Hà Nội (Hanoi) is the capital of Vietnam and its cultural heart, a city of lakes, tree-lined French colonial boulevards, and a thousand-year-old Old Quarter where every street once specialised in a single trade. Visitors come for street food such as phở and bún chả, egg coffee, water puppet theatre, temples and museums, and easy access to Hạ Long Bay, Ninh Bình, and the northern mountains.
Hanoi nightlife is compact and social. The Old Quarter around Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets fills with plastic-stool bia hoi joints and backpacker bars, hidden speakeasies tucked into alleys such as Bao Khanh serve serious cocktails, and rooftop bars in Landmark72 and Lotte Center look over the skyline. Live music runs from Binh Minh Jazz Club near the Opera House to rock at Hanoi Rock City in Tay Ho. Venues traditionally wind down around midnight to 1AM, so the best nights start early with street food and beer.
Bia hoi corners for cheap draught beer, speakeasy cocktail bars in Old Quarter alleys, live jazz and rock venues, rooftop skybars and a compact clubbing scene around Tay Ho and the French Quarter
At a glance
- Peak hours
- Bia hoi corners 6PM-11PM; cocktail bars 8PM-midnight; live music from about 8:30-9PM; rooftop bars 6PM-midnight
- Average drink
- Bia hoi 10,000-20,000 VND (~$0.40-0.80); local bottled beer 25,000-50,000 VND (~$0.95-1.90); craft beer 70,000-120,000 VND (~$2.70-4.60); cocktails 120,000-250,000 VND (~$4.60-9.60) in Old Quarter bars and 250,000-400,000 VND (~$9.60-15.40) in hotel and rooftop bars
- Dress code
- Casual is accepted almost everywhere; smart casual (closed shoes, no beachwear) is expected at rooftop bars such as Q Bar and Top of Hanoi and hotel venues such as Le Club Bar
- Cover charge
- Bars in the Old Quarter are informally expected to close around midnight to 1AM, with police occasionally enforcing it; a few licensed venues and hotel bars stay open later. Weekend evenings (Fri-Sun) turn the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake into a pedestrian zone.
Nightlife districts
Where the action happens after dark.
Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen (Beer Street)
The intersection and streets in the north of the Old Quarter packed with plastic-stool bia hoi corners, small bars and street food, where crowds spill onto the roadway from early evening
Best for: cheap draught beer, people-watching and meeting other travellers
Bao Khanh and Ly Quoc Su (Cathedral area)
Alleys and staircases near Hoan Kiem Lake and St Joseph's Cathedral hide craft-cocktail bars, wine bars and cafes turned into bars after dark
Best for: speakeasy cocktails and date nights
Opera House and French Quarter
Trang Tien and Ngo Quyen streets contain the Sofitel Legend Metropole, the Opera House and jazz clubs, with more polished venues
Best for: jazz, hotel bars and an upscale evening
Tay Ho (West Lake)
The district north of the city centre, with lakeside restaurants, beer gardens, live-music venues and craft-beer bars popular with expats
Best for: live rock music, lake views and craft beer
Landmark72 and Nam Tu Liem
Newer business district in the west with high-rise rooftop bars and hotel lounges
Best for: skyline cocktails and celebrations
Bars & pubs
Where locals drink.
Polite & Co
Intimate speakeasy-style bar down a lane off the Old Quarter, founded by mixologist Pham Tien Tiep and known for polished classic cocktails.
Known for: Classic and creative cocktails in a vintage alley bar
5B Bao Khanh, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Swip Speakeasy Bar
A hidden bar reached by entering an alley and taking the stairs on the right, offering crafted cocktails and smooth music.
Known for: Hidden staircase bar with crafted cocktails
Alley 20, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam (first floor; verify exact entrance on a map app)
Attic Cocktail & Wine Lab
A bar that pairs a bespoke cocktail programme with a wine cellar, known for its skylight and lounge seating in the Trang Tien area.
Known for: Bespoke cocktails and a wine cellar under a skylight
46 Trang Tien, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Le Club Bar, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
The historic French-colonial style bar of the Sofitel Legend Metropole, in the hotel opened in 1901, serving classic cocktails in a refined setting.
Known for: Colonial-era hotel lounge, classic cocktails and live music
15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Q Bar, InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72
A cocktail bar high in the InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72 tower, with drinks inspired by the O Quy Ho Pass in northern Vietnam and panoramic city views.
Known for: Signature cocktails with skyline views from Vietnam's tallest hotel
Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower, Pham Hung, Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Top of Hanoi
Skybar at the top of the Lotte Center in the Ba Dinh business district, offering wide views over West Lake and the city.
Known for: High-floor cocktails and 360-degree city views
Lotte Center Hanoi, 54 Lieu Giai, Cong Vi, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi Social Club
A retro-styled cafe, restaurant and bar in a small French-era house near the cathedral, popular with travellers and expats for cocktails and DJ nights.
Known for: Vintage-style cafe-bar with cocktails, craft coffee and a terrace
6 Hoi Vu, Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tadioto
A vintage-styled bar and creative space in the French Quarter hosting DJs and live music, popular with a young local crowd.
Known for: Craft beer, cocktails and evening live sets
24B Le Phung Hieu, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Highway4 (Old Quarter)
A bar and restaurant with local rice liquors infused with fruit and herbs, served with mountain-region dishes from northern Vietnam.
Known for: House-infused Vietnamese rice spirits (Son Tinh) and northern dishes
5 Hang Tre, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Bia Hoi Junction (Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen)
The crossroads of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen streets, lined with street-side stalls pouring fresh draught beer and serving grilled snacks; it is the centre of Old Quarter street drinking.
Known for: Fresh draught beer on plastic stools
Intersection of Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, Vietnam
Clubs
For dancing into the early hours.
Binh Minh Jazz Club
Long-running jazz club near the Opera House founded by saxophonist Quyen Van Minh, with nightly live jazz and blues in an intimate room.
Cover: Tickets approx. 200,000-350,000 VND (~$7.70-13.50) including a drink; check current price
Hours: Nightly sets from about 9PM
Hanoi Rock City
Vietnam's best-known live rock venue in Tay Ho, a warehouse-style club with local and visiting bands and a loyal alternative crowd.
Cover: Varies by event, often 100,000-300,000 VND (~$3.85-11.50)
Hours: Event nights, generally from 8PM
Cama ATK
A music venue and bar hosting Vietnamese indie and rock bands and touring acts in a compact, standing-room space.
Cover: Varies by event, often 100,000-250,000 VND (~$3.85-9.60)
Hours: Event nights, generally from 8PM
Tadioto Live Nights
The Tadioto venue in the French Quarter hosts DJ sets and small live acts on its stage, popular with young Hanoians.
Cover: Free entry most nights; special events ticketed
Hours: Evenings to late; event nights vary
Nightlife tips
Stay safe and have fun.
Start with street food and bia hoi on Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen between 6PM and 10PM when it is liveliest
Plan to finish by around midnight in the Old Quarter; use Grab to get home late
Watch your drinks and belongings, agree prices before ordering shots or bottle service, and check the bill; tourist-area bars occasionally overcharge
Zero-tolerance drink-driving law: never ride a motorbike after drinking
The legal drinking age is 18; carry photo ID or a passport copy