Bamboo Bar at Sofitel Legend Metropole

The Bamboo Bar is one of the bars of the Sofitel Legend Metropole, the grand colonial hotel that has stood on Ngo Quyen Street since 1901, and it is the one with the most remarkable story. Beneath it lies the hotel's wartime bomb shelter, built in 1964 when American air raids on Hanoi were expected. For decades the shelter was forgotten, until it was rediscovered under the Bamboo Bar in 2011 during renovation work.

The shelter is a reminder of how close the war came to the hotel. Its concrete ceiling is about a metre thick, and it could hold 30 to 40 people. In 1972, during the bombing of Hanoi, the actress and activist Jane Fonda took refuge there in July, and the singer Joan Baez recorded a song in the bunker in December. After its rediscovery it was restored and, from 2012, opened for tours, so a drink at the Bamboo Bar can be combined with a visit to the space below. Ask the hotel about tour times when you book.

The bar itself is part of the Metropole's wider collection of places to eat and drink, which also includes Le Club Bar, La Terrasse, angelina, Spice Garden and the French restaurant Le Beaulieu. That gives you options for a full evening without leaving the hotel: an aperitif at the Bamboo Bar, dinner at one of the restaurants and a nightcap at Le Club Bar. Prices are at the top end for Hanoi, in keeping with a five-star hotel.

The Metropole has hosted many famous guests over the years, from Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene to Charlie Chaplin, who honeymooned here with Paulette Goddard in 1936, and in February 2019 it was the venue for the second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. A drink here is the most affordable way for non-residents to experience the hotel's atmosphere and history, whether or not you are staying here.

Dress smartly, as befits a grand hotel, and consider an early evening visit so you can see the hotel in daylight as well as after dark. The Metropole is about 500 metres from Hoan Kiem Lake, so the bar fits easily into an evening in the centre, perhaps before dinner or a show. Contact the hotel on +84 24 3826 6919 for reservations and tour information.