The best French restaurants in Hanoi attract travelers looking to indulge in authentic French cuisine during their holiday in Vietnam. The majority of these dining venues are set within five-star hotels along Hoan Kiem Lake and in the French Quarter, featuring elegant settings, top-notch service, and beautifully presented dishes by renowned chefs.
Along with their delightful cuisine, French colonialists also introduced the Vietnamese to coffee, resulting in a vibrant café culture in Hanoi. You can also find plenty of ice cream parlors and patisseries offering a wide range of freshly baked pastries at affordable prices. Whether you’re looking to splurge on an exquisite dinner or simply satisfy your sweet tooth with an eclair (or three), read on for our guide on Hanoi’s most popular French restaurants.
1. French Grill at JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi
Opening Hours: Daily 11.30 am – 14.30 pm & 18.00 – 23.00 pm
Location: 8 Do Duc Duc, Me Tri, Tu Liem District, Hanoi
Tel: +84 43 833 5588
Proud to be one of the best high-end French cuisine restaurants in Hanoi, French Grill features authentic and delightful French specialties, including but not limited to Seared Foie Gras, Classic Caviar and Premium Steak. You will be amazed by dishes crafted to perfection before your eyes in the largest open kitchen in town. Having a wide selection of wines to perfectly paired with your dishes, French Grill ensures that your gastronomy journey will be unique and uplifting.
2. La Terrasse du Metropole
Opening Hours: 11.00 am – 14.00 pm and 16.00 pm – 22.00 pm
Location: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, 15 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District
Tel: +844 3826 6919
La Terrasse du Metropole has been something of a legend in Hanoi since it first opened its doors in 1911. It is a chic Parisian-style café serving light snacks and perfectly brewed coffees to patrons who want to sit back and watch the world go by. A saxophonist entertains most evenings.
3. Maison Vie Restaurant Hanoi
Opening Hours: Daily 08.00 am – 14.30 pm & 16.30 pm – 22.00 pm
Address: 28 Tang Bat Ho Street, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
Tel: +84 43 633 0206
Maison Vie Restaurant Hanoi has been serving authentic French cuisine to affluent expats, travelers and Vietnamese elites since the 1980s, making it a must-visit for a luxurious dining experience in Hanoi. Occupying a French colonial mansion in Hai Ba Trung District, the restaurant is fitted with neoclassical architecture, massive windows providing natural lighting and spacious dining rooms with opulent furnishing.
4. La Badiane Hanoi
Opening Hours: Daily 11.00 am – 15.00 pm & 18.00 pm – 22.30 pm
Address: 10 Nam Ngu, Cua Nam, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tel: +84 43 942 4509
La Badiane Hanoi is an award-winning restaurant in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem District, combining traditional French cuisine with Vietnamese flavors. Established in 2008, this stylish dining venue occupies a whitewashed colonial villa that’s fitted with large windows overlooking a lush courtyard. The upper level has two elegant dining rooms, where you can enjoy a private meal with friends and family, while the ground floor offers a more relaxed yet sophisticated setting.
Food-wise, La Badiane Hanoi’s signature dishes include the foie gras (served with figs and blackcurrant liquor, stewed apple in spices and roasted almonds), grilled eggplants and goat cheese rolled in Parma ham, pesto, and balsamic sauce, and duck French rillettes, served with candied onions in cumin.
5. Green Tangerine Restaurant Hanoi
Opening Hours: Daily 11.00 am – 23.00 pm
Address: 48 Hang Be Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: +84 43 825 1286
Green Tangerine Restaurant Hanoi is conveniently located in the Old Quarter, where diners can enjoy authentic Vietnamese and French haute cuisine in a quaint setting. Opened in 2003, the brasserie-style restaurant occupies a refurbished 1920s French villa that’s fitted with rustic décor, bare bricked walls, and antique furnishing. It’s also surrounded by a lush garden, making it an ideal dining venue for those looking to escape Hanoi’s chaotic traffic.
Food-wise, Green Tangerine Restaurant Hanoi is renowned for its artfully-presented dishes, such as duck breast carpaccio in red fruit dressing served with gizzard candied in ginger, sesame biscuits and mushroom (VND 148,000), roasted pigeon marinated in coffee, with mashed eggplants rolled in spinach leaves and broccoli (VND 400,000), and caramelized pork and stewed apples in Calvados, presented on a lotus seeds ‘mille-feuille’ cake made with mashed carrots, taro and cilantro.
6. Au Delice & Le Restaurant d’Arthur Hanoi
Opening Hours: Daily 09.00 am – 22.00 pm
Address: 2B Ngo Thi Nham, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tel: +84 43 944 9288
Au Delice & Le Restaurant d’Arthur Hanoi is renowned for serving quality French cuisine in a homely setting. A favorite amongst the French expat community, this restaurant also has an extensive drinks menu, ranging from coffees, teas, and fruit juices to aperitifs, wines, and champagnes from New Zealand, Chile, Australia, and Italy. Set within Hanoi’s French Quarter, Au Delice & Le Restaurant d’Arthur Hanoi is divided into a classy deli, wine cellar, and the main dining room that’s fitted with minimalistic décor.
Food-wise, diners can enjoy three-course lunch sets (priced at VND 89,000 upwards) on weekdays, which comprise dishes such as feta cheese salad, stuffed chicken leg with vegetables, Belgian chocolate mousse, chicken breast with curry sauce, and homemade waffles.
7. Cafe de Paris Hanoi
Opening Hours: Daily 08.00 am – 23.00 pm
Address: 12 Luong Ngoc Quyen, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tel: +84 43 926 1327
Cafe de Paris Hanoi is a stylish French bistro that’s located in the Old Quarter, attracting a steady clientele of European expats and tourists looking to escape Hanoi’s often frenetic atmosphere. Open daily, this quaint cafe serves quality and reasonably-priced dishes, salads, light snacks, and dessert as well as imported wines by the glass and bottle.
8. O’Douceurs Hanoi
Opening Hours: 07.00 am – 22.30 pm
Address: 91A Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi
Tel: +84 167 641 4033
O’Douceurs Hanoi is a renowned French patisserie within the bustling Hoan Kiem District, where you can enjoy freshly baked pastries, bread, and cakes as well as smoothies, coffees, and teas in a cozy setting. Founded in late 2014, this award-winning café is accessible within a five-minute walk from the Hanoi Railway Station.