Tadioto Cafe, Hanoi

Since relocating from the US to Hanoi in 2006, Nguyen Qui Duc has made a name for himself as a creator of atmospheric spaces for art, conversation and a quiet drink. His simple approach is again on display in yet another incarnation of Tadioto - his fourth or sixth location, depending on who you speak to.

It may be his finest space yet.



Duc's one of these people that knows how to put all the bits together to make a space feel good. And he's done a fantastic job here.

But design isn't Duc's only trick. He's also an author.

His book, Where the Ashes Are, is a personal account of the ordeal his family experienced during the Vietnam War and after. It's the only treatment of this subject from this perspective that I'm aware of.
 


Duc's father was the most senior official in the South Vietnamese Government captured by the communists during the 1968 Tet Offensive. At the time of his capture, he was the leading civilian official in the Danang and Hue region. The family was spending Vietnamese New Year at what is now the La Residence Hotel Hue when the father was taken. He was held for the next 12 years. The rest of the family fled to the US.

I spoke with Duc in 2013 in his Zone 9 rendition of Tadioto - before it was unceremoniously shut down along with the whole wonderful Zone 9 arts and entertainment precinct. Check out this video.





Since arriving in Hanoi, Duc has become something of a patron of the local art scene and Tadioto provides a base for local artists to meet. It also hosts regular events. But the bar is friendly and worth passing through on any night.

Pop in during the day for a quiet coffee and a snack or drop by for a drink at night and check out what's happening.


Duc's even made a concession to non-smokers this time around. There are non-smoking areas in the new Tadioto.