An ideal place for coffee and book lovers

• Coffee culture in Hanoi 

Drinks are prepared on the first floor to serve customers and readers on the second and third floors.

All along the stairs and the walls of the upper floors are bookshelves full of different kinds of books, including literature, politics, science, martial arts and foreign language books that give the café the appearance of a library.  

My friend Quỳnh Hương says she is really interested in the cafe's space and design. "I like the way it is decorated, with buffers and books along the walls, making it a cozy place to read."

The café owner, Nguyễn Đình Tùng, greets us with a warm smile and tells us the café has about 10,000 books, which is only a part of his family's entire collection.

“I have a treasure stash of books weighing about 20 tonnes at home. The books are of interest to many customers”, he says.

Most of the books are fairly old, (printed in the 70s and 80s) including a number of valuable books, such as a collection of different Kiều editions as well as famous Western and Chinese literature.

Tùng says the café caters for those who like coffee and books. "Our cafe is sort of a cultural place."

“Actually, I opened this café for my friends, as well as book lovers, to have a space to meet, relax and share their souls,” he says.

Most customers order a coffee or other drinks while reading books. Students are regular visitors to this café-library-juice bar.

One of the staff says customers can borrow books for a small fee - VND1,000 for a comic book and VND2,000 for novels and other books.

“I like the neon lights hidden in square bamboo lampshades covered in Han calligraphy,” Huong says.  

Customers are very interested in the display of ceramic pictures, pots and tinny statues along the walls, especially the pictures of Buddha and monks with the symphony music, playing faintly in the background.

 “If you do not like reading, you can bet on the horses or play the Chinese chess,” the owner says with a radiant smile.

The cafe's menu is written on the scrolls that make it look like an ancient petition. But Tùng often suggests some special drinks like the hot chocolate or coconut juice which goes with different kinds of fruit and cakes.

The price is just VND100,000 (about US$5).

"It's rather tasty and delicious," my friend Hương says.

Other drinks include seasonal fruit juices ranging from VND18,000 to VND50,000 (about US$1-2.50), while a cup of coffee costs VND25,000.

Nguyễn Trần Tuệ Minh says he often comes here with his friends on weekends to sip coffee, while reading or playing the Chinese chess.

“Sitting in the book cafe you can find yourself in a different world, far from the noise and dusty air of the streets. This is a quiet and peaceful place for customers to relax”, he says.

Minh also suggests that the owner of the café should acquire more new books for his collection.