Don’t call it a comeback. A resurrection maybe. A return to form. And that’s just us here at The Dot Magazine. That’s because we’ve returned to the capital after quite a while. We’re here to hunt down boundary-breaking Korean fine dining, design-conscious coffee shops that morph into wine bars by night, breezy eateries where they kicked in a kitchen, and French fine dining served up by a Saigon stalwart. Then there’s the true part two of this story: the return of Kumquat Tree Hanoi.
That’s right. We’re back in Hanoi with a fresh roundup of the city’s hottest new bars and restaurants. And this list runs the whole range. It could even take you through a whole evening.
Start at Greyhaus for refined pour-over arabica in the afternoon, then switch to a bottle of natural wine as the last rays of daylight filter through the skylight. Continue the evening at Vin Hơi Hà Nội, where you can pair your drinks with a dish or two from a chef who honed his craft in France’s culinary scene.
Next, head to Run Fun – The Eating Room for some delightfully mismatched magic – a place where no two plates are exactly alike. If you’re still peckish, order a couple of signature dishes at the stately Villa des Fleurs along with a cocktail for the road, or for the full experience cross town to the boundary-breaking ONVIT. Then finish nostalgically at Kumquat Tree, a place that’s resolutely back in full swing.
Greyhaus
For someone who admits to stumbling into the industry, Hieu is doing just fine. The ever-more adventurous architect co-founded The Haflington, the first bar in Vietnam to make Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list. Then, last December, he co-founded Workshop14 in his former architectural studio – selected as this year’s Campari One To Watch.
Yet, he still considers himself as an outsider.
“I got into this industry simply out of curiosity and a desire to explore my own limits,” he explains.
Now, to push those limits further, he’s ventured out alone, creating Greyhaus “from the ground up.” It’s a dual-concept space serving coffee by day and wine by night that he describes as “a design experiment and a personal challenge.”
“I wanted to see how far someone’s vision can carry an idea when they own the process end to end,” he smiles.
Anyone familiar with his work – The Haflington with its museum theme and dusty attic ambiance, Workshop14’s minimal space infused with Japanese minimalism and Scandi-chic – will recognize his influence at Greyhaus on the capital’s busy Phan Chu Trinh Street. Like those previous projects, the exterior is inconspicuous, this time with a thick canopy of bougainvillea draped over the entrance.
And like ascending the stairs at The Haflington past the taxidermied peacock, or through the traditional gate at Workshop14, something shifts when you step through Greyhaus’s door. “The contrast between exterior and interior is part of the experience. It’s meant to surprise guests.”
Inside is an open space bright with natural light, filled with “honest materials”: raw timber beams, red-painted floors reminiscent of Bauhaus design, exposed walls, and brushed metal accents. It captures the raw urban energy of Hanoi – the weathered townhouses with cracked walls, the convivial cafés and conversations spilling onto the street.
“That movement, the momentum of the city, is what I wanted to capture. Greyhaus has a forward energy, but it’s grounded in Hanoi’s texture,” he continues.
Light remains constant across his projects – those last rays flooding past wooden ceiling beams at The Haflington, streaming through Workshop14’s skylight. “Skylights are my favorite weapon,” Hieu admits. “Light changes everything: how you feel, how you experience the space, how your drink tastes.”
He calls light “the invisible mood setter” at Greyhaus. “It’s not just ambiance – it’s part of the brand.”
You suspect he creates these spaces as much for himself as anyone. You might find him at Greyhaus enjoying a pour-over of specialty coffee from respected local roasters, or as the sun sets, sipping natural wine. “I usually reach for a glass of Fistful of Flowers 2023 from Momento Mori, or a chilled François de Nicolay Pétillant Naturel.” Light, floral, quietly celebratory wines – like the space itself.
His philosophy runs deeper than design. “Sure, great design and storytelling will draw people in, but it’s the product and the way you serve it that makes them stay,” he nods finally.
In Short: The Haflington and Workshop14’s designer, Hieu’s personal project – with coffee by day, natural wine by night.
Location: 55C Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Chu Trinh, Hoan Kiem, Trung Ha, Ha Noi
Contact: Instagram
ONVIT
Vietnam’s first Korean fine dining restaurant is inside the Grand Plaza Hotel in Cau Giay District. There, Chef Joon Hyuk Chi is casually breaking boundaries, with this, the first Korean fine dining restaurant in Vietnam.
Familiar as the face of Labri Oriental Neo Bistro here, Joon’s going all-in on fine dining. ONVIT means “warmth” and “light” in Korean, and the space delivers both – Korean earthenware pots line the entrance, leading to a dining room where chairs face the street. “Watching the road is a pastime,” he says, crediting his wife Linh for this Vietnamese touch.
The food tells the real story. Chive pie tee with baby octopus from Phan Thiet, yuzu miso cutting through the richness. His abalone congee uses award-winning ST25 rice – luxury meeting comfort food. The ‘Mu Ni’ lobster from Cat Ba gets ganjang, radish kimchi, and caviar. Hanwoo shortrib appears as three precise slices with a dark caramelized crust.
“I remember the smell of jang – fermented sauces – from my mother’s kitchen,” he recalls. “Korean food doesn’t have to be loud or flashy. It’s subtle, emotional, full of attention.” That philosophy carries through every dish, from beef tongue tteokgalbi served rustic-style on skewers to the sparkling tomato sorbet with burdock root ice cream.
Wine pairings run four to seven glasses – Gosset Champagne, Von Winning Riesling, ending with Bordeaux. The premium track upgrades to Dom Pérignon…because why not.
In Short: Chef Joon’s Korean fine dining uses Vietnamese ingredients with Seoul technique in an intimate hotel restaurant.
Location: 3rd Floor, Grand Plaza Hotel, 117 Tran Duy Hung, Yen Hoa, Hanoi
Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Run Fun – The Eating Room
The fine dining world is unforgiving, especially at the highest levels. So when Hoang Tung – the chef who brought tasting menus to Vietnam at T.U.N.G Dining in Hanoi, then shone in Saigon with Å by TUNG’s Nordic-inspired interiors and equally stellar menus – decided to shed some formality, it felt like long-overdue liberation.
At Run Fun – The Eating Room, he’s stripped away the pretension while doubling down on what matters: Vietnamese ingredients transformed into dishes that surprise and delight. “Food shouldn’t just fill you up, it should light you up!” Tung declares, his enthusiasm infectious as he describes this new venture alongside regular collaborators co-founder Nguyet Anh and Benjamin, head chef at Å by TUNG.
“We’re playing around with flavors like kids in a playground,” he says with a grin. “Only our toys are rice, herbs, fresh seafood, and the best meat we can source.” There are secret ingredients too. “Maybe we add a touch of chaos just to keep it exciting,” he laughs.
Think dinner party where the rulebook got tossed out the window. Serious culinary skill meets lighthearted creativity, served on playful ceramics with a funky soundtrack setting the mood. No two plates emerge identical from the kitchen, and that’s exactly the point.
“Every plate carries its own energy,” Tung explains. “Together they create a living, breathing mosaic that’s never the same twice.”
For all its joyful energy, Run Fun hides in plain sight above a humble cơm bình dân shop. You could easily walk past without noticing. But climb to the second floor, and the real fun begins.
In Short: Hoang Tung and team shake of the formality for playful Vietnamese chaos above a street food joint.
Location: 126 Trieu Viet Vuong, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
Vin Hơi Hà Nội
Unpretentious and on-point – Vin Hơi is exactly our kind of place. “We keep things real,” chef-owner Hai says with a shrug. That nonchalant attitude carries more than a hint of Parisian insouciance, which makes sense given his nine years in France.
He began as an apprentice at a Michelin-starred restaurant in the south before moving to Paris, where he immersed himself in bistro culture and the city’s remarkably diverse food scene.
“French chefs, Chinese chefs, Argentinian, Colombian, Thai, Italian, American…” he recalls. “All of them shaped who I am in some way.”
At Vin Hơi, he’s assembled a talented team in that same mold – people with intelligence, passion, and strong work ethics who immediately grasp his vision. That vision prioritizes quality over quantity and taste over Instagram appeal, showcased through a menu built on proudly sourced local ingredients, right down to the cheeses and charcuterie.
“Come in for a glass and leave with a full stomach and a bottle to go,” he assures us.
The restaurant itself tells a distinctly Hanoi story. Housed in a building that started as one-and-a-half stories, grew to two, then three, with a kitchen carved out by punching through the back wall, it embodies what Hai calls the city’s chắp vá spirit – that uniquely Vietnamese art of making do.
“It leaks every time it rains, the stairs are tight and steep,” he says, describing the space like an eccentric old friend. “But it’s cute and quirky, and it’s got character.”
After service, you might find him at the outdoor table when weather permits, savoring the moment in true Hanoian fashion (“and Parisian too,” he notes). Picture a bottle of Wild Pony by d.b Schmitt, cold zucchini soup, anchovies, flower tempura, Asian sea bass with coconut and ‘nduja – a perfect evening unfolding.
“By this point I’m three-quarters through the bottle and an hour into sitting,” he explains contentedly. “The wine has breathed and lived a little, and I’ll finish with a funky dessert to match – maybe goat cheese ice cream with roasted peach, thyme, and olive oil.”
It’s an eccentric new home in Hanoi that feels as comfortable as his years in Paris.
In Short: Paris-trained chef brings bistro realness to his charmingly leaky Hanoi townhouse.
Location: 38 Hang Bun, Hanoi
Contact: Instagram
Villa des Fleurs
As OGs go, few have a resume to compare with Sakal Phoeung’s. The gastronomic giant runs the timeless Le Corto – a perennial District 1 favorite – and more recently opened P’Ti in District 2, before throwing off the shackles with the iconoclastic Livannah, which already has two branches in Saigon.
Not content with power moves in Ho Chi Minh City, Sakal has ventured north with Villa des Fleurs.
“I’m just a chef,” he says, brushing off his achievements with typical modesty. At Villa des Fleurs, Hanoi, he continues a personal quest: “to create places where the food and atmosphere are simple and memorable; places that allow you to travel back in time.”
At Villa des Fleurs, the time machine is the historic colonial house itself. “Think of it as a beautiful house with French-Indochinese architecture where everyone feels at home: warm, a little unpredictable, pleasant, with flattering lighting,” he explains. Add to that refined French cuisine and an expansive wine cellar loaded with champagne.
For all the wonderful expressiveness of the other places on this list, Villa des Fleurs is something more assertively classic. “In a city where everyone’s following trends, we’re slowing down,” he smiles.
The menu features many of his signature dishes from Saigon – seven-day dry-aged duck breast, beef Wellington, and Crêpes Suzette cooked table side – brought to life by his team. His modesty returns: “The real magic lies in my team: chefs, bartenders, and servers who bring their personal touch and their stories.”
There’s even a mixologist on hand “serving whatever classic you may want, plus signatures where she plays around with Vietnamese herbs and spices in unexpected ways, or simply a nice aperitif.” The drinks can be enjoyed downstairs before or after the meal, in front of the bar or on the terrace, then it’s upstairs for dinner.
“Take the corner seat by the window – it’s intimate yet atmospheric. Order the signature dishes or our tasting menu, and choose a fine bottle from our wine list. Easy,” he shrugs, another great restaurant added to his burgeoning resume.
In Short: Saigon’s Chef Sakal goes north with French refinement in a colonial villa.
Location: 95 Bis Quán Thánh, Ba Đình, Hanoi
Kumquat Tree
The red door returns. Hanoi’s original speakeasy shuttered during COVID, partly because of conditions and a little bit through burnout. “It was probably time for a pause,” the team reflects.
The original Kumquat Tree – hidden behind a passcode, humming with underground house music, sprawling across two tiers near Hanoi’s opera house – was where it all began. Raw brick, plush reclaimed Vietnamese furnishings, plenty of neon, and DJ Quoc Anh’s eclectic live music program. It was a sanctuary for those in the know, serving cocktails like What The Duck – duck-fat washed scotch with vermouth and chocolate bitters, paired with duck mousse bánh mì. Pure innovation that put Vietnam’s bar scene on the map.
Even though the pandemic pressed pause on it, Kumquat Tree has returned – not as nostalgia, but evolution. The entrance still hides behind a tea shop. You still climb those stairs like entering someone’s home. But the new space runs longer and more intimate, trading the expansive dance floor for salvaged antique furniture and cleaner, modern lines.
Reassuringly, the philosophy hasn’t changed: great drinks, local ingredients, intentional hospitality. Their Sốt Vang is liquid pho – beef fat-washed gin, spiced Malbec reduction, black garlic honey, chili liqueur. Street food meets modern techniques. Their Socola Đắng infuses Lâm Đồng cacao into rum with Amaro Montenegro and Vietnamese coffee liqueur. A drink that’s dark, elegant and wild.
What’s deeper now is the research – diving headlong into seasonal Vietnamese produce, stronger terroir connection over flash. “We missed you,” guests keep saying. And new converts concur. “We’re glad people missed you enough to bring you back,” other’s have remarked since Kumquat Tree returned in August.
In Short: Vietnam’s legendary speakeasy returns with deeper roots and street food-inspired cocktails.
Location: 63/52 To Ngoc Van, Tay Ho, Hanoi
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