Where to eat egg coffee — and why Giảng still wins
Cà phê trứng — egg coffee — was invented in Hanoi in 1946 when milk was scarce. Here are the four cafés that get it right, plus how to drink it without grimacing.
The story everyone tells: in 1946, Hanoi had Vietnamese coffee but no milk. A bartender at the Sofitel Metropole called Nguyễn Văn Giảng beat egg yolks with sugar to mimic milk foam, dolloped it on top of strong black coffee, and accidentally invented one of the most distinctive drinks in Asia.
Eighty years later, his family still runs the original Cà phê Giảng. There are now hundreds of egg coffees across Hanoi — only a few are worth crossing town for.
What you’re actually drinking
A small glass of strong black Vietnamese coffee (made from robusta beans, not arabica), topped with whipped egg yolks beaten with sweetened condensed milk. The egg foam is cooked just enough by the heat of the coffee to lose any rawness; the texture is somewhere between custard and merengue.
It tastes like tiramisu in liquid form. It’s served in a small ceramic cup, sometimes sat in a bowl of hot water to keep the coffee warm.
1. Cà phê Giảng — the original
Address: 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hoàn Kiếm Hours: 7am–10pm Price: 35,000–45,000 VND (~$1.40–1.80) Order: Cà phê trứng nóng (hot egg coffee). Iced version exists but is a 1990s invention.
The 1946 recipe, still made by the founder’s family. The egg foam is denser and slightly less sweet than at imitators — closer to the original wartime version. The coffee underneath is strong enough to balance it.
The location is small and crowded. Climb the unmarked staircase to the upstairs room (there’s no signage indicating it’s there). Kiss your knees against the table; the seating is tight.
2. Cà phê Đinh — Giảng’s daughter, by Hồ Gươm
Address: 13 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, 2nd floor, Hoàn Kiếm Hours: 7am–10pm Price: 35,000 VND (~$1.40) Order: Cà phê trứng
Run by Mr Giảng’s daughter, in an apartment building overlooking Hoàn Kiếm Lake. Same recipe; better view. The staircase is also unmarked — look for the small “Cà phê Đinh” sign at the building entrance and climb to the second floor.
If Giảng’s queue is unbearable, this is the equally legitimate alternative. Locals are split on which is better — most of them quietly admit that the recipe is identical and the view at Đinh’s makes it the winner.
3. Cà phê Lâm — the artist’s hangout
Address: 60 Nguyễn Hữu Huân, Hoàn Kiếm (a few doors down from Giảng) Hours: 7am–11pm Price: 30,000–40,000 VND Order: Cà phê trứng or cà phê chồn (weasel-coffee — a separate experience)
A 70-year-old café whose walls are covered in donated paintings — Lâm used to accept artwork as payment from poor students. The egg coffee is good but not transcendent; you come here for the atmosphere and the coffee history. Order both an egg coffee and a regular cà phê đen đá (iced black) — the contrast is the point.
4. Cà phê Giảng (Yên Phụ branch) — the modernised version
Address: 109 Yên Phụ, Tây Hồ Hours: 7am–10pm Price: 45,000 VND Order: Cà phê trứng
Run by a different branch of the Giảng family. Larger, cleaner, with English menus and air conditioning. The recipe is slightly tweaked — sweeter, lighter foam — and there are flavoured variants (matcha egg coffee, chocolate egg coffee). Purists hate it. People who don’t love bitter coffee love it. It’s a fair starting point if you find the original too intense.
What about Loading T?
Loading T Café in Hai Bà Trưng is sometimes recommended for egg coffee because the venue (a restored colonial villa) is photogenic. The egg coffee itself is fine but no better than the four above, and the prices are 2–3× higher because you’re paying for the room. Worth it for the atmosphere if you have an hour to linger; not worth it if you came for the drink.
How to drink egg coffee
- Stir gently for 5 seconds — just enough to break the foam into the coffee.
- Drink hot, in small sips. The flavour changes as the egg cools and disperses; the first sip and the last are different drinks.
- Don’t add anything. No extra sugar, no milk. The recipe is balanced as-is.
- Pair with: nothing. Maybe a small biscuit. Egg coffee is its own thing.
- Pace yourself — there’s a lot of caffeine and sugar in a small cup.
Cold egg coffee — yes or no?
Cold (iced) egg coffee was invented in the 1990s, decades after the original. The egg foam is slightly different — the heat-cooking step is replaced by setting the foam over ice, so the texture is closer to whipped cream. It’s lighter, sweeter, and great in summer.
Purists say cold egg coffee isn’t real egg coffee. Realists order it on a 35°C August afternoon and get on with their lives.
Variants you might see
- Cà phê trứng matcha — green tea egg coffee. A 2010s invention, popular with younger Hanoians. Tastes like a tiramisu with green tea.
- Cà phê trứng chocolate — egg coffee with cocoa folded in. Fine but unnecessary.
- Trứng đào — egg coffee with peach syrup. A novelty.
- Trứng cốt dừa — egg coffee with coconut milk. Actually decent; ask for it at the Yên Phụ branch.
Make it at home
Genuinely possible. The recipe:
2 large egg yolks
2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1 small cup of strong Vietnamese coffee (use phin filter and a robusta blend)
Beat yolks + condensed milk for 4-5 minutes until thick, pale, and fluffy.
Pour the hot coffee into a small heatproof cup, then spoon the foam on top.
Sit the cup in a bowl of hot water if you want it to stay warm.It will taste 80% as good as Giảng’s. The missing 20% is the room, the heat, and the fact that you’re not in Hanoi.