Cafe Pho Co

Cafe Pho Co, whose name means Old Quarter Café, is famous less for its coffee than for the journey to reach it and the view at the end. It is hidden at 11 Hang Gai Street, behind a shop at street level, and getting there feels like being let into a private home. You walk through the shop, along a narrow hallway and across a courtyard decorated with birdcages and plants, then climb stairs past a family shrine to the upper floors.

The reward is the rooftop terrace, which looks out over the rooftops of the old town to Hoan Kiem Lake. It is a memorable view of the lake, and the patio chairs on the roof are the most sought-after seats. You can also sit on the floor below the roof, but the roof is where most people head. Late afternoon and early evening are pleasant times to visit, when the heat has eased and the light softens over the water.

Egg coffee is the house speciality: robusta coffee topped with whisked egg and usually sweetened with sugar or condensed milk, rich and creamy. Egg cocoa, made with hot chocolate in place of coffee, is a good alternative, and most drinks are also available iced. Order on one of the lower floors before you head up; service has a reputation for being a little slow, so this is a place to settle in rather than rush.

The café opens from morning until late evening every day, so it works for a mid-morning break or a drink before dinner. The stairs and the route through the house make it unsuitable for anyone with limited mobility, and families should keep an eye on small children on the rooftop. On busy days the roof fills quickly, so if a view is the point of the visit, go outside the late-afternoon peak.

Hang Gai Street forms part of the southern edge of the Old Quarter, so the café fits easily into a walk around the lake and the old streets. Combine it with a visit to Ngoc Son Temple or a stroll through the Old Quarter's shophouse streets.