At the turn of the millennium, the closest you could get to 'authentic' Indian food in Hanoi was thumbing through a pirated Lonely Planet Bombay that you’d procured on Hàng Bài. Namaste changed all that.
Though Indian restaurants have proliferated across the Old Quarter recently thanks to growing Indian tourism and new direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai via VietJet, Namaste remains the OG. After two decades, a brief closure, and new ownership, it's still Hanoi's most beloved Indian restaurant by a considerable margin, its legendary 200-strong menu thankfully intact.
The vibe: Founder Gopi's signature hovering hospitality has sadly gone, and the service has mellowed somewhat, but the 'Atithi Devo Bhava' (Guest is God) philosophy endures. The bright lights and banquet hall ambience of the dining room can feel cavernous on quiet nights, but come peak hours, every table fills with loyal regulars.
The food: The classics that built Namaste’s reputation have endured, untouched.
Phew. It would be tragic to lose the mutton chop, its sauce velvety and dappled with rendered bone marrow. The chicken kolhapuri delivers complex, assertive spice via roasted coconut, incendiary amounts of Lavangi chilli, and toasted sesame and poppy seeds.
Fried to order, fist-sized samosas, deftly seasoned vegetable pilau, and garlic naan blistered from the imported tandoor complete our order. Going all out? Add a mutton keema to the mix – it’s funky and fatty in all the right places.
The drinks: Bottles of chilled Sapporo, Tiger on draft, fresh passion fruit juice, and mango lassis, all to soothe the chilli heat from that kolhapuri. But honestly, even the water hits different here, served in chilled brass cups that keep everything ice cold until the last sip as you’re settling up.
Time Out tip: You can get your own version of that drink vessel made on Hàng Đồng, Hanoi’s copper and brass street.