The back story
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Neighbourhood guide
The French Quarter: boulevards, villas and the Metropole
The Opera House, the Metropole and Capella, the museums and the tree-lined boulevards south and east of the lake.
Neighbourhood guide · Hanoi
The French Quarter: boulevards and grand hotels
The Opera House façade, the Metropole and Capella, the museums and the tree-lined boulevards south of the lake.
What's onThis week in Hanoi
What to see and do
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Closed for restoration
The Hanoi Opera House
The cream-and-white opera house at the end of Tràng Tiền, closed for a long restoration since January 2026: admire it from the square.
1 Tràng Tiền, Cửa Nam Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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A historic prison
Hỏa Lò Prison Relic
The surviving gatehouse and cells of the prison built in the French colonial period, now a museum.
1 Hỏa Lò, Cửa Nam Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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Lives and crafts
Vietnamese Women’s Museum
Women’s lives in Vietnam, from marriage and family to dress and trade, on Lý Thường Kiệt.
36 Lý Thường Kiệt, Cửa Nam Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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From the Bronze Age
National Museum of Vietnamese History
Vietnam’s history from prehistory and the Đông Sơn bronze drums onwards, in a French-era building.
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A lake and lawns
Thống Nhất Park
A large park around a lake south of the French Quarter, busy with walkers and badminton players at dawn.
Where to eat
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One MICHELIN Star
Hibana by Koki
A teppanyaki counter beneath Capella Hanoi. One MICHELIN Star in the 2026 guide.
B1F, Capella Hanoi, 11 Lê Phụng Hiểu, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Hà Thành Mansion
Vietnamese cooking in the French Quarter. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
14 Ngô Văn Sở, Cửa Nam Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Luk Lak
Vietnamese dishes near the Opera House. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
4A Lê Thánh Tông, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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Bib Gourmand
Ưu Đàm
Vegetarian cooking in the French Quarter. Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide.
55 Nguyễn Du, Cửa Nam Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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In the MICHELIN Guide
Le Beaulieu
The Metropole’s French restaurant. In the MICHELIN Guide.
Sofitel Legend Metropole, 15 Ngô Quyền, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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In the MICHELIN Guide
T.U.N.G dining
Innovative tasting menus. In the MICHELIN Guide.
2C Quang Trung, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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In the MICHELIN Guide
Backstage
Contemporary Vietnamese cooking at Capella Hanoi. In the MICHELIN Guide.
GF, Capella Hanoi, 11 Lê Phụng Hiểu, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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In the MICHELIN Guide
Azabu
Japanese cooking at the Hôtel du Parc. In the MICHELIN Guide.
2F, Hôtel du Parc, 84 Trần Nhân Tông, Hai Bà Trưng Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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Vietnamese chocolate
Maison Marou
The café of Marou, the bean-to-bar chocolate made from Vietnamese cacao.
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A Tràng Tiền institution
Kem Tràng Tiền
Ice cream and lollies on Tràng Tiền, the boulevard to the Opera House, eaten standing on the pavement.
35 Tràng Tiền, Cửa Nam Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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Tea at the Metropole
Le Club at the Metropole
Afternoon tea and a piano in the Metropole’s Le Club, facing the garden.
Bars
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By the Metropole pool
Bamboo Bar
The Metropole’s bar beside the pool, under the bamboo, for a gin and tonic in the garden.
15 Ngô Quyền, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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At the Metropole
Angelina
The Metropole’s cocktail bar, for an evening drink before dinner in the French Quarter.
15 Ngô Quyền, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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Live jazz nightly
Binh Minh Jazz Club
Live jazz beside the Opera House,.
1A Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, HanoiExplore View on map
Shopping
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Luxury under one roof
Tràng Tiền Plaza
The luxury department store on the corner of Tràng Tiền and Hai Bà Trưng.
Where to stay
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The city’s legend
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
The white colonial façade and green shutters on Ngô Quyền: Hanoi’s most famous hotel, with a Historic Heritage Wing, Le Beaulieu and the Bamboo Bar.
15 Ngô Quyền, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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An ode to the opera
Capella Hanoi
Forty-seven rooms and suites behind the Opera House, each styled after the stars and composers of opera, with the Auriga Spa and the starred Hibana by Koki.
11 Lê Phụng Hiểu, Hoàn Kiếm Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
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On Tràng Tiền
Hotel de l’Opera Hanoi
A hotel on Tràng Tiền, the boulevard that runs from the lake to the Opera House.
29 Tràng Tiền, Hoàn Kiếm, HanoiExplore View on map
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Facing the park
Hôtel du Parc Hanoi
A hotel on Trần Nhân Tông facing Thống Nhất Park, home of the Japanese restaurant Azabu.
84 Trần Nhân Tông, Hai Bà Trưng Ward, HanoiExplore View on map
Health and wellness
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At the Metropole
Le Spa du Metropole
The spa of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, a calm retreat off Ngô Quyền.
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At Capella
Auriga Spa at Capella Hanoi
Capella Hanoi’s spa, in the opera-themed hotel behind the Opera House.
Share your The French Quarter tips
Stayed or dined in the French Quarter? Share what was worth the booking.
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