Tranquil coffee shop placed in Hanoi's 102-year-old house

Hidden in the bustling streets of the capital, this small coffee shop offers customers a moment of tranquility and a collection of precious old furniture.

Valerie Mai

mnghonganh@gmail.com January 18, 2021 | 10:16

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Tranquil coffee shop placed in Hanoi's 102 year-old house

Old Quarter Coffee is located on one of the busiest streets in the Old Square - Hang Gai streel, but few people who pass by would recognize this place. The place is hidden behind fashion shops. To get in here, visitors entering the alley of 11 Hang Gai for about 200 meters deep, then find the shop in a peaceful courtyard. This is both home and the cafe of Mr. Nguyen Tuan, 68 years old. He is the youngest of 7 children in the family. The house was left for him by his father. Built in 1918, the house is up to 102 years now. The coffee shop was opened in 2000. (Photo: VN Express)

The coffee shop has an area of nearly 150 m2, bearing the Vietnamese ancient house architecture. The design is divided into 3 compartments including the main, the middle, and the back room. The main room includes a living room and a porch. The middle is usually an open space to catch the sunlight. The backroom is the kitchen and dining area. (Photo: VN Epress)

After many renovations and reconstruction, each half of the yard was built into a small attic connected by a wooden stair. This is the place where tourists love to sit and sip a cup of coffee, chat, in a quiet space, separate from the hustle and bustle of the Old Square. (Photo: VN Express)

The porch of the cafe is always full of sunlight. In this small porch, Mr. Tuan places tables and chairs made from rosewood, hand-carved with elaborate patterns that will last through the years. (Photo: VN Express)

The house stores antique paintings, statues, vases ... Most of them are the property left by Mr. Tuan's father. Some of them are Mr. Tuan's own collection, most of which are bought when his family travels throughout the country. (Photo: VN Express)

The old white porcelain vases are Mr. Tuan's family treasures. Most of them are hand-painted with Chinese famous folk stories. Mr. Tuan tries his best to preserve these vases. According to him, the cheapest one still costs about 20 million VND (nearly 900 USD). (Photo: VN Express)

The house still used the old-schooled spiral staircase, a special feature used in every other house in Hanoi in the past time. (Photo: VN Express)

The large yard on the house, in the memory of the cafe's owner, used to be the place where his family displayed bonsai and birds. "My parents loved the beautiful bonsai. They said only kinds of trees such as areca, elm can be considered as true bonsai. When I was little, this yard was full of bonsai on both sides", he shared. (Photo: VN Express)

The 4th floor is an outside balcony, directly views Turtle Tower in the middle of Hanoi's iconic Hoan Kiem Lake. This is also a special feature that attracts many foreign visitors to the cafe. (Photo: VN Express)

Visitors coming here are impressed with the nostalgic tranquil vibe of the restaurant. Mr. Nguyen Quang Thanh and his wife, who live in Hang Bac street, often visit the shop to meet their friends. "Ancient architecture, airy but not noisy, all are the strengths that keep me visiting this place. Sitting here, I feel like home". He also shared that he loved the egg coffee here because of its bold and sweet taste. (Photo: VN Express)

The coffee shop has a big beverage menu with coffee, smoothies, juices, each serving costs about 40,000 to 60,000 VND (1,5-3 USD). However, its most popular and attractive beverage is egg coffee. The egg york is well whipped up, then poured on top of hot Vietnamese black coffee, all placed in a larger-than-usual white porcelain cup, priced 45,000 VND (2 USD). The shop opens from 8:00 to 23:00 every day. (Photo: VN Express)

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Valerie Mai

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