By Hamy Nguyễn

Over the past year, Hà Nội has seen a rapid rise of what might be called "street wine bars". Think of them as wine stripped of ceremony: casual, approachable, and comfortably woven into everyday life. These spaces are usually small, often spilling onto a sidewalk, a courtyard, or a modest terrace, with concise food menus designed less for dining and more for grazing, just enough to keep the glasses company.

Mixed cold cuts and cheese board. – Photos courtesy of Hamy Nguyễn

Having worked with wine, and around it, on a daily basis for almost a decade, it is hard to overstate my delight at watching this model take root. Wine here is no longer treated as a luxury item that demands an occasion or intimidation. There are plenty of good bottles at sensible prices, and just as importantly, wine is rediscovered as something to sip slowly, not necessarily to drink to excess.

Perhaps what I enjoy most is this quiet correction of a long-held misunderstanding: wine was never meant to be distant. It was always meant to be shared.

I first came to Bouchon through someone I know, and Trần Trọng Hải Hà – the owner and sommelier – is a figure I have long respected as one of Việt Nam’s early wine professionals. But Hà makes no effort to lean on reputation or relationships. Much like Bouchon itself, he remains quietly low-key. In many ways, the bar feels like an extension of its owner: unassuming and free of noise, yet marked by a careful attention to both food and wine.

Grilled sourdough with butter and homemade caramel sauce.

In French, bouchon refers to a small Lyonnais wine tavern built on simple food, good bottles, and easygoing conviviality. Staying true to the name, Bouchon in Hà Nội remains modest and unshowy.

I will deliberately keep wine out of the spotlight here. Tastes differ, after all, and good wine is best suggested according to the weather, the mood, and the company at the table. One friendly warning, though: don’t come just for the wine, as the food very much deserves your attention as well.

No drinking session should begin without a proper opening act, and at Bouchon that role is played by the big mixed cold cuts and a cheese board (VNĐ420,000). What looks like a familiar charcuterie plate quickly turns into a small exercise in discovery: supple mortadella, truffle-laced salami, excellent sourdough, house-made tomato jam and, unexpectedly, a scoop of blue cheese ice cream tucked right onto the board. Nothing here feels accidental; every element is carefully chosen and deliberately placed.

Bouchon in Hà Nội remains modest and unshowy

The blue cheese ice cream sounds like a dare but tastes like a revelation. Barely whispering of blue, it invites play with basil, olive oil and balsamic, tomato jam, or simply a swipe of sourdough, and somehow, every combination works.

Smoked salmon on sour cream (VNĐ250,000) is a lesson in restraint. The salmon is fresh, gently smoked, brightened with lemon zest; the sour cream does exactly what sour cream has done loyally for decades. It is a classic pairing, competently executed and entirely agreeable. The dish feels more familiar than memorable, offering comfort rather than surprise.

Smoked salmon on sour cream.

Grilled sourdough with butter and homemade caramel sauce (VNĐ55,000) is, quite simply, a must-order. On paper, it could not be more modest: bread, butter, caramel, but the quality of each element does the heavy lifting. The sourdough is properly grilled, the butter generous, and the house-made caramel deliberately restrained: lightly bitter, never cloying.

I have a particular fondness for sourdough, and this is cut exactly how it should be: thick enough for the crust to turn properly crunchy, yet still soft and chewy at the centre. Together, it is the kind of honest, deeply satisfying bite that proves simplicity, when done well, is anything but simple.

There are plenty of good bottles at sensible prices in Bouchon.

In a city where wine bars are multiplying and noise often passes for energy, Bouchon chooses another register altogether. It does not chase trends, nor does it ask to be noticed. Instead, it offers a place to drink slowly, eat thoughtfully, and stay a little longer than planned. Perhaps that is what it means when a city is ready for its own bouchon: not just as a concept imported from elsewhere, but as a habit learned over time. - VNS

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Bouchon Cafe & Wine

Address: 69 Phùng Hưng Street, Hà Nội

Price: From VNĐ60,000–420,000

Comment: intimate, comforting, low-key, casual