Top 13 Best Pho Places in Hanoi You Must Try

1. May Tre Dan Restaurant 

• Best for: First-time visitors to Vietnam, families with children or elderly members, and those who love cultural art spaces and require high food safety standards.
• Must order: Phở Bò Đặc Biệt (Special Beef Pho with tender, hand-selected beef) or the Pho Set served and herbal tea. View our Menu here.
• The Experience: Completely different from the noise of the city streets, May Tre Dan offers a peaceful atmosphere featuring unique handcrafted bamboo and rattan architecture. Warm yellow lights and soft folk music create a "refined" yet cozy dining context. Our staff is dedicated and speaks excellent English.
• Local Tip: This is arguably the best pho in Hanoi for those who want to enjoy the flavor without the hassle of street side dining.

• Address: 153 Hang Bong St., Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 11:30 - 22:00
• Phone: +84 886 028 558

2. Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su

• Best for: Foodies and those who want to experience the "standard" flavor that has built a strong reputation.
• Must order: Phở Tái Nạm (Rare and Well-done flank beef). The combination of the softness of rare beef and the crunchy texture of the flank is perfect.
• The Experience: The space is air-conditioned and clean but always crowded. You might have to share a table with strangers for an interesting cultural experience. You can watch the chef slicing meat and pouring broth right behind the glass partition.

• Address: 10 Ly Quoc Su St., Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 06:00 - 22:00

3. Pho Gia Truyen Bat Dan

• Best for: Patient people who want a "nostalgic" experience and prefer a rich, fatty broth.
• Must order: Phở Tái Nạm. The beef here is sliced into large, fresh pieces, dipped in hot broth until just cooked, making it incredibly sweet.
• The Experience: Queue up, pay first, and carry your own bowl to your seat. The shop is quite small and old, but that is the true "vibe" of the Old Quarter. The aroma of the broth spreads to the end of the street.

• Address: 49 Bat Dan St., Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 06:00 - 10:00, 18:00 - 20:30

4. Pho Thin Lo Duc

• Best for: Green onion lovers, those who like bold, fatty flavors, and want to try a "modern" version of Pho.
• Must order: Phở Tái Lăn (Stir-fried rare beef Pho). The beef is quickly stir-fried with garlic and ginger before being added to the bowl, creating a rich, oily broth layer.
• The Experience: The shop is very crowded, noisy, and bustling during peak hours. You pay at the door and receive your food very quickly. The layer of green onions covering the bowl is the trademark of this brand.
• Local Tip: If you like Quẩy (fried dough sticks), order them right away because the broth here is perfect for dipping.

• Address: 13 Lo Duc St., Ngo Thi Nham, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 05:00 - 22:00

5. Pho Tu Lun Au Trieu

• Best for: Tourists visiting the Cathedral who like a fatty, rich broth (not clear broth).
• Must order: Phở Tái Chín. The well-done beef here is tender, fragrant with ginger, and not dry at all.
• The Experience: A simple sidewalk shop with small plastic stools. Eating while admiring the ancient architecture of the Cathedral area is a very "chill" experience.
• Local Tip: Don't forget to order a glass of sidewalk iced tea (Trà đá) for dessert after the hot bowl of Pho.

• Address: 34 Au Trieu St., Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 06:30 - 10:00 a.m

6. Pho Suong

• Best for: Gourmets who appreciate sophistication, a lighter, cleaner broth with a sweet aftertaste, and a quieter atmosphere than the main streets.
• Must order: Phở Tái Gầu (Rare beef and Brisket). The fatty brisket here is crunchy, golden, and delicious without being too greasy.
• The Experience: You have to go into a small alley to find the shop. The space is cleaner than many other sidewalk stalls. Many locals rate this as the best pho in Hanoi for its authentic, original flavor.
• Local Tip: The price is slightly higher than the average, but the quality of the beef is totally worth it.

• Address: 24B Lane Trung Yen, Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 05:30 - 12:00, 17:00 - 21:30

7. Pho Ong Vui - Hang Giay

• Best for: Men who like to drink a bit, or those who want to eat Pho with hột vịt lộn (balut) or beef pizzle.
• Must order: Phở Tái or Sốt Vang (Wine sauce). The broth here is quite strong, leaning towards a salty savory taste rather than sweet and light.
• The Experience: A small shop with a prominent red sign. The atmosphere is always bustling with a distinct street vibe. The owner is very welcoming, true to the name "Vui" (Joy).
• Local Tip: The shop opens quite late, suitable for dinner or a late-night meal after walking around the Old Quarter.

• Address: 25 Hang Giay St., Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 06:00 - 01:00 

8. Pho Ganh Hang Chieu

• Best for: Night owls, early market goers, and young people who like to hunt for unique experiences.
• Must order: Phở Sốt Vang. The beef is stewed until soft with wine and spices, creating an attractive reddish-brown broth.
• The Experience: Sitting on the sidewalk in the middle of the night or early morning. The yellow street lights and sparse traffic create a very strange and cinematic atmosphere.
• Local Tip: Currently, the shop opens earlier, but going around 3-4 AM is still the "coolest" experience.

• Address: 4 Hang Chieu St., Dong Xuan, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 06:00 - 22:00

9. Pho Bung Hang Trong

• Best for: People who want to try the "suffer first, enjoy later" style of eating, liking clear and light broth.
• Must order: Phở Chín. The cooked beef is sliced thinly, arranged beautifully, and is very tender.
• The Experience: Sitting on a narrow sidewalk, holding a hot bowl of Pho (or placing it on a high plastic stool). It feels very close and rustic.
• Local Tip: Going in the afternoon around 4 PM - 5 PM is the best time to enjoy a "Hanoi style afternoon snack."

• Address: 8 Hang Trong St., Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 15:00 - 20:00

10. Pho Ga Pho Co

• Best for: Chicken Pho lovers and those who like to admire historical monuments.
• Must order: Chicken Pho with thigh or wing. The chicken skin here is golden and crispy, the meat is firm, not mushy.
• The Experience: Eating Pho right next to the mossy O Quan Chuong Gate. A wonderful combination of taste and sight.
• Local Tip: You should order extra young eggs or ovaries to make the bowl more "substantial."

• Address: 14 O Quan Chuong St., Hang Buom, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 05:30 - 13:00

11. Pho Ga Lam

• Best for: Chicken connoisseurs who are extremely picky about meat quality.
• Must order: Pho with mixed thigh and breast, add a little sliced lime leaves.
• The Experience: The shop is quite small but clean. The glass cabinet hanging golden boiled chickens makes you want to eat immediately. The chicken meat here is deboned very skillfully.
• Local Tip: The shop often runs out of stock early in the morning, come before 9:00 AM to get the best pieces of meat.

• Address: 7 Nam Ngu St., Cua Nam, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 06:30 - 22:00

12. Pho Ga Huyen Huong

• Best for: Families and tourists who want comfortable, spacious, and clean seating.
• Must order: Special Chicken Pho. The broth here has a very deep sweetness from Sá Sùng (a premium type of dried seafood used to sweeten the stock).
• The Experience: Spacious indoor space, fast service. The bowl of Pho is big, full, and beautifully presented.
• Local Tip: The Quẩy (fried dough) here is very big and crispy, don't forget to order a plate.

• Address: 20 Bao Khanh St., Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 06:15 - 20:00

13. Pho Hanh (Dry Mixed Pho)

• Best for: People who like to change flavors, or like sour and sweet mixed dishes.
• Must order: Mixed Chicken Pho. The rice noodles are mixed with soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, shredded chicken, roasted peanuts, and fragrant fried shallots.
• The Experience: Sitting on the sidewalk of the Traditional Medicine street (Lan Ong), eating while smelling the faint scent of herbal medicine is very pleasant.
• Local Tip: This dish comes with a small bowl of soup on the side for you to sip so it's not too dry.

• Address: 65B Lan Ong St., Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
• Opening hours: 17:30 - 23:00

How to eat Pho like a local

• Taste: Sip a spoonful of the original broth to feel the sweetness of the bones.
• Vinegar: Add 1-2 spoons of garlic vinegar (better than lime because it doesn't destroy the beef bone flavor).
• Chili: Add a few slices of fresh chili or Northern chili sauce (ground chili) if you eat spicy food.
• Lime: Only squeeze a few drops at the end if you really like sourness; don't squeeze the whole fruit!
  • Quẩy (fried dough stick): Dip it lightly to absorb the soup and eat immediately while it's still crispy, or soak it soft depending on your preference. Absolutely do not soak it for too long, or it will turn into mush.
  • Common mistakes: Putting too much Hoisin sauce (Hanoians rarely use Hoisin sauce for water-based Pho); stirring the bowl too vigorously breaks the noodles.