Hanoi Michelin Bib Gourmand Food Trail: Chả Cá, Bún Chả & Shrimp Cakes
Day tour
Food tour
Standard
Departure point
→
Destination
Hanoi, Vietnam
Hanoi
1N (Participation Duration)
Walking (Transportation)
English (Language)
Number of participants 0/8
0 booked
Tour description
Hanoi has more Michelin Bib Gourmand listings than any other city in Vietnam, and most are street-front stalls with plastic stools specializing in just one dish. This tour is for anyone who has already had phở and wants to understand what sets a celebrated Hanoi kitchen apart from the stall next door.
We begin with a bowl of phở at one of the two Bib Gourmand phở shops in the cathedral quarter, then walk north for bún chả at a long-standing sit-down spot on Nguyen Huu Huan Street. The centerpiece is chả cá — turmeric-and-galangal-marinated catfish finished tableside over charcoal with mounds of dill and spring onions, served alongside rice noodles, roasted peanuts, and fermented shrimp paste. The dish was invented on the street that now bears its name and has been served by the same family since 1871. It is the most persuasive argument that Hanoi cuisine goes far beyond cheap street food.
Then we slow down: crispy fried eel with glass noodles, followed by whole-shrimp-and-sweet-potato fritters fried in a wok on Hang Bo Street during the afternoon window when they are actually made, finishing with an egg coffee. Your guide will explain the Michelin Bib Gourmand system, its impact on Old Quarter prices and queues, and which famous spots are no longer worth visiting.
Small group, maximum 8 guests, walking about 2 km with leisurely sit-down stops. This is the most filling of our Hanoi tours — plan for a light dinner.
We begin with a bowl of phở at one of the two Bib Gourmand phở shops in the cathedral quarter, then walk north for bún chả at a long-standing sit-down spot on Nguyen Huu Huan Street. The centerpiece is chả cá — turmeric-and-galangal-marinated catfish finished tableside over charcoal with mounds of dill and spring onions, served alongside rice noodles, roasted peanuts, and fermented shrimp paste. The dish was invented on the street that now bears its name and has been served by the same family since 1871. It is the most persuasive argument that Hanoi cuisine goes far beyond cheap street food.
Then we slow down: crispy fried eel with glass noodles, followed by whole-shrimp-and-sweet-potato fritters fried in a wok on Hang Bo Street during the afternoon window when they are actually made, finishing with an egg coffee. Your guide will explain the Michelin Bib Gourmand system, its impact on Old Quarter prices and queues, and which famous spots are no longer worth visiting.
Small group, maximum 8 guests, walking about 2 km with leisurely sit-down stops. This is the most filling of our Hanoi tours — plan for a light dinner.
Meeting point:
View on map
10 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
We meet outside Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su, two minutes from St Joseph's Cathedral. Your guide will be waiting by the entrance with a small sign.
Detailed itinerary
Stop 1 - Pho 10 Ly Quoc Su: A Bib Gourmand pho spot and the most consistent bowl of pho in the Cathedral quarter. We have rare beef and brisket, and the guide will explain how a bowl of Hanoi pho is judged.
Stop 2 - Bun Cha, Nguyen Huu Huan: Charcoal-grilled pork in a sweet and sour dipping sauce, served with cold rice vermicelli, fresh herbs, and a crab spring roll, at a street-front Bib Gourmand restaurant with proper table seating.
Stop 3 - Cha Ca, Cha Ca Street: The centerpiece of the tour. Turmeric and galangal-marinated catfish, finished tableside over charcoal embers with dill and scallions, served with rice noodles, peanuts, and shrimp paste. This dish was invented on this very street in 1871.
Stop 4 - Mien Luon, Chan Cam: Crispy fried eel over glass noodles, topped with fried shallots—a Bib Gourmand specialist operating out of a storefront no wider than a single doorway.
Stop 5 - Banh Tom, Hang Bo: Sweet potato and whole freshwater shrimp battered and deep-fried in a sidewalk wok, prepared only in the late afternoon. Served with fresh herbs and dipping sauce.
Stop 6 - Giang Cafe, Nguyen Huu Huan: Egg coffee at the cafe that invented the drink in 1946, still run by the same family today. The guide will wrap up with a quick map of Michelin-rated spots that locals actually still frequent.
Stop 2 - Bun Cha, Nguyen Huu Huan: Charcoal-grilled pork in a sweet and sour dipping sauce, served with cold rice vermicelli, fresh herbs, and a crab spring roll, at a street-front Bib Gourmand restaurant with proper table seating.
Stop 3 - Cha Ca, Cha Ca Street: The centerpiece of the tour. Turmeric and galangal-marinated catfish, finished tableside over charcoal embers with dill and scallions, served with rice noodles, peanuts, and shrimp paste. This dish was invented on this very street in 1871.
Stop 4 - Mien Luon, Chan Cam: Crispy fried eel over glass noodles, topped with fried shallots—a Bib Gourmand specialist operating out of a storefront no wider than a single doorway.
Stop 5 - Banh Tom, Hang Bo: Sweet potato and whole freshwater shrimp battered and deep-fried in a sidewalk wok, prepared only in the late afternoon. Served with fresh herbs and dipping sauce.
Stop 6 - Giang Cafe, Nguyen Huu Huan: Egg coffee at the cafe that invented the drink in 1946, still run by the same family today. The guide will wrap up with a quick map of Michelin-rated spots that locals actually still frequent.
Tour price includes
• English-speaking local food guide for a small group (maximum 8 guests)
• All 6 listed tastings, including a full shared table of chả cá
• One egg coffee or Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk
• Bottled water and wet wipes throughout the tour
• All taxes and service fees
• All 6 listed tastings, including a full shared table of chả cá
• One egg coffee or Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk
• Bottled water and wet wipes throughout the tour
• All taxes and service fees
Tour price excludes
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Beer, wine, and spirits
• Personal travel insurance
• Gratuities for the guide
• Meals outside the itinerary
• Beer, wine, and spirits
• Personal travel insurance
• Gratuities for the guide
• Meals outside the itinerary
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the tour start time for a full refund, as the chả cá table is reserved and prepaid in your name. Cancellations within 48 hours are non-refundable. The tour runs rain or shine. If we cancel, you will receive a full refund or a free tour transfer.
Other notes
Daily departure at 11:30. The 11:30 start time is fixed because the shrimp cake wok on Hang Bo Street only fires up in mid-afternoon.
This is a very filling tour with two sit-down meals. Please arrive hungry and expect to finish around 15:00.
Two separate establishments in Hanoi operate under the name Chả Cá Lã Vọng following a long-standing family split. We reserve tables at the restaurant on Cha Ca Street and will explain exactly which branch you are dining at.
Dietary requirements: please notify us at least 48 hours in advance. Chả cá is the core of this tour, so it is not suitable for guests who avoid fish or shellfish — please choose our morning tour instead. Pork-free options can be arranged.
Maximum 8 guests so the entire group fits around one chả cá table.
We do not visit Hanoi Train Street — guided groups have been banned from this area since March 2025.
This is a very filling tour with two sit-down meals. Please arrive hungry and expect to finish around 15:00.
Two separate establishments in Hanoi operate under the name Chả Cá Lã Vọng following a long-standing family split. We reserve tables at the restaurant on Cha Ca Street and will explain exactly which branch you are dining at.
Dietary requirements: please notify us at least 48 hours in advance. Chả cá is the core of this tour, so it is not suitable for guests who avoid fish or shellfish — please choose our morning tour instead. Pork-free options can be arranged.
Maximum 8 guests so the entire group fits around one chả cá table.
We do not visit Hanoi Train Street — guided groups have been banned from this area since March 2025.
Detailed price list
| Guest type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults | $59 |
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