Afternoon in Motion
We picked you up again in the mid afternoon, the heat sitting a little heavier now as Hanoi leaned into the day. The plan was loose but purposeful: lunch first, then some last minute shopping before time slipped away again.
I needed a quick haircut, but the barbershop directly across from our homestay was shuttered—chairs empty, lights off, mirrors reflecting nothing but the street. With that plan scrapped, we headed north instead, letting the city decide what came next.
Lunch at Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ
We walked north along Hàng Tre Street, lunchtime energy building with every step. Scooters slipped past, steam escaped doorways, and the air thickened with the smell of broth and grilled meat until we reached Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ.
Inside, the room hummed quietly with appetite—bowls clinking, steam rising, conversations kept low. We ordered fried beef with garlic and fried beef with brisket noodles, simple and satisfying. With two iced teas, lunch came to VND 168,000. Haircut forgotten, hunger handled.
Drifting Deeper into the Old Quarter
Fed and unhurried, we began exploring the Old Quarter north of our homestay. We set off west along Phố Gia Ngư, a transitional street of hotels, open doorways, and shaded sidewalks easing us toward something busier.
Turning north onto Phố Đinh Liệt, the streets tightened, noise layered in, and foot traffic thickened. Continuing onto Phố Lương Ngọc Quyến, the mood flipped—plastic stools lining the road, pub signs flashing, laughter bouncing between façades. We’d landed on Hanoi’s Beer Street, loud, social, and unapologetically alive.
A Useful Find on Hàng Buồm
We continued to the intersection with Hàng Buồm Street, where movement and colour gathered all at once. At the corner of Lương Ngọc Quyến and Hàng Buồm, we stopped at Mr. Toan’s self proclaimed “Made in Vietnam Factory Outlet – Original Store.”
I picked up a Grab jacket for VND 160,000, practical and unmistakably local. Cat grabbed a Hanoi tote bag for VND 150,000—light, useful, and easy to pack. Straightforward wins always feel good.
Looping Back Through Familiar Streets
From there, we walked east along Ma Mây Street, one of the Old Quarter’s most character filled stretches. Tube houses leaned overhead, cafés and small hotels filled the gaps, and the Ma Mây Ancient House quietly anchored the street in history amid the tourism.
We turned left onto Hàng Chĩnh, where crowds softened and the pace eased, then right onto Trần Nhật Duật, the road opening up as traffic flowed more freely. Gradually, almost without noticing, we looped south back to Hàng Tre Street.
As we passed Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ again, its shutters were already down—lunchtime long finished. It felt like a small marker of time passing, Hanoi nudging us along as the afternoon carried on.
Afternoon, Unrushed
It wasn’t an afternoon built around must see sights, but one defined by motion—walking, eating, browsing, circling back. Exactly the kind of wandering that reminds you the best moments often arrive when the plan quietly gets out of the way.
Stay tuned for the next video, where we ride the Hanoi City Tour double decker bus for a one hour loop to enjoy our final sunset in Hanoi.
Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)
📍 Location:
23B P. Hàng Tre - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LrtA6xLFHWhzzzA29
Phở Thìn Bờ Hồ - https://maps.app.goo.gl/x75HX9U6u97ZdqaSA
Ta Hien Beer Street - https://maps.app.goo.gl/oTctPmQNu6ZdDjyWA
Made In Vietnam - https://maps.app.goo.gl/vxtioB17rpmtVsQ96
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