Hanoi 1991 The Vietnamese Coffee House in Cardiff

Hanoi 1991 is one of those places I've noticed when walking through the Royal Arcade over the last 5 years and can't explain why I hadn't yet been in. Well, no more. Checking a few other reviews just drew me in to find out just what I've been missing. Great Vietnamese Cafe dishes were complimented by the great surprise of the egg coffee... a slightly sweet cappuccino textured drink that would draw me back on its own. The Grilled Pork Banh My was a tasty dish while I looked down the fairly brief menu planning my next lunchtime visit.

Delicious Vietnamese egg coffee. Just know that it is extremely sweet and you need to use the spoon to eat the egg foam (which is dairy free by the way- perfect for someone like me who is lactose intolerant). I ordered a slice of their vegan carrot cake, which is tasty. But dessert doesn’t go well with the egg coffee, because that is a dessert in itself. If you’re a little hungry like I was it’s better to order a savory sandwich if you want to have a Vietnamese egg coffee. If you want dessert, stick with a regular coffee. Their staff should give customers a head’s up about this so that’s why I deducted a star.

Went for a quick lunch and was surprise with how spacious the place is (there is an upstairs seating area). The decor is amazing bringing a little bit of Hanoi to Cardiff! There are a few vegan options! The bahn mi is so delicious and generous portion! A lot of smoothies as well! I really enjoyed and had a good experience! The waitresses were so lovely too.

Nice casual cafe for a quick bite. Good to try different drinks.

I found a metal part in the baguette when I was dining. I got a full refund. I hope the restaurant will pay attention to food safety. Please pay attention when you eat. For reference only

Sensational egg coffee. 10/10 will be coming back as often as I can.

Pro tip: if you’re going to say that customers are your “thirteenth reason”, don’t say it within earshot of said customers.

I had a pork bahn mi and it was delicious. Recommend this place. The addition of the sweet chili sauce was a first for me, but I liked it.

I have been eating here for more than a year and I have always liked its noodles. The service attitude of Asian waiters is very good, but the service attitude of non-Asian waiters is always poor, especially those with hair of various colors. And the prices are becoming increasingly unreasonable. A bowl of Vietnamese noodles costs 15 pounds. It is better to go to the nearby JRC buffet and spend the same price to eat a buffet (15 pounds per person at noon).

The waitress was very rude as paying customers and showed alot of attitude for our group that were seated ordily and not chasing any noise disturbances and even counting 2 children as members of a group furthermore as we left and said the service was good to be polite we were met with nothing but rudeness and agression.would not recommend.

The service is horrible and the worker showed attitude and aggression even though we are paying customers

We tried the Vietnamese beef noodle soup, called pho. It was tasty!

Delish, veggie and vegan options. Great value and people watching.

I've eaten here many times, it's delicious

I can’t even tell you how amazing this place is, other than saying - drop everything, stop reading these reviews and just go! Experience it!!! 😍😍😍😍

I got the tofu bahn mi to take away with sweet sauce. The staff were lovely and efficient and the bahn mi was good but I think it may have been better with the spicy sauce

The closest to authentic Vietnamese food In South Wales. We love it here.

The traditional Pho is so good especially the broth, gorgeous comfort food. It’s also really lovely to sit outside the shop when it’s sunny.

Situated in a beautiful arcade, this small and friendly cafe is definitely worth finding. We had the beef Pho n pork bahn mi. Both were very authentic and the service was a no fuss experience. Nice lunch spot.

Had a matcha latte here and it was delicious! I will be back. Just a shame the place closed so early on a Sunday (4pm) but the staff were welcoming, happy and make fantastic coffee. Will be back to try some of the more adventurous brews :)

Favourite Cafe in Cardiff!!! Absolutely love the Vietnamese ice coffee !!! Always fast service and plenty of seating

Good music, best pho I've had, and a nice chill atmosphere

Great place... enjoy the food and best coffee I ever had.

The pho soup base is excellent and the most sincere way to make it in Calgary. Matcha with egg, smooth and soft, an unexpected surprise.

Great small feel to this restaurant which made it feel authentic and in a cute location in the arcade. Having said that, I didn't see cà phê muối on the menu which was a shame and I've definitely had better coconut coffee elsewhere.

Amazing beef stew pho & Vietnamese Ice Coffee, will definitely come back.

Tried the egg coffee with cocoa. Omg this tastes amazing.

Time to spare The usual lunch's on offer...But I see an opportunity for a change... So in I go! How is something so simple, so delicious. Diolch Hanoi 1991 👏👌

I’ve been looking forward to having lunch and trying out Vietnamese Bahn Mi! The servers were friendly and recommended to me Cinnamon Egg Coffee instead of cocoa (because it was already sweet) and I appreciate that because it was my first time trying the egg coffee. There was no black sugar pearl boba - next time! The Bahn Mi was yummy - baguette times by 10. Had all my favourite tastes like spicy tang, fried tofu, packed with veggies and the bread wasn’t stale or too soft. I opted for the vegan tofu as I have a halal diet and personally prefer vegan food over food that I’m not 100% sure is permissible for me to eat. Next time I’ll bring a friend ❤️

Sassy Orange Haired Waitress Came in for coffee and dessert with friends but was given sass within 30secs of arriving when the orange haired waitress rudely asked me to “stay upstairs as someone is already down there” when attempting to go to the toilet. She Chased after me to tell me to look at the tiny hand written sign on the banister then abruptly turned her back to me (power trip). I said it’s my first time here so how could I know how many there are but she rudely ignored me. If it’s that much of an inconvenience for someone to wait downstairs then change the main sign to “Toilet” so people know there’s only one and print the sign in large font so it’s clear. After her rudeness I decided not to spend my money in this establishment however my friends enjoyed their matcha and traditional coffee. Also nice funky tables (hence 2 stars and not 1). Could have been a nice spot but I won’t be going back when welcomed with rudeness. There are plenty of other nice coffee shops in the area.

Today I tried Egg Coffee with cocoa powder. It was my first time trying the Egg Coffee. The foam tasted sweet (but not TOO sweet) and the coffee was a bit stronger than what I usually taste but as I drink the foam and coffee together, it tasted (mixed) just nicely and deliciously. However, when I just got the coffee and tried the first sip I got surprised as it has A LOT of egg foam compared to the coffee. I thought I ordered the egg foam only HAHA so I asked staff then he explained me that it is due to the barista’s style. As I remember, he told me that there are two baristas: one usually put 50:50 of foam and coffee but the other put more than 50% of foam. It was quite interesting story and actually I liked the style today since I could tasted more egg foam which I am trying first time. I am willing to come back and try other egg foam menus next time but that time I wish can get 50:50 ratio to taste the drink as well :))

Great food and also good value for money and also friendly service

Such a cool place with a really interesting atmosphere! The food here is excellent, and the drinks are also fantastic! It introduced me to a cuisine that I had never tried before, and has items that are just as good the millionth time as the first time! I particularly love the Bac Xiu coffee, which is sweetened with condensed milk, although my boyfriend enjoys the egg cream or egg coffee, which is similar in texture and taste to meringue fluff. The decor is really interesting, particularly upstairs, although the seating can be quite low in some places if you are tall. Like many places in the arcade, it does not have disabled access upstairs or downstairs to the toilet.

The coffee was incredible and very enjoyable. Customer service was a bit lacking. Ordered two coffees, only received one.

Really nice place to eat, range of seating options and nice upstairs area. Lots of food and beverages you won't get in other places

What an excellent little cafe in a fabulous arcade in the centre of Cardiff. I tried the egg coffee and was not disappointed. Such a lovely filling drink.

No vegetarian pho, even the tofu pho comes in beef broth

It’s a nice space and ambiance but unfortunately the noodle soup was extremely disappointing. I have a lot of experience of how quality and authentic Vietnamese cuisine is. For £13.80 for a noodle soup one expects to be a little wowed, not to be offered something on a par with a slightly luke warm instant pot noodle look alike. Maybe it was a bad day as it was obviously being run by low paid students who don’t seem to have much experience. Avoid as you’d be better off heading to Wagamama

Egg Coffee and Egg Cocoa is perfect.

Great little place! Tried the lemongrass beef banh mi which was very tasty and the banana coffee. Highly recommend and a must visit every time I am in Cardiff. 2 drinks and 2 sandwiches came to just over £20.

Brilliant place to come to study and for an amazing Banh Mi!!

Fast service. Friendly staff. Felt like I was in Hanoi. Recommend getting tables upstairs. Food is nice too.

I loved everything about it - from the ambience to the service to the food. The restaurant also has a more traditional seating layout depending on what you may prefer. I had the egg cocoa drink - note to self, mix before drinking! (I didn't know that 😂😂). It was very creamy and absolutely delightful. My friend recommended the egg matcha drink (which is really really great). Then I had the tender brisket pho - the brisket was incredibly tender and well spiced. The pho eas also really good - very generous portions and very filling. I got full halfway through (which rarely happens). The service was quick and accurate - orders weren't mixed up and they didn't even have to ask they just remembered who ordered it. Excellent service. My total was £17.35, so it's great if you're looking for under £20 meals I rate it 10/10. It's definitely more of a cafe setting than a restaurant, though - but I highly recommend it if you're looking for where to get pho.

For an authentic pho experience, this is the place to be.

Tried the brisket pho soup was flavourful. The staff could be a little friendly otherwise everything else seemed good.

Different, but in a great way! Service is always super fast and friendly.

Great spot if you're after a quick and tasty lunch. I had the lemongrass beef bahn mi which I would recommend. Although I would have liked a slightly higher meat to bread ratio. The smoothie was also good, but I will try one of the signature egg coffees next time as that sounded interesting. There is additional seating upstairs with space for 4 or 5 of you to sit comfortably at each table. There are also smaller tables for eating solo or in a pair.

Tofu Banh MI delicious, really calm friendly atmosphere. Would definitely recommend to any Cardiff goer. Also tried the egg coffee which was a great desert drink to finish off my meal! P.S got served at the till by kitty, she kept on cracking me up! Lovely staff. (Four months later) - went back here for a second time and had an iced Bac Xiu coffee and rlly enjoyed! Rlly fun Vietnamese coffee options different from else where.

Smoothie was absolutely fantastic. Sandwich was nice but the meat was quite dry. Overall enjoyable.

Amazing food at a great price! Their Coconut Coffee is incredible 😍

Terrible customer service! I feel awful for writing this because from the comments below whoever is the owner of this establishment obviously takes great pride in what they do. However, Saturday lunchtime they were not there. Me and my sister had ordered the Pho and went upstairs to find a table. At this point, the only tables available were very low to the ground. But, it wasn’t too long until a standard table became available so we moved. A young male server then appeared with one of our Phos and promptly started to tell us off for sitting at a table that hadn’t been cleared. He made a big show of clearing the table and all the while continued with his argument. It got the point where I actually had to say “you’ve made your point please can you stop telling us off, we have paid to be here”. In all honesty, we should of asked for our money back and left, but we were in shock at what had just happened. We didn’t have our drinks so I went downstairs to get them and asked to see the manager or person who was in charge that day. The girl started to walk away, laughed, then came back and said “oh that’s me”. I explained what had just happened and instead of offering any sort of apology she just stood there and defended the server. I then watched her walk to the open plan kitchen to get the drinks and proceeded to tell all the staff around her what our conversation was about, I was less than 6 metres away. I would just like to add there is no seating policy i.e. you order at the bar then find a table, no signage about seating, and with less than twenty tables, if the ones that are considered a premium have a quicker turnover then these need to be cleared quicker. On that day, there were at least six staff on and the only time they seem to come upstairs was with food when they might perhaps see a table also needed clearing. It wasn’t a cheap meal at £12.50 a bowl it’s a lunchtime treat and no-one should have the experience we had. If you want Pho go to the self titled restaurant a few streets away. It’s a similar price, but you get proper customer service and you are automatically given fresh chillies, lemongrass, mint etc, to tailor your Pho to your palette. We had no idea this was an option at Hanoi 1991 as no-one offered it and no-one asked near us. To be honest, they were probably just as stunned at how rude the server had been.

[Sep 2023] Came back for a second try despite previous disappointment. Ordered Bánh mì this time and it's very good. I like the baguette with crispy crust and soft texture inside. Also happy with the coconut coffee. Staff are friendly and helpful :) [Dec 2021] Can’t believe my friend said this is the best pho in town. The texture of the pho was just so so and the soup was full of msg. Way too salty to finish the whole bowl. I also found sticky tables and condiments thus definitely need to improve food hygiene.

The special pho is authentic and flavorful. Ban My sandwich is prepared with generous amount of topping. Pork in grilled splendidly. Overall we enjoyed our food very much.

A very Hanoi atmosphere. The food was okay as I'm from Hanoi so I'm a little bit more picky about the food. The coffee is really nice as it's strong and very full-bodied. Must be made from the correct coffee and correct brewing way. Helpful and friendly staff. Come for a Hanoi experience.

Absolutely amazing pho for the price. Really generous portion and flavourful.

Lovely restaurant girl working there was patient as I’d never had Vietnamese coffee before. Lovely coffee great service

Nettes Restaurant in einer Passage. Das Personal war zuvorkommend und hat gut beraten. Ich habe ein Bah mi mit grilled chicken to go bestellt und war begeistert. Es schmeckt wie das Original in Vietnam 🙏

Food is on the pricy side but unique and authentic Vietnamese food. Tried the banhmi - very very tasty but again, a bit pricey

Hunger is the best spice means that you often think that things you eat when you are hungry taste better, simply because of your empty stomach. This doesn’t mean they actually taste better to someone who is not as hungry. Vietnam Egg Coffee is nice tough, come with yolkie on top of full flavor strong coffee. Unique stuff 🫠 Fantastic Bahn mi baguette 🥖 & tasty “ Pho ”. Staff was polite without any positive attitude. *This is Not a great choice for who are Vegetarian to visit.

Egg coffee was a great surprise so nice light and fluffy drank it in seconds at £3 it's not the cheapest but we'll worth a try. The coconut coffee was good too but was so much we left half. Traditional seating upstairs was great way to enjoy the Traditional coffee in a great setting.

I decided to come back here just because I think I should give this place a second chance. The first time I tried banh mi and Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk. Banh mi was too soft even it was warmed up before I guessed. It didn’t taste much like authentic banh mi. I am from Vietnam and I have been trying many different places which serve banh mi and I am used to the adaption versions but I was so disappointed with this version here. The coffee milk was so so. Also, the staff was not friendly at all. This time I was passing the shop and didn’t see the staff last time, so I wanted to try pho to see if it is better. I chose the seat upstairs but on the way going up I can see the stairs are full of dust. I was worried what if it goes to my pho when they bring it up here for me. This time the broth of pho is a bit like pho, that’s why I give it 2 stars. But they serve pho without a separate plate of fresh herbs, bean sprouts and lime, which is very typical for all kinds of Vietnamese noodle soups The decor of the cafe is nice. I think if they invest in cooking authentic food and staff rather than just the decor, the cafe will be much a good choice of destination for both tourists and whom from Vietnam want to taste some hometown food and I can be proud to introduce it to my foreign friends

Great Banh my and Egg coffees. Definitely gave us flashbacks to our time in Hanoi. The staff is also always super friendly. Nice interior, but the tables outside in the beautiful Arcade is perfect for some people watching. We definitely will be back!

One of the best coffee shops in Cardiff. Would recommend to anyone and everyone.

Got served by the friendliest staff 100% recommend

NEVER GO HERE. i was served by a girl called Julia, she was rude and unhelpful. the staff in genreal were a bad vibe and had no clue what was happening. the tables were dirty and the orders were all mixed up. i came here to support a cute independent business, never before have i ever given a one star reveiw. awful staff, vibe, drinks and the food was average without an average price.

Good tea, great hot chocolate. I would give 4 stars because they seem to always be out of grilled chicken Baguettes which are my favourite. But the girl who served me today is cute so I'll let it pass.

An excellent coffee, thank you. Strongly recommend the Egg Latte it is unique and delicious!

The Pho and Banh Mi are fantastic, a really good lunchtime spot. Fantastic value for money too with a whole host of interesting and tasty Vietnamese style coffees.

Nice first experience. Love the authentic decor. The Banh Mi was delicious.

Don't know if we were there the wrong day but we just didn't have a very nice experience. The banh mi was ok.

I walked in without a mask on and the girl at the counter snapped at me to wear one, which I did. Ordered the mango tea which was alright. Nothing I couldn't get from other tea houses. Overall the place just had a very unfriendly vibe from the staff. Probably wouldn't go back again, which is a shame as I'm a big fan of Vietnamese food.

Good coffee. A decent selection of Vietnamese food. Local Vietnamese people use it.

Great Vietnamese EGG Coffee (which is something like 2in1 - dessert when you receive it and it just the yolkie, mega sweet top or proper, full flavour strong coffee with sort of whipped cream after mixing two letters together - which is quite important to mention about because some people seems to don't know how to deal with that, reading opinions). Fantastic Báhn mi baguettes - Asia with French influence on a plate! 🏮💖 Very unique cuisine which needs to be discovered to be appreciated properly. Restaurant of the interior side (exteriors are splendid coz itsy based in beautiful Victorian - 'Morgan Arcade') could be much more nicer with more South East Asian elements but still brings some street/truck food free associations. Staff was polite but without any positive attitude. Maybe they are tired or afraid of all of those Covid-restricsions. Nevertheless I'm gonna be back to get some more of theirs delicious, unique stuff 😋

Ordered the Vietnamese black coffee. Lovely flavour.

We love Vietnamese food and coffee and were delighted when we stumbled across this atmospheric coffee house in Cardiff. The ambience was spot on and some elements of the offer were superb. The coffee was good. It could have been better though. Mainly since one of the UK’s main Vietnamese coffee importers, Dragon Coffee, is based in the same city. The Pho was good too. The brisket was superb, simmered perfectly and very tasty. The noodles were grand. Cooked to perfection. The stock had probably not been simmered long enough since the normally mouth watering liquor was almost tasteless. The bánh mi filling was tasty even though the roll was just an English bun. The staff were lackadaisical and the toilets were plain dirty. All in all not to be recommended.

Thought we'd have a change due to it being packed everywhere else and I'm so glad we did! Just had a Vietnamese black coffee and cake, the coffee was absolutely gorgeous! Smelt very strong but not harsh atall, very sweet. Definitely be back.

Yummy pho, but has limited food choices!

Their egg coffee was delightfully tasty. Also milk free.

Coffee and foods in here are tasty. Highly recommend this place

Really great spot for lunch. Really tasty food and a great selection of drinks. Will be coming again

Food was authentic and of good quality.

Nice beef soup with pho. Make body warm.

Delicious place for a lunch in the arcades. The Bahn My sandwiches are just spectacular, so delicious, flavourful and yet feel healthy with the lovely salad! I'd definitely like to visit again to try the Pho as it looked great too, and the interesting coffees!

The egg coffee taste like raw egg. Actually is disgusting. But if someone want to experience different things still recommended to try. Because it is very special.

Small menu but everything is delicious. Had Hanoi pho noodles and pork bhan mi. Capacino was the best ive ever had.

Had the ban mi which was delicious. Limited menu but the service was good.

Great Vietnamese food in town. The price is reasonable and the food is quite authentic. The pho (which is a new addition to the menu) is actually good.

*Visited around 2019* had the Vietnamese egg coffee - it was just foam no actual coffee. I went to Vietnam in 2020 and the egg coffee there was like actual coffee just super creamy and smooth. It was nothing like the version I had here. If I ordered the wrong version fair enough but it should be renamed, tbh no advice is given when odering. The cake was nice but one piece would be enough for 2 people as its quite a large slice and too stodgy after a few pieces. Photographs good but sadly was not as nice as I hoped. I know since I've visited there is more food to try so may consider this.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Got there with a friend who knows his coffees and said the one he ordered had an oily taste and layer. Could have to do with some coffee machine issues. I ordered the matcha egg but it was 80% foam. The taste was otherwise nice. Also liked the decor and music. My motivation to go here was the high Google rating but I feel - with our experience - this place is overrated.

Really yummy Pho noodles and friendly staff

Cảm ơn. Great vietnamese set up in Cardiff's cute arcade's. And honestly it's very northern vietnamese style if you even spent time in Vietnam, it's a great essence of Hanoi. Even the pho is spot on to Hanoi. A must try when in Cardiff.

Never been to Vietnam so can't judge the authenticity but seemed popular and the ramen looked very tasty.

Such a great atmosphere and highly recommended if you're looking for different espresso-based drinks.

Wonderful Vietnamese Banh My Baguettes!

It's nice, just a pity about the music. They played some radio station while they should have some vietnamese music to complement the rest of the decor.

Fresh tasty food which caters for meat lovers, veggies and vegans. The speciality Vietnamese coffees were a novel treat. I almost felt like I was travelling again! We enjoyed special beef pho, bbq tofu bahn mi, iced coffee with condensed and regular milk, and a whipped egg coffee too. They clearly use good quality espresso for all the coffee bases. 10/10, would recommend for coffee or a light casual meal.

Veey good service, very good food will definitely be visiting again

The food is surprisingly delicious, perfect for a quick meal and afternoon relax

Just the best Vietnamese food in Cardiff

Just the best Vietnamese food I've had in UK.