Tranquil Cafe // The Best Cafe in Hanoi

The Best Cafe in Hanoi

Tranquil cafe has been open since July 2015, and I believe that it has never once served a bad coffee. Well not to me anyway. In the two years that I have been exploring countless cafes in Hanoi, Tranquil Cafe is the one that I always come back to.

The two good friends who own and run Tranquil share the same dream. "We want to create a space where people can come to read real books". The decor is inspired by their love of books, they carefully select the perfect reads for the cafe's shelves that aren't just there for looks. They wanted people to actually come and read them while enjoying the finest coffee Hanoi can offer. 

An Artists' Dream

Located in a tiny alley, tucked away in the corner of the Old Quarter, it is an artists' dream. A real place to escape the cities’ busy streets, and focus on you. While sitting there enjoying a drink, you can feel the creative vibe surrounding the place. The founder of the cafe, claims that many, many years ago, it was actually the first elementary school in Hanoi.

The brothers aim to create a minimalist style cafe. They say, "We didn't want to overcrowd the place with decorations. As you can see, it's very simple." This gives the cafe a perfect, tranquility vibe to it. It feels as if it could be your own living room. They don't spend much money on furniture; instead they use one of their personal suppliers to handcraft all of the furniture themselves. In fact, the brothers source all their supplies from their personal friends.

A close friend of theirs makes the cafe’s cakes herself. She bakes only one cake at a time, so you know you will always get the freshest baked goods. I had the pleasure of tasting the cake of the day, which was the matcha cake. It's a triple layered cake with matcha cream, cream cheese, and sponge cake. It was perfectly balanced. The matcha was not too strong, the cream cheese a smooth buttery texture, and the sponge cake fresh and fluffy. You can buy one of the delicious treats for only VND45,000.

The Coffee

They source all the coffee locally from a friend roasts it himself. They are grown in Dalat. This coffee is also ordered only when they need it, giving the customers the freshest beans you could imagine. Truly the aroma of coffee hits your nose the moment you walk in the door, and you can tell straight away that you are going to get a fine quality beverage. They specialise in western coffees, which can be purchased for around VND24,000 to VND50,000. They also have a selection of fresh teas for around VND28,000 to VND66,000, and ice blended drinks for around VND50,000.

The Events

The cafe holds weekly events in both Vietnamese and English. On Saturday they have a free movie screening, inviting anyone who wants to, to come view it for free. On Wednesday they have an open mic night, also for free, where people can just be creative in front of an audience. Performers can sing, play piano or guitar, or even read a poem or a story. The only performance they ask for money for is on Sunday nights - when paid artists come to play their music. The fee is VND100,000 and covers your entry and free tea/coffee/beer.

The cafe prides it's self on its good service and the staff that work there have been working there since day one. They all aim to develop a strong relationship with their customers. The word 'tranquil' sums up this cafe perfectly.

Find Tranquil cafe at  5 Nguyen Quang Bich Street, Hoan Kiem and at their new location 18B Nguyen Bieu Street, Ba Dinh.

All photos are property of Tranquil Cafe

What do you think? What's your favorite cafe in Hanoi? Let me know in the comments below and I'll check it out!

Thanks for reading! 
-Millie Burns

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