What it is: On the northern end of the laid-back island neighborhood called Trúc Bạch, this two-level bar has 19 taps devoted to beers from smaller, independent brewers from across Vietnam. The main floor includes the bar, a few stand-up tables, and a busy little kitchen preparing various small plates, including Vietnamese sausages, fried Spanish cheese, skewers, wings, or roasted potatoes, most for $1 to $3 per plate. There are more places to sit upstairs, including the terrace, where you’re likely to meet various local geeks, expats, and travelers who know where to find the better beer.
Why it’s great: When you’ve had your fill of bia hoi—Hanoi’s wonderfully cheap, fresh, ultra-light lager, typically going for 40 to 50 cents a glass—Standing Bar is the ideal place to find some local beers with flavor. A pleasant walk or quick cab ride from the Old Quarter, Trúc Bạch is near enough to the tourist path, and it offers a bounty of chill coffee shops as well as local specialty pho chiên phong—deep-fried pockets of rice noodle meant for stuffing with beef and veggies. Or, pull up a chair just across the road from Standing Bar, on the edge of the lake into which the late U.S. Senator John McCain crashed his A-4 Skyhawk in 1967 after being shot down. Relax and appreciate the fact that some parts of the world, at least, have become more peaceful.
Hours: 3 p.m.–midnight, Monday–Friday; noon–midnight, Saturday & Sunday
Address: 170 P. Trấn Vũ, Trúc Bạch, Ba Đình, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Web: facebook.com/standingbarhanoi