Katinat Coffee — Restaurant in Hà Nội

A seasonal special rambutan and durian milk tea was something I didn't see in any cafe in Hanoi ( at least not on outside display boards of the various cafes ), and when I came across this cafe displaying boards about the above-mentioned beverages, I knew that I had to try them.

A big queue of ~5-7 people even in the early evening did convince me that the shop had to be special in some way, but the wait seemed to be sempiternal and ergo, I decided to come after some time.

The same result. Now I didn't want to turn back. In fact, a few mins after I came, the queue had mushroomed. All the inside tables were filled. Surely, the cafe had to be outstanding. Well, wait. My prima facia opinions were about to get some blemishes.

So, here are my observations. Four staff in total, only 1 to take the orders, 2 of them busy making the coffees, 1 of them on and off, I assume it might be to take care of the tables on the upper floor. Another counter too, but not operational. So, when you know that the crowd is this much, maybe operating two counters, ceteris paribus, would reduce the order taking time by half. Surely in great interest of the customers.

Another criticism. A customer spending ( and/or staff taking ) on an average of over 6 mins per order. Since I was at number 6 or 7 in the queue ( and twice ), I had ample time to observe the process. And every customer spent at least 5 mins at the solitary order counter. Not blaming the customers here. Simply, the staff wasn't fast. I have been to competitors, and despite making the coffee tailor-made ( ss. having to make selections about an extra shot of cocoa or not, whipped cream or not, extra sauce or not apart from the size, i.a. ), still it doesn't take over 3 mins on average. Here, it was only about saying whether the beverage was to be hot or not ( and adding extra pieces ), and the order process still took quite a long. Agreed that some customers may have ordered for different beverages requiring further selections, but still the time seems to be a bit too much than what the same process at any competitor would take. The order after placing it took about 8 mins to be ready.

Now the size issue. Was the ( total of ) forty-odd wait worth the time? In between yes and no. At 75,000 VND ( 6 plus 15, including 4 extra pieces of Rambutan ), it was quite a good price for the Rambutan milk tea, that is to say, before the real size came into the picture. Only one size - large - was available for this drink. Let's be precise, soi-disant large. Half the cup ( yes, half ) had ice cubes ( let me take a reasonable guess, at least 18 small-sized ones ) ( observation based on other people who ordered the same/similar drink ). Since I opted out of the default ice variant, instead going for the hot variant, my container was half-filled. Not many objections, but why create a wrong impression? The taste was good, it was on the sweeter side but I enjoyed it. And yes, I will recommend people to try it.

Now, another try. A bit worst this time. For Durian milk tea. Over 35 mins to place the order. Plus ~12 mins wait time on this occasion to serve the order. Now naturally durian isn't the sweetest of the fruits. But when you do try to, the combination can be mismatched, and the result would be a drink which I had ( I didn't pass any specific instructions ). With all due respect, their recipe for this drink has flunked. The drink tasted weird.

The positives. The cup/container colour was impressive, arguably the best design I have seen anywhere. The design of the cafe overall is amazing. There are various good and small paintings. The food section too had many options. A small device which shows you the approx time for your order to get ready and vibrates when the order is ready to collect is something which I haven't seen in any cafe hitherto, and it appears to be a good concept.

Being in a prime area, there is a competitive advantage which remains to be exploited to its fullest, and the above-mentioned flaws...

Katinat Coffee has quickly become one of the most recognizable café chains in Vietnam, and for good reason. Whether you step into a branch in Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng, or Hồ Chí Minh City, the brand has managed to create a consistent atmosphere that feels both modern and inviting. The design usually mixes warm lighting with contemporary décor, making it a comfortable spot for everything from casual catch-ups to solo working sessions.

The drink menu is wide and appealing, with options ranging from traditional cà phê sữa đá to more creative blends and seasonal specialties. Their signature drinks like the Katinat CloudTea or cold brews stand out, offering something different from typical chain cafés. The coffee quality is solid—strong enough to please those who enjoy authentic Vietnamese flavors, yet balanced for people who prefer smoother, lighter tastes.

Snacks and pastries are also available, making it easy to sit for longer without feeling rushed. Prices are slightly higher than small local coffee shops but still reasonable compared to international chains, which explains why Katinat is such a popular middle ground.

Overall, Katinat delivers a polished café experience while keeping the essence of Vietnamese coffee culture. It’s a reliable choice when you want good drinks, stylish surroundings, and a...

WORST PLACE FOR MILK TEA AND COFFEE

Katinat is absolutely horrible. Please don’t try this, you don’t want waste your money on this. There are plenty of other milktea/coffee shops that are more affordable and taste way better than this.

I arrived here at 12am the other day and everything was sold out. So, I opted for a cup of espresso milk which gave me diabetes, no taste of coffee, only cheap condensed milk they are using. Whereas, my friend got the milk tea with jumbo cheese pearl, the so-called signature pearl is very very expensive. 3 cubes for 15k and the worst part it, they boiled it in wrong way making 2 pearls melted into the milk tea and the other 3rd one is undercook. I am actually impressed on how they were able to overcook and undercook the same batch of pearls.

I don’t think it is my own opinion anymore as there are so many others in this review section...