Tam Vi Restaurant, Hanoi

I took a friend’s recommendation and checked out Tam Vi in mid 2019, soon after its opening. I liked it so much I went back three times in a week.

Hanoi’s been crying out for places like this - Saigon’s had them for years.  I’m talking about the balance between keeping the Vietnamese food honest, creating a cool and comfortable space, and making sure the locals still recognise the place and the food as their own.

Photo: Mark Bowyer Tam Vi Vietnamese Restaurant, Hanoi

Hanoi’s full of Vietnamese restaurants that have been designed for tourists and Tripadvisor. They’re OK and many of them are on our list of recommended eateries. Tripadvisor’s top twenty is packed full of them. But they’re more like tourist attractions than places where you can experience the simple delights of Vietnamese cuisine.

Some of them are mediocre - driven purely by dubious Tripadvisor antics. Vietnamese diners are usually conspicuously absent.

Tam Vi is the real thing.

I didn’t spot any other foreigners during my visits.  That will change for sure.

The menu is packed with classic northern Vietnamese dishes. The food’s delicious.

Tam Vi doesn’t serve alcohol - you can bring your own and pay corkage.

Disclosure
Rusty Compass recommendations are always independent. We list the places we think you should know about. That’s it. We paid our way on our visits to Tam Vi and no money changed hands for this listing.