in Vietnam, which sequentially unearths four levels of recommendations, starting off with fancy hotels serving Westernized food, then tourist traps claiming to serve "authentic" food. After some probing come local favorites, and in the final stage, local secrets."

The Note Coffee fills every surface with customer-written sticky notes across a narrow, four-floor space, creating a tactile, social mosaic. Patrons can add messages, read multilingual notes, and sit by windows overlooking Hoàn Kiếm lake for people-watching on pedestrianized weekends. The cafe emphasizes a playful, photogenic atmosphere while offering a signature coconut latte to refresh customers. Cafe Duy Trí occupies a 90-year-old, narrow shop with spartan decor and a low ceiling. The shop specializes in an iced yogurt coffee that is thick like a sundae, blending Arabica and Robusta dripped into a dense yogurt layer and topped with a simple cream flower.

Read at Conde Nast Traveler