Cafe Lam

Cafe Lam is one of the oldest coffee houses in Hanoi and one of the most atmospheric. It opened in the early 1950s, around 1952, first at the side of a street near Hoan Kiem Lake and later at its current address on Nguyen Huu Huan Street. For decades it was a meeting place for the city's painters and writers, and it is closely linked with names such as Bui Xuan Phai, To Ngoc Van, Van Cao, Duong Bich Lien and Nguyen Sang.

The café's story is what makes it special. Its owner, Nguyen Van Lam, gave coffee and breakfast to artists who were struggling to make a living, and accepted their paintings in return. Those works were hung on the walls, and the café became something like a small coffee gallery. Bui Xuan Phai in particular is famous for his paintings of Hanoi's old streets, and sitting among works of this period gives a real sense of the city's artistic life in the second half of the twentieth century.

Today the café keeps its old-world character, with vintage paintings on the walls and an unhurried, peaceful atmosphere that suits conversation with friends. Coffee is the obvious order: traditional Vietnamese coffee, and egg coffee for those who want to compare it with the versions served at Cafe Giang on the same street. Visitors come for the setting and the history as much as for the drinks, so treat it as an unhurried stop rather than a quick caffeine fix.

Plan around half an hour to an hour. The café is open daily from morning until late evening, which makes it easy to fit in. Take time to look at the paintings, and be respectful if you want to take photographs, as this is a working café with regular customers rather than a museum. It suits travellers interested in art and history, couples, and anyone who wants to see a Hanoi coffee house that has changed little over the years.

The café is at 60 Nguyen Huu Huan Street in the Old Quarter, on the same street as Cafe Giang at number 39. Together the two make an easy introduction to the history of Hanoi's coffee culture.