Hanoi Pub Crawls

The Hanoi Nightlife Scene

Hanoi's nightlife has two speeds: the Old Quarter, which is fast and cheap and never entirely stops, and the Tay Ho (West Lake) area in the north, which is slower, quieter, and increasingly where the expat community has moved. Ta Hien Street in the Old Quarter is the beer street: plastic stools on the pavement, bia hoi (fresh brewed draught beer served from kegs) at VND 7,000–15,000 per glass, and a crowd that is half backpackers and half local workers. This is the oldest and most efficient drinking circuit in Vietnam. Around the corner, Luong Ngoc Quyen runs bar after bar in a single street. Tay Ho has the craft beer bars, wine places, and the quieter terraces; Xuan Dieu Road is the strip.

What You'll Pay

Bia hoi on Ta Hien: VND 7,000–15,000 per glass. Bottled beer at an Old Quarter bar: VND 25,000–50,000. Cocktails at a Tay Ho bar: VND 120,000–200,000. A full Old Quarter evening — four hours, six beers, a plate of nem cuon — is VND 150,000–300,000 per person, which is one of the cheapest nights out in Asia. Tay Ho costs three to four times as much for a more considered experience.

Best Nights

Ta Hien runs every evening; the volume varies by night but the stalls are always open. Friday and Saturday see the street at full capacity — the plastic stools extend across the pavement and into the road, a policeman moves through occasionally, everyone shuffles slightly, it continues. Tay Ho's Xuan Dieu bars are best on Thursday and Friday when the lake-side restaurants finish dinner service and people move to the bars at 9pm.

Practical

The Old Quarter is walkable entirely on foot. Tay Ho requires a Grab or xe om (VND 40,000–80,000 from the Old Quarter). Hanoi's Grab operates reliably; the app works in English. The Old Quarter is cash only, universally and without negotiation. Tay Ho bars accept cards at the better venues. No dress codes anywhere meaningful; the Tay Ho craft beer bars run smart casual by default.