Over the ten years I have been coming to Railway Street Hanoi, it has certainly changed somewhat. Previously it was but a mere few places that had the idea to monetize their tracks, but now? Now Railway Street is a fully blown business, not to mention a night out in its own right.
Does that though mean that it is now too touristy? Or should you visit when you come to Hanoi? Here’s The Street Food Guy’s guide to Railway Street in Hanoi.
What the Railway Street Hanoi?
This is a street with houses, shops and now bars that straddles two sides of the Vietnamese Railways that pass through. Over ten years ago people found out that tourists would sit, drink and watch the trains go past.
And with Vietnam now no praising communism, but rather a Socialist Market Economy the things grew like a wildfire. And while other places like Sri Lanka offer a similar experience, Hanoi’s Railway Street still takes some beating.
Getting to Railway Street Hanoi
You can only get to the peripherals of the street via taxi, but then it is a very easy walk to where you need to be. And not just this, but there are now a number of super cool food streets that exist all around Railway Street truly making this the place to be.
From downtown it is less than $2 by Grab Taxi. Never hail a Hanoi taxi unless you want to get truly ripped off. This also means it is pretty much spitting distance to the Hanoi old Quarter too, which is THE place to party.
Railway Street Hanoi Address;
Ng. 224 Lê Duẩn
Đống Đa,
Hà Nội
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
What is on Railway Street Hanoi?
For the most part you will find hipster bars and restaurants, with the overall vibe very much aimed at foreigners. In fact the only Vietnamese you are likely to see are either looking to befriend foreigners, sell to them, or a mixture of the two.
Most oil the bars on Railway Street Hanoi seem to follow a similar theme, with cheap beers at under $2, and simple Vietnamese snack foods like sausages and pho rather than down dirty Street Food Vietnam. Food prices again are pretty reasonable, with the aim being to keep you at the bar until the trains come.
And the best bar on Railway Street Hanoi?
When curb crawling to find somewhere to sit and indulge in my weird obsession with trains I saw someone selling my other obsession, moonshine. I will give it its own article, but I have to say Vietnamese PaiaWara is electric.
I ordered plus wine, which came in a Martini glass, which was duly necked at super speed. Some snacks were then ordered before the owner came up a message on Google Translate that said “I see you like the strong liquor, can I buy you a banana liqueur shot”, red rag to bull.
We then spent the next 30 minutes drinking every homemade shit he had, with the Ginseng being by far the most potent of the lot.
And the best bar on Railway Street Hanoi? Coffee Chill 96, on the east side of the tracks and very recognizable due to the huge bottles of hooch that are on display. Food here is decent and I assume they also do coffee, although it never came up.
I will later give this bars its own article, but the owner is also in charge of clearing the tracks for the trains, as well knowing exactly when the trains will come. Last night at least we were treated to 4 trains, with them being a mixture of passenger, freight and one tiny train of a mere two carriages.
What do you do when the trains go past?
Well you try not to get killed, which is easier at the start than at the end of the night.You do this by either sitting, or standing as the train whooshes past you. I personally did a bunch off video and waiting to sample no less than four passing trains!
And it is truly an epic experience whether you like trains, or not. Previously Railway Street Hanoi was merely a weird place to go and get a few FB photos, but it has been expanded to such a level that it is now not just a great place for photos, but a night out in its own right.