5 Best Pho in Hanoi: Chicken Pho Shops and Beef Pho Tips

Featured image: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Best Pho in Hanoi: Quick Picks

Pick by use case. For a first bowl, start at Phở Tiến on Nguyễn Trường Tộ. For a splurge, book your appetite for Phở Gà Châm on Yên Ninh. For a cheap, fast breakfast near West Lake, head to 156 Quán Thánh. Each of these opens early, and all are small roadside-style shops, so expect low stools and a short wait at peak hours.

• First-timer pick: Phở Tiến, 103 Nguyễn Trường Tộ
• Splurge pick: Phở Gà Châm, 64–68 Yên Ninh
• Budget breakfast near West Lake: Phở Gà, 156 Quán Thánh
• Boldest chicken flavor: Phở Gà Hải Anh, 2 Ngũ Xã
• Best crossover bowl: Phở Gà Bún Thang, 13 Phạm Hồng Thái

5 Best Pho in Hanoi, Shop by Shop

All five shops sit in the lakeside chicken-pho district. Yên Ninh lies about 200 meters from Trúc Bạch Lake, and that compact 0.6 km² area holds at least nine chicken pho shops. Prices and hours checked November 2026. The one price on record here is a 2024 report, so treat it as a guide to level, not a menu.

1. Phở Tiến, 103 Nguyễn Trường Tộ

Phở Tiến is the easiest place to begin a chicken pho crawl. It was listed as Michelin Selected in the 2023 edition of the Vietnam guide, which means selected rather than starred. Fresh herbs and crunchy quẩy fritters arrive with the bowl. You can also ask for rare beef on top of the chicken if you want extra meat.

Go for breakfast, when the broth is freshest and the lakeside streets are cool. Plan on a quick 30-minute stop. Skip it if you want a beef-only bowl or dramatically gamey, farm-style chicken.

2. Phở Gà Châm, 64–68 Yên Ninh

Phở Gà Châm is the premium end of the district. It was Michelin Selected in the 2023 and 2024 guides, and its broth is golden, robust and a little saltier than its neighbors. Toppings run from chicken thigh and liver to unlaid eggs. A standard bowl was reported at VND 85,000 in 2024, and a full-topping bowl can pass VND 120,000.

It was already full at 7 am on a Tuesday. Arrive early before toppings run out, and say your order clearly because the counter has little time for chat. Skip it if you want the cheapest bowl in the area.

3. Phở Gà, 156 Quán Thánh

This is the budget-friendly pick near West Lake. Its broth is delicate, and its tangy chili sauce is a local favorite. The shop is tiny, and the seating is uncomfortable. Most regulars eat roadside on small stools.

Order a bowl with quẩy and add chili sauce a little at a time. Come in the morning, when locals stop by on their way to work. Skip it if you need a proper seat or air conditioning.

4. Phở Gà Hải Anh, 2 Ngũ Xã

Hải Anh serves home-raised chicken that is tougher and more flavorful than the soft meat in most bowls. Noodles are thick and oversized, and the meat is chunky. You can add pork meatballs with julienned wood ear fungus. Dried mushrooms give the broth depth without too much salt.

Coagulated chicken blood is an optional topping, so say no if that is not for you. The shop is small and hot. Skip it if you prefer tender, delicate chicken.

5. Phở Gà Bún Thang, 13 Phạm Hồng Thái

This shop blends two Hanoi soups. You can order a standard chicken pho with dried shiitake mushrooms, or a bún thang with thin vermicelli, mushrooms, Vietnamese Ham and omelet. Smooth pork meatballs soak up the chicken broth, and the quẩy here is among the freshest and crispiest in the area.

Pick this one for variety if two people want different bowls. Skip it if you want a pure, plain chicken broth.

Beef vs Chicken Pho: Which Should You Order?

Beef pho is the default for most visitors, and it tastes richer and heavier. Chicken pho is lighter, with a delicate spice that exposes poor meat. In Northern Vietnam, boiled chicken carries a festive, special-occasion status. Today's noodles are firmer and more al dente than those of decades past, and modern chicken is softer.

For beef, the classic streets are Bát Đàn, Lò Đúc and Lý Quốc Sư. Phở Gia Truyền sits on Bát Đàn, Phở Thìn on Lò Đúc and Phở 10 on Lý Quốc Sư. Check each shop's current hours and prices on arrival. Beef fans can still use the shops above, since Phở Tiến adds rare beef to chicken pho.

Pho Prices in Hanoi: What a Bowl Costs

A premium chicken bowl at Phở Gà Châm was reported at VND 85,000 in 2024. A full-topping bowl there can pass VND 120,000. Local shoppers consider that expensive. The shop at 156 Quán Thánh is described as affordable, and bowls at shops like it cost less. Each added topping raises the bill, so choose extras with the numbers in mind. Carry cash in small notes for roadside shops. For broader trip costs, the official Vietnam tourism site is the place to start: Vietnam's national tourism portal.

Which Pho Shop Fits You

Use this table to match a shop to your priorities.

How to Order and What to Expect

Walk up, find a stool and say your order clearly. Counters are fast, and staff may speak little English. Say the protein, then your extras, such as quẩy, extra meat or an egg. Pronounce the shop's name or point at a neighbor's bowl. Add chili sauce and herbs slowly, because the broth is delicate. If you dislike offal or blood, say so before ordering. Hải Anh and Châm both offer such toppings. For a sit-down alternative, see these air-conditioned Hanoi restaurants. Prefer a guide? Try a guided Hanoi food tour.

When to Go: Breakfast Timing

Pho shops in Hanoi can open around 6 am, and breakfast is the peak. Phở Gà Châm was packed at 7 am on a weekday. Toppings run out later in the morning, so arrive before 8 am if you want liver or extra meat. After your bowl, walk to a café for Hanoi Egg Coffee: Where to Try It and What to Expect. For lunch, move on to Hanoi bun cha. Our Hanoi street food guide covers the rest of the day.

Mistakes to Avoid

A few small errors spoil a first bowl.

• Arriving late, when toppings are gone.
• Expecting seats with a backrest or air conditioning.
• Ordering vaguely instead of naming protein and toppings.
• Assuming one shop suits every palate: Hải Anh is tough and bold, while Phở Gà Châm is salty and rich.
• Trusting a single review over the shop in front of you.

A Short History of Pho in Hanoi

Pho took shape in the early 20th century, with Chinese and French influences. Beef pho was the original star, and writer Nguyễn Tuân praised it in a 1957 essay. Chicken pho spread in the Yên Ninh–Châu Long area during the 1950s, when refugees and war-time wealth boosted demand. Today's firmer noodles and softer chicken make modern bowls different from the ones he wrote about. For city planning, see the Hanoi tourism portal.