Nicknamed the birthplace of egg coffee, Cafe Giang is home to the famous egg coffee drink, created by Nguyễn Văn Giảng in Hanoi in 1946.
Egg coffee is a distinctive drink that has captured the attention of both locals and tourists since its introduction, making Cafe Giang a popular destination in Hanoi.
During my trip to Hanoi, I made my way to Cafe Giang to try the drink. In this blog post, I’ll recap my experience and share everything you need to know about visiting and trying the drink for yourself.
You may also enjoy this blog post on Visiting the Hanoi Train Street.
This blog post may contain affiliate links which means that if you book one of these activities using my link (which I know you will because you loved how helpful this blog post is *wink*I am going to receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting BCJ!
History of Cafe Giang
The history of Cafe Giang is fascinating.
As this excerpt on CNBC details, Nguyễn Văn Giảng, the founder of the drink, was a barman at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi.
One day, he ran out of milk to serve with coffee, then decided to replace the milk with a mixture of egg yolks and condensed milk, and that is how the drink was created and eventually how the opening of Cafe Giang came to be!
Since then, the recipe has been preserved for decades and continues to define the café’s identity.
Location
The original Cafe Giang branch is located at 39 Nguyễn Hữu Huan, Hoàn Kiếm District, Hanoi, in the Old Quarter, and is the location I chose to visit.
There are several Cafe Giang branches operating across Hanoi.
All of the branches are said to maintain the authentic taste and atmosphere of the original cafe, ensuring that they follow the traditional recipe.
I actually didn’t realize I was visiting the original branch, as I had typed ‘Cafe Giang’ into Google Maps and chose the location closest to me. However, I’m happy it happened to be the original one!
Inside Cafe Giang
The main branch of Cafe Giang welcomes you with a narrow entrance that leads down a small alley.
The cafe features a multi-level layout with seating areas on both the upper and lower levels.
Downstairs, seating is more limited, with only a few tables and stools available for customers.
Upstairs, there is a lot more seating, featuring low tables and small stools, which creates an intimate and casual atmosphere.
The cafe was quite crowded when I visited in the morning, but the servers managed the flow efficiently under the circumstances.
The Menu
When you take a seat at Café Giảng, a server brings over a menu filled with a wide variety of drinks, besides just the famous egg coffee.
Drink Options Available
While the original egg coffee is the star, it was interesting to see several creative variations, such as egg with Oreo, egg with cinnamon, and more, many of which can be ordered hot or cold.
The menu also features other unique coffee offerings, such as salted cream coffee and white coffee, allowing you to explore different flavors aside from the classic version of the drink.
If you are not into coffee, there’s also a selection of teas, yogurts, juices, and sodas.
I was so focused on trying the egg coffee, but I definitely wish I had tried one of the other drinks, so try one for me if you visit Cafe Giang!
Food Options Available
When I visited Café Giang, the only food options available were milk toast and a croissant.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the limited food menu is intentional, likely designed to encourage a quicker turnover of guests due to the small space and limited seating.
In my opinion, it’s a smart approach, especially considering how crowded the café is likely to be throughout the day.
Spending about an hour there is more than enough time to try the egg coffee, soak in the atmosphere, and be on your way.
What I Ordered
Interestingly, I don’t actually drink coffee.
However, when traveling, I am always willing to try new things and push myself to expand my taste buds, especially if it’s something that many people are raving about, so I knew I had to try the egg coffee at least!
I ordered the following items:
- One hot egg coffee 40k VND ($1.52)
- One cold egg coffee 40k VND ($1.52)
- One croissant 40k VND ($1.52)
My order arrived fairly quickly, in about 10 minutes, which was great! The food items are prepackaged, and I’m unsure how fresh they are, so that’s something to consider.
Did I Like the Egg Coffee?
I wasn’t expecting to like the egg coffee, but I actually found it to be quite good!
The texture was a lot thicker than I expected it to be, but it has a nice, modestly sweet flavor at the top before getting to a stronger coffee taste at the center of the drink.
I preferred the cold version of the egg coffee over the hot one, as the taste of the coffee was not as strong, and the cold one had a lot more flavor.
Things to Know About Visiting Cafe Giang
Cash only payment
At the time of my visit to Cafe Giang, the cafe only accepted cash for payment. I recommend having cash with you so you don’t have any issues paying your bill once you’ve finished your drinks.
The best time to visit Cafe Giang
The best time to visit Cafe Giang is as soon as the cafe opens, to secure a seat to your liking.
The cafe fills up very quickly, and it’s a great way to start your day – get in and out, and cross it off your list first thing in the morning!
You may experience a delay in being seated or in finding a seat otherwise.
Does Cafe Giang accept reservations?
Cafe Giang operates on a first-come, first-served basis due to the high volume of people constantly coming in and out.
You can reach out to the cafe directly and see if they would be willing to accept a reservation, but I’m not sure if it would be honored.
Egg Coffee Activities and Experiences to Book
