Hanoi Cooking Classes & Coffee Workshops

Cooking and coffee classes in Hanoi

Hanoi is the home of pho, bun cha and egg coffee, and the quickest way into its food is to cook it yourself. Our hands-on classes in the city are taught in English to small groups, with pickup available from hotels in the Old Quarter. No cooking or barista experience is needed.

Vietnamese cooking class with a market tour

The cooking class starts with a guided walk through Ngoc Ha market to see the herbs, fruit and fresh produce that Hanoi cooks use every day. In a home kitchen in a garden villa, a local chef then shows you how to cook a full meal from scratch: a salad such as green papaya or banana flower, two or three mains such as pho, fried spring rolls (nem ran), banh xeo or cha ca, and a dessert. The class ends at the family table, where you eat what you cooked with homemade wine. It starts at 09:00 or 15:00, lasts about five hours including hotel transfers, takes up to 10 guests, and can be vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher or Jain if you ask when booking.

Hanoi coffee workshop

At the Hanoi coffee workshop, a barista from Local Beans Roastery, the coffee roastery that is part of Sondax Travel, shows you how to roast, grind and brew six Vietnamese coffees: Hanoi egg coffee, coconut coffee, salted coffee from Hue, brown coffee (ca phe nau) through a phin filter, a coffee cocktail with rice wine, and a pour-over of Son La beans. The class lasts about three hours for up to 12 guests and ends with a tasting of everything you made, with local pastries and wine. You can join the group class or book a private session.

Banh mi baking and Vietnamese coffee class

In the banh mi class you make the dough, bake your own baguette and fill it with grilled pork, chicken or crispy tofu, pickles and fresh herbs. Then you brew one Vietnamese coffee of your choice (egg, salted or coconut) and sit down to eat. The class takes about three hours, comes with a digital recipe booklet, and can be adapted for vegan or gluten-free diets on request.

Which class is right for you?

• For a full meal and a look at a local market: the cooking class. Plan on half a day.
• For coffee lovers, or a shorter class: the coffee workshop.
• For Vietnam's best-known street food: the banh mi class, which also teaches one Vietnamese coffee.

Good to know before you book

• Pickup: hotel pickup and drop-off in the Old Quarter are included in the cooking and banh mi classes. For the coffee workshop, choose the option with hotel transfer, or come to the venue yourself and we will meet you near Hoang Hoa Tham Street.
• Diets and allergies: tell us when you book, so the class can be prepared for you.
• Cancellation: the coffee and banh mi classes can be cancelled at any time before they take place. The cooking class is free to cancel until 1:00 AM on the day before.
• Tips: not included and always optional. Our guide to tipping in Vietnam explains what is usual.

Planning the rest of your stay? Our Hanoi travel guide covers the sights, prices and getting around, and our day tours take you out to Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh.