Cà Phê Đinh

Cà Phê Đinh is a first-floor cafe at 13 Đinh Tiên Hoàng in the Hàng Trống ward of Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi, Vietnam, overlooking Hoàn Kiếm Lake. It is reached through a shop doorway and up a dim staircase behind a shopfront, and is run by descendants of the family behind Hanoi's original egg coffee. The signature drink is cà phê trứng, egg coffee, made by beating egg yolk with sugar and condensed milk into a thick foam that sits on strong coffee. The menu also lists egg matcha, an alternative for people who prefer tea, and cà phê đen đá, iced black coffee, for those who want a lighter drink. The cuisine is drinks rather than food, and the main draw is the setting: a cup taken at a narrow balcony table above the traffic on Đinh Tiên Hoàng, with the lake opposite. The room is small and unpretentious, with simple furniture, a steady mix of visitors and locals, and no dress code. Noise is moderate, coming mostly from the street below, and the balcony seats are the most sought after. There is no wine programme; the menu is coffee, tea and similar drinks. The cafe opens daily from 7:00 to 22:00 and does not take reservations, so balcony tables go to whoever arrives first. Prices are low, around 35,000 to 60,000 VND (USD 1.35 to 2.30) per person. The location, on the edge of the lake and near the Old Quarter, makes it a convenient stop on a walk around the water. Because it sits above a shop rather than at street level, it can be hard to spot, and visitors often look for the staircase entrance behind the shopfront. Sitting on the balcony in the evening gives a view of the lakeside lights and the scooter traffic.