Vietnam - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 844

DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
Venues open and close quickly and popularity wavers,
so check the English-language press such as Vietnam
Pathfinder ( W pathfinder.com.vn) for the latest information
and consult W beervn.com for the best beer and micro-
breweries in Hanoi (and elsewhere in Vietnam). Legally, all
bars should close by 11pm, but many host nightly lock-ins
- the shutters go down and the drinking continues late into
the night. Police raids are common. Ta Hien is home to most
of the bars catering to expats and backpackers.

BIA HOI
Serious beer-drinking tends to be an
all-male preserve in Vietnam, but the local
bia hoi outlets are fun, friendly and
extremely cheap. The four small bia hoi
joints at the crossroads of Ta Hien and
Luong Ngoc Quyen are known as
International Bia Hoi Corner , and draw
crowds of backpackers, expats and locals
for their glasses of 10,000VND beer and
convivial atmosphere. Popular with
foreigners and locals alike, Windmill
(daily noon-10pm), near the Temple of
Literature at 31 Dang Tran Con (map
p.838), serves Czech beers and
Vietnamese dishes in a shady courtyard.

BARS
ETE 95 Giang Van Minh; map p.838. Microbrewery serving
its “special” beer in unmarked bottles. This spot is popular
with expats in the know, has friendly English-speaking
staff and excellent hamburgers. Daily noon-11pm.
Funky Buddha 2 Ta Hien; map p.840. Crowded bar-cum-
club, with a small dancefloor, drinks specials and trippy
disco lights. Backpackers tend to haunt the L-shaped bar.
Daily 5pm-late.
GC Pub 3 Bao Khanh; map p.840. Friendly gay bar with a
good mix of locals and foreigners; a good place to make
enquiries about other gay venues. Daily noon-late.
Goldmalt Brewery 34 Tran Phu; map p.840.
Microbrewery popular with locals, with drinking space
spread over two floors and frat-house atmosphere. Blond
and dark beer on tap. There's another branch at 9 Hoang
Cau. Daily noon-11pm.
Le Pub 25 Hang Be; map p.840. Relaxed and welcoming
by day, atmospheric and crowded by night, this tavern-like
bar with streetside seating draws a regular crowd of back-
packers and expats, with nightly drinks specials and the
coldest beer in the capital. You can pick your own music
too. Daily noon-late.
Mao's Red Lounge 7 Ta Hien; map p.840. Wonderfully
chilled, friendly little dive bar in the heart of the Old
Quarter, with cheap beer, eclectic music, and comfortable
couches to lounge about on. Daily 5pm-late.
Quan Ly 82 Le Van Hu; map p.840. This traditional ruou
(Vietnamese liquor) bar has been around for a long time,
and the English menu can help you get acquainted with
the many varieties on offer - from ginseng to ones with
life forms in them. If that's too exotic for you, stick to the
bia hoi and the good Vietnamese bar food. Daily
5pm-late.
Tet Bar 2a Ta Hien; map p.840. Multi-level yet intimate
and smoky bar, popular with expats and doubling as a very
small dance venue as the night drags on. Daily 5pm-late.

11

decent sound system thumping out loud electro and house
music. Drinks here are pricey, though.
Factory 11a Bao Khanh; map p.840. This funky multi-level
drinking venue has an appealing roof terrace, decorated with
socialist art; sit back with a hookah and enjoy the live music or
snack on the edible goodies at the bar. Daily noon-late.
Hanoi Rock City 27/52 To Ngoc Van W hanoirockcity
.com; map p.838. The 7km journey north of the centre is
worth making for the excellent live music - from hip-hop
and punk to electronica and DJ mixes.

SHOPPING AND MARKETS
Hanoi has perhaps the best value, quality and choice when
shopping for traditional silk clothes, accessories and
souvenirs in Vietnam. The best areas to browse are Hang
Gai in the Old Quarter, and around the southeastern edge
of Hoan Kiem Lake.
Art The Apricot Gallery, 40b Hang Bong, is a well-
established gallery with a range of works by local artists.
Viet Art Centre at 42 Yet Kieu is good for contemporary
Vietnamese art and photography.
Books The best for English-language books are the
Bookworm, 44 Chau Long (daily 9am-7pm; W bookworm
hanoi.com), and Thang Long, 53-55 Trang Tien, with a
good selection of books on Vietnam's history as well as
maps of the country.
Clothing For vintage clothing and one-off pieces try the
boutiques at the eastern end of Ly Thuong Kiet. Things of
Substance, 5 Nha Tho, stocks both tailored fashions and
off-the-rack items. Look out for the Made in Vietnam
stores, which stock end-of-the-line designer gear at rock-
bottom prices.
Communist memorabilia Several small shops on Hang
Bong supply Communist Party banners and badges and
Vietnamese flags, while Old Propaganda Posters at 122
Hang Bac sells original and replica propaganda posters.

CLUBS AND LIVE MUSIC
The clubs below are open daily from around 8pm till late,
unless noted.
Face Club 6 Hang Bai; map p.840. The city's trendiest late-
night spot, popular with well-heeled Hanoians, has a