"A Great Way to Start the Day The main draw at this Australian-run spot is the convivial and bohemian atmosphere. Housed in a stunning 1920s colonial villa in a quiet part of the Old Quarter, the cafe has a rustic, warm vibe. While items from the simple menu can be hit or miss at other times of the day, the breakfast offerings are exemplary and the coffee is right on the money."

"Take the Breakfast of Champions by Hoan Kiem Lake You’ll need some sustenance for a busy day, so after observing the early morning action at Hoan Kiem Lake, head to nearby Pho Thin for a warming bowl of Vietnam’s de facto national dish. Hanoians like their beef noodle soup fairly austere and unsullied, but this venue is known for stir-frying its tender strips of beef in garlic before adding the meat to the broth."

"King of the Crepes This is a reliable place to sample one of Hanoi 's indigenous classics: banh cuon, or steamed rice rolls stuffed with minced pork and chopped wood-ear mushrooms. Less a restaurant, more a hole-in-the-wall with a few tables and chairs strewn around, this venue makes up for its lack of sophistication with giant-sized portions of the delicate rolls."

"A Steak and Eggs Breakfast Vietnamese food is widely regarded as one of the world's healthier cuisines. There's nothing particularly holistic or nutritious about this traditional favorite however. A local variant on steak and eggs, the dish is a calorific wonder. Steak is sautéed in butter on a sizzling platter, an egg is added and some hot-dog style sausages complete the picture. Mop it up with a banh mi baguette and wash it down with a glass of potent coffee."

"Breakfast with Benefits Near Temple of Literature A long-standing Hanoi institution, KOTO (Know One Teach One) is still going strong. Founded by Vietnamese-Australian Jimmy Pham as a way to teach disadvantaged children hospitality skills, the KOTO social enterprise has become a major success story. The original Hanoi cafe just over the road from the Temple of Literature is open all day and serves an impressive array of Vietnamese and international dishes. Breakfast is particularly alluring with a wide range of options, great coffee, and tasty smoothies providing an uplifting start to the day."

"Get Some Late-Night Fuel Hanoi is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a pulsing all-night city. People rise early and go to bed early here in the northern hub. Nevertheless, unrepentant night owls aren't totally neglected. This institution doles out passable western and Asian fare 24 hours a day, meaning that it's easy enough to soak up all those bias with some quality grub. The coffee is spot-on, while the breakfasts are a thing of legend in Hanoi ."