By Laura Miller

No beaches, no nature and often, no sun. Why would anyone want to go to Hanoi? Because it’s a city primed for the good time – a heaven for foodies, spa tarts and shopaholics all wrapped up in a manic buzz of motorbikes laden with people, bicycles laden with flowers and baskets laden with fruit under traditional conical hats. It’s pretty darn quaint too in parts, with a veritable history book of sights on offer and two world class destinations on its doorstep – Halong Bay and Sapa. Tempted? Read on.

There aren’t many hotels that can claim to have had Graham Greene finishing off ‘The Quiet American’ in 1951, Joan Baez hunkering down in its bomb shelter in 1972, and the likes of Angelina, Mick Jagger and Fidel Castro taking advantage of its facilities today. In fact, there’s only one: The Sofitel Metropole Hanoi. And when visiting the fascinating capital of Vietnam, it’s the only place to stay in style, especially as a reader of Hiphongkong. The Metropole is offering HK and Macau readers of hiphongkong.com two complimentary drinks at Le Club or the Bamboo Bar while staying at the hotel.

Even the LUXE Guide agrees: Hanoi doesn’t do boutique hotels. But even if it did, the Metropole is the city’s grand dame of accommodation, wining and dining, located just minutes from the picturesque Hoan Kiem lake, the magnificent Opera House and most importantly, the city’s atmospheric Old Quarter – exactly where you want to be to enjoy the city to the full. Since its launch in 1901, the Metropole has lived through Hanoi’s last 100 odd years, and to tell the truth, a weekend getaway to Hanoi just wouldn’t be the same if you were staying anywhere else. The two go together like Jane Fonda and spandex (and yes, she’s also been a guest).
What Hanoi does do, is food. And it does it with aplomb. The city is a gourmand’s paradise and before you’ve even thought about compiling your sightseeing or shopping lists, you need to decide where you’re going to feast. Perhaps you’ve got three days. That’s nine meals. Fifteen if you include morning and afternoon tea. And eighteen if you include pre-dinner drinks. Only eighteen! And so many to choose from…

Eat/Drink Hanoi
Ever watch the food and travel shows on Discovery Travel and Living? Ever see Chinese/Egyptian chef Bobby Chinn lighting up the screen with his irreverent humour and sandpaper chuckle? Either way, you don’t want to miss dining at his self-named restaurant in Hanoi. Bobby Chinn’s has recently moved from its grand location overlooking Hoan Kiem lake to an infinitely more intimate premises out near West Lake – Bobby Chinn’s own Hanoi abode. Draped with white and red swathes of fabric and decorated with the chef’s own eclectic collection of modern art as well as thousands of white and red roses, the place has an arty tent-like feel which is romantic and trendy in equal parts. The bar downstairs is a boudoir ideal for after dinner schmoozing and canoodling, while the restaurant upstairs is the perfect venue for feasting on Bobby’s delectable set menu of global cuisine. US$28 will get you a fine four-course dinner – don’t miss the Pan Roasted Salmon with Wasabi Mash and Ginger Glaze or the Lemon Scented Crème Brulee.
Another night-time dining destination that comes highly recommended is Green Tangerine in the heart of the Old Quarter. The narrow entrance leads into an enchanting candle-lit courtyard and through to the breezy, lofty-ceilinged restaurant. Definitely sit outside for ambience to spare while sipping a suitably fruity Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The food and wine in this town is not just French-influenced it seems, although the French Colonial days do linger in the city’s obsession with coffee (albeit served Vietnamese-style with condensed milk) and baguettes. You can’t go wrong with the food at Green Tangerine, and the steak is superb.
You have to go French at least once while in Hanoi, and la maman of eateries francaise is Le Beaulieu. The French Bistro vibe comes complete with spiffy waiters and the food is out of this world – think Roasted Lobster with French Pumpkin Mousseline and Pan-dried Foie Gras with Tangerine Chutney. The atmosphere in the evenings can be slightly stiff, but the Sunday brunch is an institution. Who knows who you might sit next to?
Hanoi offers a wealth of choices for lunch and two spots in particular are must-visits. Koto is located just opposite the Temple of Literature so time your visit to this 10th century university/temple right. An acronym for ‘Know One, Teach One’, Koto deals in philanthropy as well as cuisine – it helps kids get off the streets. Casual and airy, the restaurant serves tasty Vietnamese and international fare with a whole lot of soul. The other must-visit spot is deep in the Old Quarter on a street named after its specialty Cha Ca (fish stew with herbs). Cha Ca La Vong has the creaky atmosphere you’d expect of a street-side eatery in the oldest part of town, and while the service is bland, the food certainly isn’t! Other lunch options include the vegetarian Tamarind Café, also in the Old Quarter opposite the cute, but touristy Heritage House on Ma May St, or simply grazing from the proliferation of street stalls selling everything from iconic Vietnamese beef pho (noodles, pronounced ‘fur’) to bun cha gio (deep fried spring rolls). Just avoid fresh herbs as you never know where they’ve been washed.
Still a little peckish? Treat yourself to a few scoops of Fanny’s homemade gelato or indulge in the sinful Chocolate Buffet at the Metropole’s Le Club Bar. Too early for dinner? Stroll by the goth-esque St Joseph’s Cathedral and into La Salsa for a tipple and tapas, or the arty Mosaique Living Room for a chilled cocktail in the garden.

See Hanoi
By now you’ll be feeling the need to work off some of the foie gras and spring rolls no doubt, and you’ll be pleased to hear that Hanoi is an easy city to get about on foot. From the Metropole Hotel, it’s a pleasant walk along Hoan Kiem lake and into the Old Quarter where you can easily spend a day wandering the many quirky lanes, named after the artisans that have occupied them for centuries. Gravestone Carving Street (Hang Bac) and Herb Street (Lan Ong) may now seem more touristy than in days gone by, but the Old Quarter is still a living, breathing part of Hanoi and the tourists just add to the general colourful chaos. The LUXE Guide to Hanoi suggests an easily navigable Old Quarter tour (in contrast to the Lonely Planet’s), taking in the Ngoc Son and Bach Ma temples. But it’s really more about absorbing the atmosphere of the place. When it’s time to rest your weary feet, hail a cyclo (bicycle rickshaw) and roll home while watching the frenzied streets glide by.
You don’t want to miss a peek at old Uncle Ho while you’re in Hanoi. The poor man didn’t even want to be embalmed, but his request for a dignified cremation was ignored and Vietnam’s hero is on display in a glass cabinet in an impressive mausoleum for all to see today. (Except on Mondays and Friday and in October/November when he goes to Russia for ‘renovations’.) Go on Tuesday-Thursday to avoid queues and dress respectfully. You’ll also get a gander around Ho Chin Minh’s charming bungalow surrounded by beautiful gardens nearby.
The aforementioned Temple of Literature is worth a visit as the city’s oldest university, and definitely tops the list of temples Hanoi has to offer. The stone ‘degrees’ atop tortoises are rather impressive and the gardens cool and shady.
For pure kitsch fun, you’d be foolish to miss one of the daily shows at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, right on Hoan Kiem lake. A traditional form of entertainment which started in flooded rice paddies ages back, the puppets sing and dance above a flooded stage and it’s all rather jolly. Regular cymbal crashes will keep even the most culturally uncouth from dropping off. Just make sure you get tickets early as they’re sold out more often than not. If it’s more serious culture you’re after, the famous Opera House shows performances from Spartacus to contemporary opera.

Sapa and Halong Bay
If you’re in Hanoi with more than three days on your hands, then side trips to Sapa and Halong Bay will see you ticking off all three of Northern Vietnam’s must-see sights in one trip. Both destinations need at least two days (preferably three for trekking in Sapa), so if you’re only choosing one, here’s a quick break down of which to pick: Keen for mountains, verdant rice paddies, trekking and encounters with photogenic hill tribes? Sapa’s for you, just an overnight train ride north of Hanoi. If lounging on a boat at sea amidst incredible limestone karst formations is more you, then Halong Bay it is – half a day’s drive from Hanoi (overnight on boat).

Shop Hanoi
Enough with the sight-seeing already – it’s time for some mini-break retail therapy. Hanoi is a shopping mecca, and not in the Bangkok cheap-tat-shopping-mecca sense. While Hanoi has fun lacquer-ware and embroidered handbags to spare, it is also a dream for the discerning shopper, boasting tasteful boutiques and galleries by the dozen. Clustered around Hoan Kiem lake are some of the best and you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to pop into the renowned Apricot Gallery for the best of Vietnam’s art scene, Song for elegant men’s and women’s clothing, Propaganda Art for communist posters, Le Vent for chic ladies’ dresses, the ubiquitous Khaisilk – rather like a Vietnamese Shanghai Tang, Green Palm Gallery for more fab art, Mumumu for gorgeous hats and Ipa-Nima for funky, original fashion. And that’s just to whet your appetite. Hang Gai, Hang Bong and Hang Trong streets, as well as Nha Tho, Nha Chung and Au Trieu streets are all bursting with hidden, and not so hidden, retail gems.
Spa Hanoi
Once you’re all shopped out and can’t face another meal (just yet anyway), it’s time for some serious pampering. Surprisingly, none of the big hotels offer spas on a par with those in Hong Kong, Bangkok or Bali, but you can still find a few spots to rejuvenate and refresh. QT Salon and Spa offers all the basics, from massages and facials to manis and pedis, as well as Jacuzzi, steam and sauna facilities in pleasantly tranquil surrounds. It’s also right on Hoan Kiem lake. Another option is Zen Spa offering traditional Vietnamese treatments in a rustic setting in Tah Ho district near West Lake. For the foot-weary in the Old Quarter, you can’t beat a cheap and cheerful foot massage in the peaceful, yet unadorned room above Tamarind Café.

Pool Time
So you’ve seen all the sights, shopped up a storm (or watched your partner make Paris Hilton proud) and indulged in a touch of pampering. You’ve got a couple of hours left to kill before drinks somewhere swish and dinner somewhere glam (well done you). What to do? Stretch out on a sun-lounger of course, you are on holiday after all. A world away from the busy Hanoi streets, the Metropole pool is a chilled haven of calm and it seems the sun does shine in Hanoi every now and then. But really, with everything else there is on offer in this cracker of a city, who needs it?

HANOI INFO:
Hotel: Sofitel Metropole Hanoi: www.sofitel.com
Restaurants: Bobby Chin’s: www.bobbychinn.com
Green Tangerine: 48 Hang Be, Old Quarter, Tel. +84-4 825 1286
Le Beaulieu (Metropole Hotel): www.sofitel.com
Koto: www.koto.com.au
Cha Ca La Vong: 14 Cha Ca, Old Quarter, Tel. +84-4 825 3929 (no cards)
Tamarind Café: www.tamarind-cafe.com
Fanny’s Ice Cream: www.fanny.com.vn
Le Club Bar (Metropole Hotel): www.sofitel.com
La Salsa: www.lasalsa-hanoi.com
Mosaique Living Room: 23 Ngo Van So, Hoan Kiem, Tel. +84-4 822 6458
Entertainment: Thang Lo Water Puppet Theatre: www.thanglongwaterpuppet.org
Opera House: www.ticketvn.com
Shops & Galleries: Apricot Gallery: www.apricot-artvietnam.com
Song: www.song-life.com
Propaganda Art: 8 Nha Chung, Tel. +84-4 928 6588
Le Vent: 103 Hang Gai, Tel. +84-4 928 6774
Khaisilk: 96 Hang Gai, Tel. +84-4 825 4237
Green Palm Gallery: www.greenpalmgallery.com
Mumumu: 2 Au Trieu, Tel: +84-4 928 7840
Ipa-Nima: www.ipanima.com
Spas: QT Salon and Spa: 28 Le Thai To, Hoan Kiem lake, Tel. +84-4 928 6116
Zen Spa: www.senspa.com.vn