For an introduction to Hanoi, book a tour with Hanoikids, a student-run voluntary organisation that conducts full and half-day city tours. This is a wonderful chance to support local students in Hanoi eager to share the city’s sights and stories with travellers while improving their spoken English.

Another quick city overview to add to your Hanoi itinerary is the cyclo (three-wheel bicycle taxi) tour. As a traveller, you will not have to venture far before being approached by a hopeful cyclo driver. Click here to learn more about cyclo tours, and how you can negotiate a fair rate with a driver.

In 2016, two vastly different American icons—Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain—sat down together in a family-run bun cha (Vietnamese grilled pork noodles) restaurant in Hanoi for comfort food and conversation. Says Bourdain of the experience: “I thought if the President is willing to play with us, then I should show him the best time I knew how, feed him something that I would want—in the kind of setting I most enjoy.” (Read his full account of the headlining meal and its aftermath here.)

Since then, the restaurant known as Bun Cha Huong Lien has capitalised on its newfound fame. It even launched a new menu item to commemorate the occasion, affectionately named the “Obama Combo.”

(Bookmark this list if you are hungry for more authentic Hanoi street foods.)

If you prefer fast food to street food, the Vietnamese chain restaurant Pizza 4P’s will leave a favourable impression. Here, you can enjoy a salmon sashimi pizza, a teriyaki chicken pizza, and other Asian-inspired toppings.

For evidence of Hanoi’s French influences, look to its culinary scene—French eateries are far from being an uncommon sight in Hanoi. Four highly recommended French restaurants are A la folie, La Verticale, La Badiane, and Green Tangerine Hanoi.

Should you require a caffeine boost, go the extra mile and have your coffee poured onto a fluffy, whisked egg yolk before consumption. This is known as Ca Phe Trung or egg coffee, and the best place to sample this is at Giang Cafe in the Old Quarter.

Looking for things to do in Hanoi at night? Your first priority should be to watch an evening water puppet performance, where puppeteers stand waist-deep in water, behind a screen, to animate their puppets. This 11th century art form originated in Vietnam’s paddy fields during the flood season—during this time, villagers would create their own entertainment while immersed in the flood waters.

If you enjoy spoken word, music, and visual arts performances, you need to book a show at Hanoi Rock City—a stalwart supporter of Hanoi’s creative scene. To grab a late-night bite or drink, a stroll through the Old Quarter should yield interesting finds; Tong Duy Tan in particular has street food offerings all through the night, alongside a few upmarket options such as the highly rated Ne.Cocktailbar.