Lý Club Hanoi Restaurant | Flavors of Hanoi

Ly Club Hanoi is a colonial style fine dining Vietnamese restaurant in Hanoi’s French Quarter. Set in a splendid French villa at 12 Le Phung Hieu, the restaurant locates across the street from the Capella Hanoi, Sofitel Metropole Hotel, and just two blocks away from the Opera House.

Named after the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century, an era that featured a thriving ceramic fine art with lotus and chrysanthemum patterns, Ly Club took the later as its logo. Drawing inspiration from its namesake, the restaurant combines traditional Vietnamese cooking with modern dining, and provide an elegant oasis from the chaotic city.

After exploring the Old Quarter on a walking street food tour with us, our clients wanted to celebrate the great Hanoi tour with a fine meal at a modern Vietnamese restaurant, so we picked Ly Club Hanoi. 

As we arrived at the restaurant, neighboring a couple of ambassador residences and public houses, our group of four were welcomed by a smiley staff from the gate. She walked us through an outdoor terrace with plenty of green – a perfect setting for afternoon tea or evening cocktails – to get inside. 

We were then impressed by a simplistic and elegant décor indoor; from the white color theme pervading the house, to antique ceramic flower pots, and to beautiful lacquer paintings by contemporary Vietnamese artists, they all enhanced the refined ambiance in dining areas. 

Beside the stylist dining rooms and spacious lounges with comfortable sittings, there was also a well-designed stage for daily complementary music performance. The evening we were there, our meal was accompanied by a charming musician playing live, which really set the mood for a lovely dining experience.

Its selective menu reflects the restaurant’s all-day service, embracing both traditional and innovative foods, and creatively pairing the East and West’s flavors. The Vietnamese cuisine part features a wide range of classic and spontaneous ingredients, celebrating the season’s most glorious sustenance.

With the help from the attentive waitress, we went for a full Vietnamese tasting menu and were not disappointed. We ordered four soups, a shared vegetable dish and four mains, completedwith four desserts. Rice came with the main dishes.

About the food; the crab and red pumpkin soup, with a hint of lemongrass and mushroom, wasfantastic. It was rich and full of flavor. We didn’t even need to add any salt or pepper for more zip, as the soup was perfectly prepared for us. 

For the mains, the chicken in clay pot and the duck with orange sauce were very good – done just right, we would highly recommend both those dishes. Cooked and served in a clay pot, which helped maintain the moisture in the chicken meat. Clay pot might be considered as exotic cooking crockery for many Westerners, but it’s a traditional kitchenware for Vietnamese people. 

The grilled duck breast with orange came out arousing with a crispy brown skin, the taste was balanced, and the rich sauce with layers of flavors was a winner. Both dishes served piping hot, tasty and went really well with the steamed rice.

We weren’t a fan of the beef cooked in bamboo that evening though, the beef was a bit chewy. But it could be because we had eaten too much beef dishes on our street food tour, including pho bo. 

Both the sautéed eggplant and the sautéed mixed fresh garden vegetables were fresh and soft.It really doesn’t matter where in Vietnam you eat; eggplant is always a good dish. The mainswere followed by a delicious banana fritter with a scoop vanilla ice-cream for dessert.

As is the case everywhere in the country, wine is expensive but we still chose to have 2 bottles of Vietnamese red wine, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, which were surprisingly decent for the price. We paid about $190 for 4 people, including the wine bottles. 

Ly Club Hanoi is slightly expensive compared to many other restaurants in Hanoi, but it’s worth it for a special occasion. It provided first-class hospitality in a serene and stylish environment. The atmosphere was lovely, and the food was both delicious and beautifully presented.

Overall, we were happily full by the end as the dishes were not over sized. The service was gracious and entirely correct. The staffs were welcoming, attentive, and very friendly. They catered to our every need and spoke good English. 

We thought it was great value if you’re looking for a restaurant that provides great food, nice ambiance, and excellent service. We would happily recommend Ly Club Hanoi restaurant after our 5-star experience.

• Lý Club Hanoi 

• 12 Le Phung Hieu Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 

• +84 962 54 0088 

• 7h00 – 23h00

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