Cafe Dinh

Cafe Dinh is the other half of the Giang family's egg coffee story. It was opened by Bich, the daughter of Nguyen Van Giang, the Metropole Hotel bartender who invented egg coffee in 1946, and it has been run more recently by her son, Ta Huy Lan. Giang's other children also went into the coffee trade, running cafés under different names, so the family's way of making the drink has spread beyond a single house. Cafe Dinh serves egg coffee in that tradition, with a foam of whisked egg over strong Vietnamese coffee.

The café occupies the upper floor of an old house at 13 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, reached through a small alley and up a flight of steps. The climb is worth it: the house overlooks Hoan Kiem Lake, and a seat by the window is one of the most pleasant places in the centre to watch the city go by. The interior is simple and cosy, and it is popular with students and backpackers.

Egg coffee is the drink to order, served hot or iced. The foam is sometimes decorated with chocolate sketches of scenes such as Hoan Kiem Lake or Hanoi's streets, a small touch that has become part of the café's identity. The iced version is a refreshing alternative in the hot months.

The café is a good place to slow down between sights. Allow half an hour or so to enjoy the coffee and the view. As the café is up a flight of steps in an old house, it is not a good choice for anyone with limited mobility, and families with small children should take care on the way up. Look carefully for the alley entrance, as it is easy to miss among the shopfronts. The café is listed as open daily from 7am to 9.30pm, so an early start is possible before the lake gets busy.

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is on the same street, at 57B, and Ngoc Son Temple is on the lake below. A cup here before an evening puppet show, or after a morning walk around the lake, works well.