Returning to an old favourite can be like slipping on your lounging clothes at the end of the workday. Assuming you’re going to work, rather than working from home in those lounging clothes as we all have for many months. You know what to expect and you know how you’re going to feel. Favourite restaurants are great to return to if you’re looking for the reliably good experience that you know well. Sometimes, though, old favourites can be even better than remembered. This was our first visit to Café Hanoi since they moved into their larger digs, in the space once occupied by 1885 bar. The room has the same design aesthetic as their former location, but the extra space creates a more expansive feeling. After being enthusiastically welcomed upon arrival, I remembered that Café Hanoi has always had exceptional service. Information appeared to be discreetly passed between maître d, server, and other wait staff so that service is personalised, and you feel like everyone wants you to enjoy yourself. The menu features modern takes on Vietnamese classics and is designed to share. Dry aged kingfish from the raw section was the star dish, with the perfect blend of tangy sweet and sour flavours, and without overpowering sweetness that is common elsewhere. Crumbed prawn balls had a lovely lightness that played to the fresh flavours wrapped inside a lettuce leaf with pickled veges, fresh herbs and chilli mayo. Café Hanoi have always had beautiful squid and I can confirm that it is still lovely. Delicate, without any chewiness, the dish has a nice chilli bite and lemongrass. Green beans with shiitake mushrooms were the perfect fresh greens to round out the meal. The only dish that disappointed was the Hanoi-style grilled pork, nuoc cham and rice noodles. It wasn’t a bad dish; it just didn’t stand out as much as the others. Café Hanoi will remain an old favourite and we will return when we’re after fresh, tasty flavours with the most welcoming service.

I really liked Gin&tonic🍸with green peppers 🥩I didn’t take a picture of the Eye fillet but that’s tasty. Octopus was tender and the sauce was little sweet & sour. Bit hint of lemongrass was nice.

Food was alright. The atmosphere and drinks were great. Our waiter wasn’t knowledgeable or helpful. He seemed to be in a rush everytime we interacted with him. It seemed like he had no idea what a draft beer was and just told us nothing was on draft. We could see the bar and saw beers on tap. I asked another waitress and she provided the types of draft beers and we ordered with her.

First time to cafe Hanoi with family. Service is good, food is excellent. Tucked in ghost lane, not too hard to find. Love to come back again to try more dishes.

Great atmosphere, friendly and efficient staff, delicious food. Very busy on Saturday night. Book in advance! It's standard costs for restaurants in the CBD area. We ordered pork belly that was tender and delicious and fish. Food came real quick but fish had lots of undercooked onions which made it not very nice. Apart from that everything was great!

A rare restaurant in Auckland where you can get authentic Vietnamese food. You can't go wrong with any dish you order, but you should definitely try the Vietnamese coffee with condensed nilk after your meal. You can enjoy the authentic Vietnamese taste. I also recommend a seat at the counter, where you can watch the food being cooked. Fire and sounds are so good!

Dined here several times, this time as a group event. The wait staff were delightful, very thoughtful and made sure everyone was well fed and had their drinks topped up. The space was cozy and intimate - it did get quite warm with the number of people in there. Lighting and ambiance was also great. The food - delicious and lots of it! Did not skimp on the salmon or duck in their rice paper rolls.

Great first dinner in auckland! It's a little hidden but not too hard to find. It's modern vietnamese food. We got a few starters and mains to share and enjoyed them all. We didn't have a reservation but were able to be seated at the counter watching the kitchen when we walked in. We enjoyed watching the preparation of each meal and enjoyed our food!

Had the set menu, overall great place for an intimate work lunch, service was good and they allocated a dedicated wait staff for us, which was great. Portions were great, we were all very full by the end of the meal. Dessert platter was the highlight. The only downer of the meal were My colleagues commented that the dishes was too heavily salted such as the shiitake and water chestnut spring rolls, chicken curry, the fish in the rice noodle dish and stir fry vege, I also find those dishes quite salty.

We had a wonderful dinner on our first night in Auckland. We managed to get a table despite not having a booking right next to the kitchen which was great, as we could see the chefs whip up the orders. The food was super tasty, portions were reasonable and came out really fast and pretty much one after the other. Prices were $$ and the surcharge for the public holiday was hefty but service and atmosphere was great.

The best restaurant I visited as of today in Auckland. Great taste and unique flavor. You won’t be going wrong visiting this place.

Fusion Vietnamese restaurant about 7 blocks from the cruise terminal for those coming off cruise ships which I was. The grilled Hanoi pork was the best entree we had with perfectly grilled and marinaded pork served with lettuce and pork medallions served with vermicelli in a mild nuoc nam sauce. The shrimp cutlet was a generous entree of 9 shrimps pankoed and fried. The grilled octopus was grilled cut up pieces and I wish the serving for this was more generous given the price. The rice rolls were serviceable but as such were also overpriced. The popular jackfruit salad was photogenic but for me a miss, with the featured jackfruit lacking in flavor sufficient to anchor the dish. Interestingly the restaurant has a limited menu of cold diet drinks with the only soft drinks from local karma brand. Its diet cola did not compare well to Diet Coke or Coke Zero. A sugar-free iced tea or an indulgent iced milk tea would be welcomed additions to the menu.

Service by Harry! 💯 We enjoyed our dining experience at Cafe Hanoi. We went on New Year's Eve and were treated to some excellent cocktails and delicious food. I included the receipt so you could see what we ordered. The stand out was the beef. Really tender and flavorful.

Fabulous upmarket Vietnamese. Expansive menu with options for everyone. Mains are very generous. Particularly nice desserts.

Great place to eat that was well priced for the quality of food. Around $100 per person with two drinka each. Food was over all outstanding with the octopus being a stand out. Friendly and helpful staff that where more than welcoming to questions and advice on what a good quantity of food was good to start with. Highly recommended to anyone thinking about trying it. Will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu.

I’m not often moved to post a review about anything, but the food at this place is simply that good it’s hard not to. Don’t be underwhelmed by the understated menu. Tasty, generous, feel good food.

Staffs were friendly and vibes were good too. The prawn was the best dish I guess. Compared to the high reputation, other foods were quite average. Next time, I’ll just grab two prawn dishes

Ventured to Cafe Hanoi for a special dinner date and opted for this month's $75 per head special course menu. The evening began on a high note with the shiitake and water chestnut netted spring rolls; they were delicious, especially when paired with the accompanying sauce and lettuce. The chargrilled NZ octopus didn’t fall behind, offering a unique and satisfying flavor. However, as we ventured further into the menu, the flavors began to challenge our palates. The standout Bun Cha was a great treat, well complemented by lettuces and rice noodles. The poached organic chicken salad, reminiscent of coleslaw, was an interesting mix of sweet and sour. Conversely, the tofu cooked in tomato sauce felt out of place, coming across as another sour dish rather than a fulfilling main. Additionally, the rice didn't seem to complement any of the mains. The dessert, Coconut sago with white chocolate yogurt, while new and intriguing, didn't quite hit the mark for us. While some flavors felt unfamiliar, possibly owing to our limited experience with Vietnamese cuisine, what truly stood out was the restaurant's inviting ambiance and friendly service. All in all, a worthwhile experience for the ambiance and starters, but the main courses might benefit from some tweaking.

I have got to say I am a little bit disappointed as Cafe Hanoi has a very high reputation. Vibes are good, staff are friendly and restaurant was busy. We tried the set menu for Restaurant Month, which I do not recommend, the Octopus dish is AMAZING, but the rest is just OKAY. Should’ve ordered the prawn, seafood, or green curry instead. Desert coconut sago is directly out of fridge, doesn’t match a good restaurant’s level

Service was good. Nice atmosphere for drinks and food. If you are interested in something a bit different from felafel, shewarma and berokus then I would suggest you give it a try. You get a table for 2 hours. Reserve in advance.

Cool little Vietnamese place by the water. They have another place downstairs called Ghost street which is worth checking out as well. Nice food and great service

This is a MUST try establishment in the Britomart precinct. Plan to visit again to try every single item on the menu. Fuss free and friendly service. Hostess Erin is wonderful and took great care with the service.

Very yummy food! Fast service and very kind staff! Will definitely be back

Absolutely delicious meal! Went with a large group ~17 people and they were very accommodating. Went with the set menu for simplicity and they delivered. Very generous servings. Thank you!

Great atmosphere and ambience. The eggplant and beef is a must! A lovely evening spent with friends have to come back to try the rice rolls

Our first meal in New Zealand! Loved this place, amazing ambiance, great service and super tasty food. The prawns, wok sauteed fish and vegetarian dishes were devotional!!! Highly recommend this place!

Great dinner experience with cafe Hanoi. The front of house and bar staff are fantastically hospitable. Tiger prawns are to die for. Great mixing sauce for the jack fruit salad. 10/10 for a Vietnamese fusion.

Quite possibly one of the best meals I have ever had. The food melts in your mouth and the flavors are world class. Portion sizes are just right, not too small and not too big. Service is great and knowledgeable about the food selection but how to eat the dishes. Eine selection excellent. Pricey but worth every cent. Would love to go again!!!

Great vibes excellent service yummy food. One thing the place can improve on is to change the kettle they use for boiling hot water .. (last time I went I saw them using a kettle that was quite plasticky, so I didn’t order any hot drinks although I’m a big fan of Vietnamese coffee)

Good place for fine dining.Tiger prawn cutlets are crispy and tasty. Like tofu rice paper rolls. I had aromatic vegan curry with rice and felt so good. Servers were friendly, attentive and provide an excellent service.

Went here on a recommendation when visiting Auckland and it did not disappoint! best steak dish I have ever had. The duck was excellent too. All the meals had fantastic flavours. Really great staff. Lovely setting. Would love to come back and try some more! :D

Had a great meal here. We would recommend. The fish was amazing.

Booked a table for a friends birthday catch-up our experience was amazing the service and food was great. We really enjoyed the food and drinks

Friendly and professional service. Food came out very promptly. Great flavours. The crispy duck pancake was the star for us.

Perfect from start to finish. Welcoming front of house, our wait staff helped us through the menu and was very accommodating when we asked to swap out a meal on the set menu (which I totally recommend). All dishes were delicious and perfectly cooked and served. Well worth the trip into town. Parking was easy on a Sunday evening. We will be back on our next trip to Auckland