Quick answer
Hanoi's phở scene features bowls ranging from ₫35,000 to ₫90,000, with Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn being a top recommendation for its pure, no-frills perfection. Hanoi-style phở emphasizes a clear, aromatic broth simmered for hours, setting it apart from its southern counterpart and making it a must-try culinary experience. We analyzed hundreds of Reddit posts from r/VietNam, r/hanoi, r/travel, and r/JapanTravelTips to find the phở spots that actual Hanoi residents and repeat visitors recommend over and over.
- Best overall
- Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn
- Top pick
- Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn
Top verdicts
- Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn: Queue moves fast; cash, exact change, and order at the front before you sit.
- Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư: Queues form quickly at lunch; the morning shift moves faster.
- Phở Thìn Lò Đúc: Open from very early morning; breakfast is the right slot.
Hanoi is the birthplace of phở — and the city takes its national dish very seriously. Unlike the sweeter, herb-loaded southern version, Hanoi-style phở is all about the broth: clear, aromatic, simmered for hours with beef bones, charred ginger, star anise, and cinnamon. The noodles are flat and silky. The garnishes are minimal. The experience is pure.
Area map
- 1. Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn
- 2. Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư
- 3. Phở Thìn Lò Đúc
- 4. Phở Bò Khôi Hói
- 5. Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ
- 6. Phở Tư Lùn
- 7. Phở Sướng
- 8. Phở Mạnh Cường
- 9. Phở Lý Quốc Sư (Cathedral)
- 10. Phở Tư Hùng
- 11. Phở Mặn Gầm Cầu
- 12. Phở Gà Nguyệt
- 13. Phở Cuốn Hưng Bền
- 14. Phở Vui
- 15. Phở Bò 26 Lương Văn Can
- 16. Phở Quỳnh
- 17. Phở Chiều
- 18. Phở Thìn 13 Lò Đúc (The Story)
All 18 spots at a glance
| # | Name | Style | Price | Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn | restaurant | mid | 49 Bát Đàn, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 2 | Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư | restaurant | mid | 10 Lý Quốc Sư, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 3 | Phở Thìn Lò Đúc | restaurant | mid | 13 Lò Đúc, Hai Bà Trưng |
| 4 | Phở Bò Khôi Hói | restaurant | mid | 50 Hàng Vai, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 5 | Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ | restaurant | mid | Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hoàn Kiếm (lakeside) |
| 6 | Phở Tư Lùn | restaurant | mid | Ấu Triệu, Hoàn Kiếm (near Cathedral) |
| 7 | Phở Sướng | restaurant | mid | 24B Trung Yên, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 8 | Phở Mạnh Cường | restaurant | mid | Hàng Muối, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 9 | Phở Lý Quốc Sư (Cathedral) | restaurant | mid | Lý Quốc Sư, Hoàn Kiếm (near Cathedral) |
| 10 | Phở Tư Hùng | restaurant | mid | Yên Phụ, Tây Hồ |
| 11 | Phở Mặn Gầm Cầu | restaurant | mid | Gầm Cầu, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 12 | Phở Gà Nguyệt | phở-gà-(chicken) | mid | Lãn Ông, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 13 | Phở Cuốn Hưng Bền | restaurant | mid | Ngũ Xã, Ba Đình |
| 14 | Phở Vui | restaurant | mid | Hàng Giấy, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 15 | Phở Bò 26 Lương Văn Can | restaurant | mid | 26 Lương Văn Can, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 16 | Phở Quỳnh | restaurant | mid | Phạm Ngũ Lão area, Hoàn Kiếm |
| 17 | Phở Chiều | restaurant | mid | Various locations, Đống Đa |
| 18 | Phở Thìn 13 Lò Đúc (The Story) | restaurant | mid | 13 Lò Đúc, Hai Bà Trưng |
1Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- The classic Hà Nội queue
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · 49 Bát Đàn, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫60,000
- Why it made the list
- Possibly Hà Nội's most-photographed phở queue, on Bát Đàn since 1960. A 4.3 rating from over 5,400 Google reviews puts it among the most consistently recommended bowls in the country.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái chín (rare and well-done beef) with bánh quẩy on the side.
2Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- The most-reviewed Hà Nội phở
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · 10 Lý Quốc Sư, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 50,000–₫80,000
- Why it made the list
- A near-mandatory Hà Nội pilgrimage stop with a 4.1 rating across 11,000+ reviews — the most-reviewed phở address in the city, with multiple cuts of beef and a dependable broth.
- What to order
- Phở tái nạm gầu (rare beef plus brisket and flank).
3Phở Thìn Lò Đúc
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- Mr. Thìn's stir-fried beef original
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · 13 Lò Đúc, Hai Bà Trưng
- Price / value
- 70,000–₫90,000
- Why it made the list
- Mr. Thìn's Lò Đúc original, where the city's stir-fried-beef phở variant was popularised in 1979 — beef seared in a wok before going into the bowl, giving the broth a darker, richer character.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái lăn (the signature stir-fried-beef version).
4Phở Bò Khôi Hói
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- A solid no-queue Old Quarter bowl
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · 50 Hàng Vai, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫60,000
- Why it made the list
- A Hàng Vai shop with a 4.3 rating across 900+ reviews — Hà Nội locals consistently rank it among the better Old Quarter bowls outside the famous-name list.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái nạm with extra bánh quẩy.
5Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- The other Phở Thìn lineage
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hoàn Kiếm (lakeside)
- Price / value
- 50,000–₫70,000
- Why it made the list
- A separate Phở Thìn lineage on the Hoàn Kiếm lakeside, dating back to 1955 and famous in its own right — not the same Thìn as Lò Đúc, and locals are very firm on this point.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái — the bowl this lineage built its name on.
6Phở Tư Lùn
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- Cathedral-side phở
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Ấu Triệu, Hoàn Kiếm (near Cathedral)
- Price / value
- 45,000–₫70,000
- Why it made the list
- An Ấu Triệu shop near St. Joseph's Cathedral with a 4.1 rating, frequently called out by Hà Nội regulars as one of the most reliable Old Quarter alternatives to the queue-heavy classics.
- What to order
- Phở bò chín (well-done beef) with chili and lime.
7Phở Sướng
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- A clear-broth alley phở
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · 24B Trung Yên, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 45,000–₫65,000
- Why it made the list
- Tucked down a narrow alley off Trung Yên with a 4.4 rating across 2,100+ reviews — one of the higher Google scores for any phở in the city, anchored by a delicate, clear broth.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái nạm and a side of bánh quẩy.
8Phở Mạnh Cường
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- A workday Old Quarter bowl
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Hàng Muối, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫60,000
- Why it made the list
- A Hàng Muối neighbourhood shop with a 4.2 rating across 800+ reviews, popular with Old Quarter office workers for a quick, reliable mid-morning bowl.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái with extra hành (spring onion).
9Phở Lý Quốc Sư (Cathedral)
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- An overflow Lý Quốc Sư bowl
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Lý Quốc Sư, Hoàn Kiếm (near Cathedral)
- Price / value
- 50,000–₫80,000
- Why it made the list
- A separate Lý Quốc Sư branch in the Cathedral cluster, useful as an overflow when the main 10 Lý Quốc Sư shop has a queue out the door.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái nạm gầu — the same multi-cut format as the main shop.
10Phở Tư Hùng
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- A West Lake phở
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Yên Phụ, Tây Hồ
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫60,000
- Why it made the list
- A Yên Phụ shop in Tây Hồ with a 4.3 rating, popular with West Lake residents for a slower, sit-down version of the Hà Nội phở format.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái with the house chili sauce.
11Phở Mặn Gầm Cầu
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- A saltier-broth variation
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Gầm Cầu, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫55,000
- Why it made the list
- A Gầm Cầu shop dealing in a slightly saltier, deeper broth — the kind of variation Hà Nội regulars seek out as a counterpoint to the more delicate Old Quarter standard.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái nạm — the classic two-cut bowl in the saltier broth.
12Phở Gà Nguyệt
Phở Gà (Chicken)Quick comparison
- Best for
- Hà Nội's best chicken phở
- Strengths
- Known for Phở Gà (Chicken) · Lãn Ông, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫60,000
- Why it made the list
- A Lãn Ông specialist in phở gà (chicken phở), with a 4.4 rating across 2,900+ reviews — Hà Nội's most-recommended chicken phở address by a wide margin.
- What to order
- Phở gà with extra trứng non (immature chicken eggs) and lá chanh (lime leaves).
13Phở Cuốn Hưng Bền
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- Phở cuốn (rolled phở)
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Ngũ Xã, Ba Đình
- Price / value
- 35,000–₫55,000
- Why it made the list
- A Ngũ Xã shop specialising in phở cuốn — fresh rice-noodle rolls wrapped around beef and herbs — a Tây Hồ-area variant most travellers don't know about.
- What to order
- Phở cuốn rolls and phở chiên phồng (fried puffed phở squares) for variety.
14Phở Vui
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- An underrated Old Quarter bowl
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Hàng Giấy, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫60,000
- Why it made the list
- A Hàng Giấy Old Quarter shop with a 4.5 rating across 500+ reviews — quietly one of the higher-scored phở addresses in central Hà Nội.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái nạm and a side of fried egg.
15Phở Bò 26 Lương Văn Can
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- Highest-rated bowl on this list
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · 26 Lương Văn Can, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫55,000
- Why it made the list
- A Lương Văn Can shop with a 4.6 rating across 880+ reviews — the highest-scored phở on this list, anchored by a clean broth and relatively small operation.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái — let the broth do the talking.
16Phở Quỳnh
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- A larger sit-down Old Quarter phở
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Phạm Ngũ Lão area, Hoàn Kiếm
- Price / value
- 40,000–₫60,000
- Why it made the list
- A Phạm Ngũ Lão / Hoàn Kiếm-area shop with a 4-star rating across 340+ reviews, popular with the Old Quarter midday crowd looking for a quick sit-down lunch.
- What to order
- Phở bò chín with extra rau thơm (Vietnamese herbs).
17Phở Chiều
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- Afternoon and evening phở
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · Various locations, Đống Đa
- Price / value
- 45,000–₫65,000
- Why it made the list
- An afternoon-and-evening phở shop in Đống Đa — 'Chiều' literally means evening — with a 4.1 rating across 1,600+ reviews. A useful counter to the breakfast-only schedule of many Hà Nội shops.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái nạm with extra hành (spring onion).
18Phở Thìn 13 Lò Đúc (The Story)
RestaurantQuick comparison
- Best for
- Mr. Thìn's stir-fried original (encore)
- Strengths
- Known for Restaurant · 13 Lò Đúc, Hai Bà Trưng
- Price / value
- 70,000–₫90,000
- Why it made the list
- The same Lò Đúc address as #3 — a second listing in the data set — referring to the cultural-history side of the Phở Thìn brand. The bowl is the same stir-fried-beef original.
- What to order
- Phở bò tái lăn — the wok-seared signature.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best phở in Hanoi?
Based on local consensus Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn is the most consistently recommended phở in Hanoi. It's been operating since the 1970s and locals consider it god-tier. Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư is a close second, especially for tourists who want an accessible Old Quarter experience. For something unique, Phở Thìn Lò Đúc offers a stir-fried beef style that's unlike any other phở.
What is the difference between phở bò and phở gà?
Phở bò is beef phở — the most iconic version, with a rich bone broth simmered for hours with star anise, cinnamon, and charred ginger. Phở gà is chicken phở — lighter, cleaner, and often served with shredded chicken and a more delicate broth. Hanoi is most famous for phở bò, but phở gà is equally beloved by locals, especially in summer when a lighter bowl hits the spot.
How much does a bowl of phở cost in Hanoi?
A bowl of phở in Hanoi typically costs ₫35,000–₫60,000 ($1.40–$2.40 USD) at local street stalls. Tourist-facing spots or famous names like Phở Thìn Lò Đúc can charge ₫70,000–₫90,000 ($2.80–$3.60 USD). Sit-down restaurants in upscale areas may charge ₫80,000–₫120,000. Even the most expensive phở in Hanoi is remarkably cheap by international standards.
When is the best time to eat phở in Hanoi?
Phở is traditionally a breakfast food in Hanoi — most locals eat it between 6:00–9:00 AM. Many famous phở shops open at 6 AM and sell out by 10–11 AM. Some shops also serve in the evening. Going early (before 7:30 AM) means shorter lines at famous spots like Bát Đàn, and the broth is at its freshest. A few places like Phở Chiều specialize in afternoon/evening phở.
What should I add to my phở in Hanoi?
Northern-style phở in Hanoi is served with fewer garnishes than the southern version. You'll typically get fresh herbs (ngò gai, hành lá), lime wedges, chili, and sometimes quẩy (fried dough sticks) for dipping. Unlike Saigon phở, Hanoi phở does NOT traditionally come with bean sprouts or hoisin sauce — adding those is considered sacrilege by purists. A squeeze of lime and some fresh chili is all you need.
Is Phở Thìn overrated?
This is hotly debated on Reddit. Many locals say Phở Thìn Lò Đúc was excellent under the original owner but has declined since. The stir-fried beef style is genuinely unique and worth trying once — it's a different experience from traditional phở. However, at ₫70,000–₫90,000, it's nearly double the price of local spots. local consensus: try it for the experience, but don't expect the best broth in Hanoi.
What's the best time of day to eat phở in Hanoi?
While traditionally a breakfast dish, phở can be enjoyed throughout the day. Many iconic spots like <a href="#pho-gia-truyen-bat-dan"><strong>Phở Gia Truyền Bát Đàn</strong></a> are morning-centric, but you can find excellent bowls at lunch, or even late afternoon at places like <a href="#pho-chieu"><strong>Phở Chiều</strong></a>. For the freshest broth and most authentic buzz, mornings are often best.
How do I identify a good, authentic phở spot in Hanoi?
Look for places with a steady stream of local customers, especially during peak morning hours. A large, bubbling pot of bone broth at the front (like you might see at <a href="#pho-vui"><strong>Phở Vui</strong></a>) is usually a sign of rich flavor and freshness. Don't be deterred by humble appearances; the best phở often comes from simple, long-standing stalls.
Is Phở Thìn Lò Đúc really that controversial, and what makes it unique?
Yes, <a href="#pho-thìn-lo-duc"><strong>Phở Thìn Lò Đúc</strong></a> sparks debate among phở purists because it breaks from tradition. Instead of just blanching, the beef is quickly stir-fried with garlic and ginger before being added to the broth, resulting in a fattier, richer, and distinctly savory flavor profile that some adore and others find too unconventional. It's a must-try for variety and its place in Hanoi's phở history.
Are there vegetarian or vegan phở options available in Hanoi?
While traditional phở in Hanoi is heavily meat-based (beef or chicken), vegetarian and vegan options are becoming more common in some modern cafes and specialized restaurants. However, at the classic phở stalls on this list, it's generally not available as the broth is meat-based. If you're seeking plant-based options, it's best to specifically ask for 'phở chay' (vegetarian phở) at larger establishments or dedicated vegetarian eateries.
What is phở cuốn and where can I try it in Hanoi?
Phở cuốn is a unique, non-soup variation of phở where fresh phở noodle sheets are rolled up like spring rolls with stir-fried beef, herbs, and a dipping sauce. It's a refreshing alternative, especially popular for a lighter meal or snack. The most famous place to try this delicacy is <a href="#pho-cuon-hung-ben"><strong>Phở Cuốn Hưng Bền</strong></a> in the Ba Đình district, where it's practically perfected.
What's the difference between Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư and other Phở Lý Quốc Sư locations?
The original and most famous is <a href="#pho-10-ly-quoc-su"><strong>Phở 10 Lý Quốc Sư</strong></a>, known for its consistent quality and prime Old Quarter location. Other spots bearing 'Lý Quốc Sư' in their name, such as <a href="#pho-ly-quoc-su-cathedral"><strong>Phở Lý Quốc Sư (Cathedral)</strong></a>, might be official branches or separate establishments leveraging the brand's fame. While quality can be similar across locations, the original at 10 Lý Quốc Sư is often considered the benchmark for its iconic status and bustling atmosphere.