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Hanoi's nightlife is all about legs: the squat, plastic legs of tiny stools crowding around equally diminutive tables in your average bia hoi (beer hall); the proud, carved wooden legs of the chairs in fine restaurants; and, your own two legs sashaying your body across the dance floor. Whichever kind of legs you choose to employ, select early, as Hanoi operates on your grandparents' clock.
Low Legs
Short, plastic table legs usually indicate a low-budget dining/entertainment option. Groups of men puffing on cigarettes and sipping coffee sit pretzel-like on stools inches from the ground in cafés scattered about the city. A concentration of local cafés can be found on Trieu Viet Vuong Street and Bao Khahn.
The backless, plastic stool is also almost compulsory in Hanoi's other renowned watering hole, the aforementioned bia hoi. Also generally male turf, these airplane hangar-like venues offer cheap beer on tap and local munchies and meals. Some spots do not beckon the lone female traveler, but there are a few other options frequented by a mix of locals and foreigners. They include Quan Bia Minh, Cua Hang Bac Nam Bia Hoi and 60 Ly Thuong Kiet Street and provide an inexpensive and casual place for groups to chat away the afternoon and early evening.
Another low-to-the-earth entertainment choice is paddling across Hanoi's several lakes. On weekend afternoons, swarms of Vietnamese flock to West Lake for picnics and floats atop the water. Keeping with the outdoorsy theme, soccer matches at National Stadium provide an insider's view into the lives of Vietnamese soccer fanatics.
Higher Legs
Restaurants and cafés that cater to a mostly foreign clientele raise both the seats and the prices. The newspapers at Moca Café and the books and evening movies at Lac Viet Café provide you with something to do while you eat.
Chairs of a similar height, but with more cushioned comfort than those of restaurants, fill establishments that offer sensory distractions. Several movie theaters, such as the Alliance Francais Cinema, Fansland Cinema and New Age Cinema screen foreign flicks. Check the local English papers or call 1080 for listings. The Hanoi Opera House, the Central Cultural House, Green Ho Guom, the Terrace Bar in the Press Club and several of the bigger hotels provide space for musicians, dancers and actors to perform. The Municipal Water Puppet Theater and several of the more refined Vietnamese restaurants, such as Indochine, Van Xuan and Dinh Lang Restaurant feature nightly traditional performances. The private rooms furnished with plush, body-hugging sofas in karaoke bars provide venues for rock-star wannabes to live out their fantasies.
Human Legs
Off the chair and on your own two legs, roaming the maze-like streets of the Old Quarter, poking into shops, galleries and pagodas offers a pleasant way to pass an afternoon. Several museums displaying elements of Vietnamese history and culture provide a rich view of the nation's heritage. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and adjacent museum are frequented by Vietnamese and foreign tourists alike.
The more than 600 temples and pagodas scattered throughout the city provide a glimpse of traditional Vietnamese architecture and heritage. The One Pillar Pagoda, constructed in 1049, is perhaps Hanoi's most famous place of worship. The tranquil grounds of the Temple of Literature, Hanoi's first university (built in 1076) provide a peaceful retreat from the chaos of the city streets. The Botanical Gardens, a smattering of parks and the Thu Le Park and Zoo appeal to those in search of a bit of greenery amidst Hanoi's urban landscape.
If you're out in the evening hours, you'll probably find yourself passing the time at a few nondescript bars. Backpackers and young expatriates tend to bop between the Thu Le Park and Zoo and other bars in the Bao Khanh area. Friday night happy hour at the Press Club draws a regular, button-down-shirt-wearing expatriate crowd. If you're looking for a more low-key vibe, the R & R Tavern features Friday night specials and endless Grateful Dead tunes. On the fringe of the Old Quarter, the simple but grooving Modern Toast draws a late-night pre-dancing crowd.
When Legs Move
Several loosely organized sporting events, pools and gyms attract entertainment seekers needing activity. Regular gatherings include weekly soccer, volleyball and Frisbee matches, as well as Saturday morning running, walking and drinking excursions organized by the Hanoi Hash House Harriers. Look for signs in cafés and hotels around the city. The Minsk Club, headquartered in the moody Le Maquis Bar, often coordinates trips outside the city for those who love the road. A few bowling alleys, fitness clubs, swimming pools and the recently opened Ho Tay Lake Water Park offer sporting venues for independent athletes.
Nightclubs provide the space to flail your limbs without the competitive edge. Try Hanoi's only after-hours dance venue, the venerable Apocalypse Now.
Horizontal Legs
Weary bodies and aching muscles might want a workout of a different sort - a massage. Several hotels, including Thang Loi Hotel and the Hanoi Hotel offer reasonably-priced sessions. For a quick dose of relaxation, trundle over to the nearest cat oc (hairdresser). Almost all hair washings include a lengthy head and scalp massage that will rub tension away.
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