Madame Hiền

Madame Hiền is a restaurant at 15 Chân Cầm in Hàng Trống, Hoàn Kiếm district, Hanoi, Vietnam, close to St Joseph's Cathedral. It occupies a restored 1930s villa with a walled courtyard, and the cooking is refined northern Vietnamese home cooking plated with a French restraint that reflects the building's colonial-era origins. The cuisine is classed as Vietnamese with French-Vietnamese influences, and the kitchen concentrates on the dishes a Hanoi family would serve rather than on street-food shortcuts. Set menus walk through the classics of the capital, which makes them the most practical choice for first-time diners. Signature dishes include turmeric fish in the chả cá style, the Hanoi speciality of fish cooked with turmeric and dill, and grilled pork served with rice vermicelli. À la carte ordering is available for those who prefer to build their own meal, though the set menus give a balanced cross-section of the repertoire. The dining room is the main attraction. Interior rooms keep the proportions and character of the original villa, and the courtyard tables are the quietest seats in the area, well suited to conversation and to warm evenings. The atmosphere is calm and slightly formal without being stuffy, and there is no strict dress code, although smart-casual clothes suit the setting. Prices are higher than street food but moderate for a sit-down restaurant, at about 300,000 to 600,000 VND (roughly USD 11.55 to 23.10) per person. Opening hours are daily from 11:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 22:00. Reservations are recommended for dinner, particularly for courtyard tables, and can be made by phone on +84 24 3938 1588. The restaurant is a good option for visitors who want a quieter, more polished meal after a day of sightseeing around the cathedral and Hoàn Kiếm Lake.