Coffee is the star of drinks in Vietnam, the country is the world's largest producer of Robusta, and coffee is inextricably linked with Vietnamese culture. The Vietnamese capital is full of small cafes where you can sit back and drink your little black.

Hanoi people excel at elevating drinking coffee to the level of art of living and inventing original recipes. Take advantage of your stay in the capital of Vietnam to try the 5 most amazing and gourmet styles of coffee.

Egg coffee

Egg coffee is a unique mixture, surprising for the taste buds of travellers, originating in the Vietnamese capital which was invented by Mr Nguyen Van Giang, the former bartender of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel.

In order to remedy the repeated breakdowns of milk during the Indochina War, the latter had replaced it with egg yolk to keep the milky and creamy appearance of the cappuccino. Egg yolk whipped with condensed milk to airy foam meets black coffee in this deliciously smooth concoction.

Café Giang, located at 39 Nguyen Huu Huan right in the old quarter of Hanoi, where it was invented, still serves egg coffee, but given the success of this beverage, other cafes now offer their own recipe, sometimes even improving on the original!

      >> Read more: Where to taste the best egg coffee in Hanoi?

Coconut coffee

Although much more recent, this recipe has been a resounding success, especially in the onset of spring and summer when the Vietnamese capital experiences its hot weather.

Many Hanoi people and passing travellers set their sights on a coconut coffee or cà phê cốt dừain Vietnamese.

Black coffee with a dash of condensed milk is mixed with coconut milk and ice in a blender providing a drink that is both tasty and very refreshing. If it was invented by the coffee chain Cong Caphe, many small cafes have now put it on their menu.

Yogurt coffee

Yoghurt coffee or cà phê sữa chua in Vietnamese is another popular drink much appreciated on sunny days when the cafe terraces are crowded by locals.

Like coffee, yogurt was originally imported to Vietnam by the French and has been adopted into the local culinary tradition.

Rich and creamy, it is served with various garnishes such as fresh mango or fermented rice. It may sound like an odd combination, but yogurt pairs surprisingly well with a dash of black coffee.

The acidity of the yogurt, the bitterness of the coffee beans and the sweetness of the condensed milk make for a mouth-watering combination.

We invite you to come to Hanoi House Café to taste this excellent yogurt coffee. This vintage-style cafe, located at 47A Ly Quoc Su, offers stunning views of Hanoi's Saint Joseph Cathedral.

Smoothie coffee

Smoothie coffee is another innovative coffee variation that is increasingly found on the menu of cafes in Vietnam's capital. More and more establishments are adding a touch of Vietnamese coffee to their creamy blends of fresh fruit.

Vietnam’s tropical climate offers a plethora of exotic fruits that can be found in smoothie coffee. Among them, mango, papaya, pineapple, banana, strawberry, and avocado are the most common.

A tasty drink that lets you get your dose of caffeine and plenty of vitamins at the same time! Sip one in one of the small cafes bordering the pretty Truc Bach Lake, an oasis of tranquillity in the heart of Hanoi.

Coffee with condensed milk

Coffee with condensed milk or cà phê sữa đá in Vietnamese is one of the great classics of Hanoi coffee shops.

It’s a simple and effective recipe that you never get tired of. A dose of strong Robusta Vietnamese coffee to which we add a good spoonful of condensed milk in a tall glass filled with crushed ice. The addition of condensed milk to coffee dates back to the days of the French colony when settlers could not find fresh milk to put in their coffee.

Climb up rickety stairs to Note Café, located at 64 Luong Van Can, for a coffee with condensed milk with a view overlooking the lovely Hoan Kiem Lake.

All of these coffee recipes can be easily done at home, even the one with eggs. Here is our recipe for you try to make yourself:

Brew a nice hot cup of coffee.

Crack the egg and keep only the yolk. Add it to a small bowl with the sweetened condensed milk. And now whisk, blend or stir vigorously by hand, it doesn't matter. Make these 3 ingredients a smooth and airy mousse, a creamy and velvety cloud.

In your cup, pour your hot coffee, then delicately the golden foam. It's ready and all you have to do is drink!

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