Tầm vị — Restaurant in Hà Nội

Overall, this restaurant is slightly better than their nation’s culinary skills. However, in comparison to international standard of a Michelin Restaurant, I personally don’t feel that they should be awarded. I won’t come back the second time which I regrettably did.

Reservation is needed even for 1 person at 5pm timing, although they clearly have extra tables all the way till 7pm+. Staff aren’t good at speaking English when obviously any Michelin restaurant will attract more foreigners than locals.

For instance, when I arrive and tell your staff that I have a reservation under my name, your staff asks back ‘Do I have a reservation’? 🤦🏻‍♀️. When I ordered a second beverage called Dracotomelon, your male staff almost gave me the same first drink Roasted Rice drink, if not for another lady who was more alert.

FOOD On 1st day, both the beef shank soup and braised fish was soft and portion was huge. Some favours was quite tasty but it’s not a ‘Wow’ factor. Brown rice with black beans was a nice combination but a bit sticky. Dracotomelon was one of the nicest native fruit drink I had in Vietnam. The bean curd with jasmine was way too sugary and the jasmine will not be detachable to an average taste bud (I had better from Da Nang street seller).

On 2nd day of return, I requested for a quieter table to put your restaurant on YouTube. Yet I didn’t get one since it was next to a big table who were seated and when requested for a lower floor corner empty table, your staff said it was reserved. I’m sure no one knows where they will be seated, so switching tables for same number of pax shouldn’t be a problem. It seems like the problem solving skills here is Zero.

The food I ordered today is Steam rice with sesame + lemongrass veal + crab soup with mimosa and taro. Steam rice has no sesame in it and it’s so sticky and hard like Thailand’s mango sticky rice. The veal was hard. The crab was weird, it’s not your normal crab meat which is typical of Vietnam, taro was a bit hard (no Michelin should have this standard) and it’s super average taste.

At the end of your meals, you will get a complimentary small platter of fruits.

I spend more than VND $400K per meal as a solo person. I am pretty sure you can accommodate to small request when I asked for a quiet table to film your place for a short while (though your food didn’t end up meeting the standard). The food isn’t consistent and is simply an above average causal restaurant. With the additional lack of basic English and problem solving hospitality service, it’s not worth the price (maybe I was too generous with the orders) nor...

Tâm Vi is a charming Michelin-recognised restaurant tucked away in Hanoi’s Ba Đình district, serving elegant, nostalgic Northern Vietnamese dishes in a tranquil setting. The space is tastefully decorated, the service is smooth and polite, and the menu is steeped in tradition—designed to take you on a refined culinary journey through Hanoi's home-style cuisine.

We dined here recently and were impressed with both the variety and execution of the dishes. The bill came to 1.8M VND for 12 items (including drinks), which is definitely on the higher end for Hanoi, but in line with the quality and the Michelin-level service. Here's a full breakdown of our order:

Nước sen nhài (Jasmine lotus tea) – 35,000 VND

Bia Hà Nội (Hanoi Beer) – 30,000 VND x 2 = 60,000 VND A classic local lager, refreshing and light.

That said, there are no wine, cocktails, or typical female-friendly alcoholic options like spritzers or coolers—only beer and soft drinks were available during our visit.

Nộm xoài tép khô (Green mango salad with dried shrimp) – 110,000 VND Bright, tangy, and texturally interesting with a punch of umami from the dried shrimp.

Thịt kho tàu (Braised pork belly) – 172,000 VND Rich and comforting, this traditional dish had beautifully tender pork in a slightly sweet caramelised sauce.

Cuốn tôm (Fresh prawn rolls) – 70,000 VND Light and refreshing, a good starter with balanced herbs.

Đậu phụ tẩm hành (Fried tofu with scallion oil) – 70,000 VND A soft, creamy tofu interior with fragrant scallion oil—simple but delicious.

Chả lá lốt (Beef wrapped in betel leaf) – 138,000 VND Smoky, herbaceous and deeply savoury; a real standout.

Canh cua mồng tơi (Vietnamese crab soup with Malabar spinach) – 110,000 VND Earthy and traditional, a flavourful and authentic soup.

Cơm trắng (Steamed rice) – 30,000 VND Plain rice to accompany the shared dishes.

Tào phớ hoa nhài/Gừng (Jasmine or ginger tofu pudding) – 40,000 VND A silky dessert with either floral or gingery notes—subtle and soothing.

Rau muống xào tóp mỡ (Stir-fried morning glory with crispy pork fat) – 98,000 VND Smoky and rich, elevated by the crunchy pork bits.

CocaCola (330ml can) – 20,000 VND

Tâm Vi is a perfect introduction to elevated Northern Vietnamese cuisine with nostalgic, family-style recipes delivered with finesse. It’s a quiet and refined place, ideal for relaxed dinners or food-focused travellers. Be aware though: while the beer is good and local, the drink selection is limited, especially for those looking for wine, cocktails, or lighter alcoholic choices.

Still a fantastic...

Despite arriving without a reservation, they managed to find me a table outside under an umbrella (helped by the fact that I was alone and arrived early). The service was quick — my dishes came out less than five minutes after ordering.

However, the service overall was disappointing. Only a few of the staff spoke English, and even then not very well, which made communication quite difficult at times. I tried asking for a recommendation from the menu but got nothing but confused looks from two different waiters.

I ordered a beer, and the only option offered was Hanoi Beer — the same one you can find in the city’s most basic bars. The menu had no drinks section other than a short list of cocktails, which didn’t seem appropriate for dinner in my opinion.

As for the food, it was good overall. The caramelized pork was excellent — melt-in-your-mouth delicious — though the boiled egg it was served with was badly overcooked (the yolk had turned grayish-green). The steamed rice was perfectly cooked, and the stir-fried vegetables were fine but nothing special — honestly, I’ve had better ones in much more modest places during my stay in Vietnam. The fresh spring rolls with shrimp and pork belly were very good.

During the meal, they unexpectedly brought me some small slices of cake “on the house,” which was a nice gesture but poorly timed, as I was still eating my pork at the time.

At the end of the meal, I ordered a jasmine tea with a small dessert (as mentioned on the menu). The waiter told me he wouldn’t bring the sweets because I had already been given cake earlier — that it would be too much food. I insisted, since I was paying for them and it should be my choice whether to eat them or not. After speaking with three different waiters, I finally got them, though oddly they served some wrapped candies — still in their plastic — on the same plate as the dessert, which I found quite absurd.

The total bill came to 700,000 dong, which is certainly very inexpensive for a Michelin-starred restaurant — but unfortunately, everything else also felt far below the standards...