New Zealand Herald

Reviews for Cafe Hanoi

by Alice E.
23rd May 2013

Such incredible flavours and service!! As a coeliac, the staff were so helpful and understanding, and helped me with options on the menu I could safely eat that were gluten free. The food was amazing – the flavour combinations were sensational!! So looking forward to going back here!

by Oli P.
12th May 2013

Came here for drinks and dinner with a bunch of friends.
Service was good. Got seated at the bar, as there were no tables available, however we were allowed to order sharing plates to eat at the bar.

Food was fresh and light. If your looking for something healthy not too sluggish, I definitely recommend this place. It’s not the cheapest of food places in Auckland. But it is well worth coming here at least once to try it out.

Will definitely come back.

by Wolfie W.
5th May 2013

I really don’t understand some of the lack lustre reviews on here for this awesome addition to the dining scene at Britomart. We ate here on Saturday night – it was at full capacity (no bookings) when we arrived but we scored a seat at the bar and whiled away about half an hour with a couple of yummy cocktails while we waited for our friend to arrive. Just as she did a table came available so we shown to it and seated. The food is delicious, with the clean, fresh flavours typical of south east Asia. We had the Shaking Beef, the dried beef & crushed peanut salad and the chicken & papaya salad and all were just mmmmmmm! To accompany we had the fried tofu and the Asian greens – the greens were spectacularly good. All the staff went out of their way to be welcoming and make our experience a great one – our coats were taken, our slowness over the menu and ordering indulged, bar staff friendly, and our table service swift and professional. The decor is pretty cool, in a distressed casual kind of way, the wine list well thought out with plenty of by the glass options, and the value for money very good as portions were not stinted. This place is fully deserving of five stars, make no mistake.

by Ninan G.
28th March 2013

Good food, well presented, ample portion sizes, attentive friendly staff.

by Alison B.
28th March 2013

6 of us dined there this week for a birthday dinner. We all loved the food and the birthday boy had a great night! We ordered 10 plates to share plus sides and rice, 2 bottles of wine, 4 desserts, coffee and 2 liqueurs. The total bill was $350… I can’t think of anywhere else we could get all that (of that quality) for $58 per head!
The Tiger Prawn Cutlets, Shaking Beef, Pork Spare Ribs, Seared Squid, Grilled Minced Beef, Cured Pork Skewers and Crispy Fried Tofu were all ‘stand outs’ but really everything was delicious and all the vegetables were tasty and really fresh. To add to this they were most accommodating of my ‘ceoliac’ dietary requirements and even substituted Soy for Gluten Free Soy for me.
I would rate this restaurant as follows;
Food 9/10
Wine = suited to the menus
Service 9/10
Atmosphere 9/10
Why not a 10/10? ….Because they didn’t drive us home
I should add that we almost didn’t got to Cafe Hanoi because of some of the not so good reviews. Luckily I asked a gourmand friend of mine and they highly recommended it so we tried it. Someone was late so late so we missed the early seatings and went to a bar next door to wait until they texted us when they had a table, it was definitely worth the wait! And we sat on the verandah bar of ‘Bar 1885′ (which was great also) right next door to Cafe Hanoi so it was hardly an inconvenience. I can’t wait to go back.

by Elaine J.
24th January 2013

We have been here twice now and both times the food was really good. Yes you may have to wait for a table but the waitstaff do not have a crystal ball and if someone decides to linger it may be a longer wait that estimated – Plan to have a few drinks! Always found the staff to be really friendly. Love the beef wrapped in pirella and the ribs are amazing!

by Shona H.
7th December 2012

The food was excellent and tasty, fairly priced and decent enough service.

We knew we were in for a wait to get a table and we were told an hour to an hour and a half. Off we went, happily, to the bar across the road to have some drinks. At 1hour 15min we went over to the cafe to inquire about our table. We were told it should be ready in 15min. At the 2 hour wait mark off we trooped back to the cafe, and were told to sit at the bar. All up it took 2 hours and 10minutes to be seated at a table, with no contact from the cafe. I would have been ok with the wait if we had of been contacted, but we weren’t. I simply won’t go back again as I don’t feel I can trust the staff.

by David B.
18th October 2012

If you are looking for somewhere different this is a great place to start. We would also recommend sitting at the chefs table up the front to view the kitchen.

As we had little understanding of the menu we were guided by our waiter and he did not let us down. My pick of the night was Peppered soy shaking beef w red onion & watercress.

A ‘must do’ place.

by Cam W.
10th October 2012

Knowledgeable staff, great menu, excellent fresh food. Will be back.

by Gemma S.
2nd October 2012

We went to Cafe Hanoi last night after reading the great reviews on this website and were not disappointed. The Queensland prawns recommended by the waitress were amazing and the Vietnamese coffee was good and a bit different. Loved the decor and vibe as well.

Would definitely recommend to friends!

by Katie47 M.
23rd September 2012

A night out with the girls on a Friday.

We were seated straight away, the waiter came to see us quickly, and he was AMAZING he was the best waiter Ive come across in a long time. He was hilarious and extremely helpful. He let us know how many plates we should get and some suggestions. He also appeared to love his job.

It was packed (we were lucky to get a table). However the food was served so promptly ! I was amazed with the timing. Cocktails were free flowing which is what we wanted ! And delicious !

The food was amazing we got a great assortment, which we enjoyed. The food was close your eyes good. It was delicate and light.

We spent over $200, with various cocktails, so the price was fantastic. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to all my friends.

by Amanda
21st September 2012

On the night we dined here, a Thursday night, we were seated straight away, which I’m told is rare as this place is very popular.

The waitress who came over to take our order gave great advice which we followed. All dishes were tasty and fresh with such great flavours!

The beef mince rolls to start and the crispy skinned tamarind salmon were amongst the best dishes I have eaten in this country.

Very good service too, friendly without being in-your-face! Will be back again and again and again!

by Roger & Ann K.
18th September 2012

We went to Cafe Hanoi last night for our anniversary, it having been recommended by a friend. We were not disappointed. We arrived before 5pm on a Monday, so there were no other patrons, and we were seated right away at the best table. The decor of old concrete, brick and wood (or made to look that way) may not be to everyone’s taste, but we loved it. This was our first experience with Vietnamese food, and the staff were sensational – knowledgeable and helpful – answering all our questions and giving us good advice on each course. They regularly checked up to make sure everything was all right – they treated us like royalty. The food was served very quickly; we never had to wait for the next course. And the food! Very fresh and aromatic with subtle tastes – and dipping sauces if you want to jazz it up a little. We found the serving sizes to be just right – not generous, but not skimping either. We had one entree, two mains and a dessert between the two us, and left feeling fully satisfied but not stuffed. The summer rolls put spring rolls to shame. The poussin was great – sort of BBQ young chicken. The shaking beef (eye fillet) is a must have – even my wife loved it, and she doesn’t like steak! The coffee creme caramel for dessert was outstanding. The meal was good value. At $113 including a glass of wine each, food and service this good is a bargain. We WILL be back.

by John S.
16th September 2012

Loved the food and we were well looked after.
The place was packed when we arrived so we were ushered into a downstairs bar where we could drink and have a starter.

Very soon we were taken back upstairs and had a great meal that was not too expensive. Want to return soon.

by Amanda
16th September 2012

For a while we were coming here pretty much weekly, but it has gotten extremely busy the last few months and it’s been a two hour wait the last few visits.
Never the less, it’s worth it for the food, fresh tasty dishes that always hit the mark, and their cocktails are fantastic, if a little too delicious!
They have a great range of vegetarian options and their fresh spring rolls and crispy tofu are two of my faves.
Great place for group functions too as it has a really fun (though sometimes noisy) atmosphere.
Highly recommended, but get in early or you won’t get in for dinner until after 9pm (they don’t take bookings)

by Julie
9th July 2012

I had been anticipating a great night here after reading reviews but sadly did not find much to recommend. It’s true the decor is great but the experience was let down by odd waitstaff and average meals with VERY small portions. Both mains were small, even after the menu had been described to us. We ordered three entrees to share and two mains but came away hungry ! How any Vietnamese restaurant could not serve rice with a meal is beyond me , as was the fact that no condiments ( chilli, Nuoc mam, lime) were offered. Pho Bo was plain disappointing. Each dish bar the cabbage salad lacked the fresh zing Vietnamese food should have. NOT good value for money either.

by Michelle L.
8th July 2012

Had a delicious meal at Cafe Hanoi last night and great service too. The only downside was having to wait an hour to be seated – but the food was worth the wait. I would have to say the wine was a little pricey – but probably the same as any other restaurant in that area.

by M
24th June 2012

Pleasant and interesting food, polite staff and a fairly efficient waiting list for tables. It’s a shame they don’t take bookings but we only had to wait 20 minutes this time.

by Mim
18th April 2012

This is the 1st time I’ve been compelled to write a review having read some of the previous negative comments. I’m assuming that all the rude staff have been sacked and the chef has changed.. Who knows!
Cafe Hanoi surpassed my expectations this afternoon. We were given exceptional service by a very friendly and knowledgeable waiter, ate the freshest, most delicious Vietnamese food in a very comfortable and rather trendy surroundings. Service was quick, efficient and my friend and I had a fab time.
Can’t wait to go back and check it out in the evening. As for not taking bookings, I’m more than happy to sup on a glass of wine in Smith Bar opposite should a table not be available straight away!

by Joanna M.
12th April 2012

I’d heard heaps about this Vietnamese restaurant, and was extremely excited to try it out. As a vegetarian, ethnic restaurants are often my best option, and I knew they had an extensive vege list, so thought I’d be sorted.

I arrived late, and my group were already seated. It was the day before the Easter break, and the entire Britomart area was stretched to capacity, but thwe were lucky enough to secure a table for six, so we were well pleased.

The interiors of this place are simply wonderful. Huge paper lamps bob and sway from the ceiling, there’s great ambient lighting, and pared back, authentic Vietnamese style decor. All very Graham Greene.

But sadly, the interiors are the best thing about this place. I had to wait about 20 minutes to get my drink ordered. It took about another 20 minutes to arrive. The wait staff were harried and short tempered; but you couldn’t blame them – the place was so understaffed they were literally running from table to table.

We ordered food (eventually) and it arrived quite quickly, but this too was disappointing. The vege options were bland – in fact I barely touched them. When we had finished we were asked to leave the table immediately by a rude waiter wanting to fill the table. We were asked to go downstairs to a bar which we couldn’t actually find; luckily a nice woman (maybe the owner) eventually showed us the way.

So, to sum up, as a vegetarian, I wouldn’t bother going here again. The staff are unpleasant, the food is bland. The interiors are gorgeous, but that’s about it. IMO totally over rated.

by Ateo
20th February 2012

put some effort into the beer list, get rid of the cheap predictable beers any average place has. good food, strange service tho. Was a nice place

by Robyn L.
20th February 2012

Great food for a fairly reasonable price. Good dining experience, however the service was below par due to some major inattentiveness on the part of the wait staff.

by Jessica
15th February 2012

I had an amazing dining experience here last weekend. As we knew it didn’t reservations my friend and I arrived at 7pm, popped our names on the wait list for tables and then popped down the road for a wine in one of the Britomart bars, the perfect warmup. In 30 minutes exactly as promised we were called and told our table was ready.

We were seated at a cosy table, the places was very fully but the atmosphere was bustling and fun. The waiters were exceptional, friendly, helpful and extremely efficient and knew the menu in and out. We ordered the John Dory, the Squid and a range of sides and just shared everything. The eggplant and tofu sides were a highlight, both of the mains were delicious and I was particularly impressed with the succulent, fragrant john dory.

Overall we had a wonderful time and a very reasonable bill at the end. I am already thinking of who I can “take’ there, so I can go again

by dave j.
16th January 2012

great locations and nice on the inside, a really busy spot as well. this place will do well but its not my favourite place for vietnamese maybe my favourite place to be seen eating vietnamese if u are into keeping up with the jones’s but the service is spot on here

by glenn e.
6th January 2012

2nd visit very slick operation, great service, good food and reasonably priced for the quality, what more could you want.

by Claire
18th November 2011

I love the food at this place and the wine list is great, so is the atmosphere. It’s a little on the pricey side, but it’s somewhere I love to take people, in fact I’m going tonight. Try the Vietnamese meatballs and the summer rolls; amazing!

by Simon
3rd November 2011

Reviewed on a wet Thurs night. Table for 1 at the bar. Had open wontons, pho bo, cellophane noodle salad, pork skewers. Open wontons were ok, pho bo was disappointingly small and not particularly fragrant even with adjustments of fish sauce/etc. Neither pork skewers or cellophane noodle salad were memorable. Surprised that chopped capsicums were provided in place of chilli in the condiments (along with fishsauce and lime). Service was good but needs to be sharpened – napkins weren’t provided, cutlery was left on the table without plate or anything to store it on between courses. Overall atmosphere was pretty nice, drinks were good but for a food venue, very disappointing. Lasting impression was that the kitchen had substituted high volumes of salt instead of natural flavours in all dishes and I was left drinking large volumes of water.

by Chloe M.
22nd August 2011

People are very quick to judge without doing their research. This place is an eating house, and it says so.
Something relatively new to kiwis, the concept of not planning or making a reservation 1 week in advance for a ‘steak dinner’. If I hadn’t learnt about this place before and hadnt prepared myself for a 45min wait then the experience would have been different. Great service. Clean simple tidy meals. Very fresh, modern Asian. Don’t go expecting a big cheap dirty eat. Eating houses are higher end and prices to match. The point is you get in and out. Lounge around all night in a lounge. That’s what they are for, and Auckland has plenty. I was surprised that there were 0 tables available at 8pm on a monday, but Britomart has so many fabulous bars to enjoy now, what a great way to spend the night with friends!

by Anthony S.
21st August 2011

So so difficult to get seating here. The Vietnamese staff, on the phone, indicated that there are no reservations. We arrived at 645 pm aon a Saturday and it was true. The wait was for ca 45 minutes, we were told by a Kiwi.

No go, no customers.

by Johnathon
16th August 2011

I have tried to eat at this restaurant on two separate occasions. First time was a group of 10 people arriving 8.00pm and the second time two of us trying earlier at 6.30pm, both on Monday nights. Walk in only, no reservations, oh my goodness, what a hassle, Will not be returning, by the time you find head into the city and find a car park and walk to the restaurant just to find no tables available. The restaurant is fairly small, on both nights we arrived no area even to sit and have a drink if you want to wait for a table. Told by the stressed out front staff that you would be best to go have a drink at the local cow boy bar over the road and we will call you when there is a table available. I don’t think so, let’s move on I suggested and dine somewhere more welcoming, of course there is lots to choose from in the city, and the atmosphere and service can only be better than what I have experienced at Cafe Hanoi. Menu is simple, short & sweet, so I was interested to see for myself what all the hype was about. Won’t be trying to dine at Cafe Hanoi again

by Disco
12th August 2011

Amazing!!
We had a ladies lunch here yesterday,a beautiful example of a grown up’s restaurant, professional & upbeat service & stunning food! They do what they do and they do it well! Compliments Hanoi!

by Mark B.
11th August 2011

Had a great waiter, and that was it. Was really looking forward to a good Vietnamese meal, and could not have been more disappointed. Could not find anything in the food that reminded me of Vietnam, Vietnamese cuisine, or any Asian flavors at all! Vietnamese food is typically very “clean”, simple and subtle flavors, really straight and uncluttered. Our dishes tasted like they had been thrown together by someone who had a spastic fit in the spice cupboard.

Walk on by folks.

by Adeline
22nd June 2011

This restaurant has got to be a joke. Two of my friends and I dined there last month. Although the head waiter was attentive (taking our coat, seating us at the bar), the service was curt and somewhat unfriendly. The waitress started clearing our table without even asking us! As such, we didn’t feel welcomed and didn’t stay on for drinks.

Food was exorbitantly priced, portions were abysmal. I now understand the phrase ‘food morsels’ served at michelin restaurant-star prices. Truly disappointing. It was not as tasty as I would have expected – in fact, it was hard to see the Vietnamese connection. Perhaps it was trying hard to be a French-Vietnamese fusion or something, I don’t know.

Regardless, it will never get my recommendation or vote.

Update: The restaurant manager has recently contacted me offering an explanation. I highly value his initiative, and we subsequently shared a very interesting discussion on improving the dining experience of his restaurant. Good luck, and kudos for taking such an active interest in my review. Cheers.

by Naz B.
19th June 2011

Just had dinner with friends at Cafe Hanoi. Amazing food and great service. Beautiful restaurant with a great atmosphere. Will definitely be going back!! Highly recommend the Shaking Beef dish

by Lou
17th June 2011

Been here twice and really enjoyed myself. Found the food great – the only thing I didnt think was fantastic was the papaya and chicken salad which I found tastless and bland. Loved the hotpot of pork belly and stir fried squid.
Service was friendly and I like that you put your name down if its busy and can go have a drink elsewhere, they’ll call you when a table is free

by Lezel
2nd May 2011

Great thing that the food was amazing as one particular staff member definitely was not.
I have never been treated so rudely within a restaurant as we were treated here by the duty manager. You made a lot of money out of us and to argue and yell at customers is just plain rude and uncalled for. You made a mountain out of a mole hill and certainly reduce the class of the place.

by Kate B.
18th April 2011

Had the worst experience at this restaurant, would not recommend, food was expensive for what you get, service was terrible, was overcrowded as people were waiting for tables.

The main waiter was extremely rude.
after ordering the fresh spring rolls and trying them we found out there were peanuts in them but there was no mention of this on the menu. one of the guests I was with was allergic to peanuts so we had to leave.

Would never go back nor recommend this place!

by Amanda C.
13th March 2011

I’ve eaten at Cafe Hanoi four times and it’s always been rather tasty (the first time was definitely the best). I believe its good value for central city dining. We got papaya salad, cockles steamed in beer, pumpkin curry and something else plus a glass of wine and a soft drink for around $50 so that’s good.
Always busy but yummo!

by Richard D.
25th January 2011

I was looking forward to having a great meal at this place, the reviews were great BUT…….Very average food, some dishes were to bland. It is designed for Kiwi taste buds and does not bring out the true Vietnam flavor it should.Service was the only thing it had and cocktails to make your meal. What a hype about nothing.

by Cheryl W.
27th September 2010

What fantastic Vietnamese in a trendy and clean restaurant. The shaken beef is delicious as was the chicken salad. Even the desserts were delicious and I don’t normally like Asian desserts!! Cant wait to go back. Only downside is that you cant book, however they took my mobile number and called us when our table was ready! Now that’s thinking

by Peter T.
19th September 2010

Too expensive for what it is. The Shaking Pepper Beef was great but the rest of the food was boring and the staff were rude.

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