Right after leaving Kim Ngan Temple in the Old Quarter, the sky had darkened considerably. Son, my tour guide from Hanoikids, quickly went in search for a cafe to escape from the impending rain.
He finally brought me to Hanoi Soul Cafe located at a ship-like building opposite the picturesque Hoan Kiem Lake.
Crossing the road from Hang Gai Street to the building was quite a nightmare as there were far too many cars and motorbikes which would not stop for you to cross the road! Luckily Son was there to guide me. The trick is to just walk across the road in a steady manner and allow the cars and motorbikes to swerve around you as you walk.
I actually got the hang of it after some practice and could cross any road in Hanoi confidently during the rest of my trip. LOL!
The signboard of Hanoi Soul Cafe was displayed at the ground floor entrance of the building. By the way, I don't think the website exists. I wonder if they have a new website.
I followed Son up to the third floor and saw this signboard which leads us to the cafe.
I did not take any photo of the cafe inside. We decided to sit outside at the balcony to get a nice view of the busy streets below and also to enjoy the beautiful view of Hoan Kiem Lake.
I had a good time chit chatting with Son here and I particularly enjoyed the view while it rained outside.
I had earlier thought of ordering Vietnamese coffee but since my stomach was not feeling so good, I decided to go for coconut water instead. Son had a glass of smoothies.
We did not order any food. I guess we were still quite full after that delicious late lunch we had at New Day Restaurant at Ma May Street.
If I were to return to this cafe in the future, I would definitely order some food and Vietnamese coffee. And I would certainly go cafe hopping on my future trip to Hanoi!
By the time we left Hanoi Soul Cafe, the rain had already stopped. Son took me for some leisurely walk around Hoan Kiem Lake before showing me around the French Quarter. You can read all about it HERE.
Coming Up Next : My Kayaking Adventure At Halong Bay
