A Little Piece of Hanoi, in the Heart of Stone Town
A Vietnamese cafe inside a 1950s Stone Town house - where dumplings are folded by hand, phin coffee drips one slow drop at a time, and every guest is welcomed like family.
From a Stranded Hotel Manager to a Vietnamese Kitchen
In October 2019, Kim arrived in Zanzibar to manage a hotel in the north of the island. The plan was two years abroad. Then the world stopped - and she found herself stranded in paradise, the only Vietnamese person on the island, longing for the comforting dishes of home.
She had never really cooked before. So she learned, with her mom guiding her over video calls from Vietnam. What began as a lifeline became a connection - to neighbours, to friends, to a community that kept asking for one more meal. By September 2020 she left her hotel career and opened Duyên - Vietnamese Homecooking with four dishes, ten tables, a home gas cooker and two frying pans: the first Vietnamese restaurant in East Africa.
Hanoi House Cafe followed - Paje, then Nungwi, and now Stone Town, 2025: the newest chapter, in the heart of the island. Less a cafe opening, more a home extending.
The Walls Remember the Lusitania
Long before our first phin dripped here, this corner of Stone Town was the kitchen and bar of the old Lusitania Hotel, dated to the 1950s. Only one photograph survives, captured by the historic Capital Art Studio - but the real memories live next door.
Mr. Wolfango Martins - Bulu, as the neighbourhood calls him - grew up playing in the garden that once flourished right where the cafe stands, and spent his evenings at the Lusitania bar as a young man. While we restored the space, he would pass by, pause, smile, and tell us its stories.
We are only the newest chapter. The story started long before us, and we carry it forward with respect and warmth.
Cooked the Way We Cook at Home
Dumplings Folded by Hand
Every single dumpling is hand-folded daily in our central kitchen in Michamvi, with a Vietnamese soup flavor sealed inside. Kim learned to make them in Zanzibar during Covid - they have been a hype ever since.
Phở Simmered for 24 Hours
Our broth takes a full day with five-spice before it meets flat rice noodles and a handful of fresh herbs. Some things refuse to be rushed.
Tanzanian Beans, Vietnamese Soul
We select coffee planted, harvested and roasted in Mbeya, Tanzania - where the climate mirrors Vietnam's Central Highlands - and blend it ourselves.
Coconut Milk Made Every Morning
We make our own coconut and cashew milk daily - for coconut coffee, for cakes, for any drink you would like dairy-free.
A House Full of Character
Plants - a lot of plants. Buddha. Cats. Antique furniture. Silly menu jokes. This cafe carries Kim's character in every corner.
Challenge Our Barista
Make the weirdest request, the most challenging order - let's see what the team can do. The best challenges end up on the menu.
Food & Coffee, the Hanoi Way
Phở - The Bowl Worth Waiting For TZS 33,000
The broth simmers for 24 hours with five-spice, then meets flat rice noodles and a generous handful of herbs. Choose Phở Bò (beef) or Phở Gà (chicken) - and yes, we will happily cook a vegan version if you give us a little extra time.
Dumplings, Summer Rolls & Spring Rolls from TZS 21,000
Hand-folded dumplings steamed to order, fresh summer rolls dipped in nutty peanut sauce, and golden pan-fried spring rolls - the dishes no Vietnamese gathering can be without. In Vietnam, we love to roll everything in rice paper.
Baked Bao Bun - Kim's Favorite Creation TZS 30,000
Homemade fluffy bao buns with soya-garlic chicken (or tofu) and a melted mozzarella topping. Not traditional - proudly so. Born at Hanoi House Paje, loved everywhere since.
Cà Phê Phin - Coffee Is Not a Drink, It's a Time from TZS 8,000
Vietnamese coffee drips slowly through a phin filter, one drop at a time - and we tell a lot of stories here, so you can wait for it. Then go further: egg coffee from a 1960s Hanoi Old Quarter secret, coconut coffee on house-made coconut milk, salted coffee, or five-spice coffee - because we live on a Spice Island, so why not?
Eat the Way a Vietnamese Family Eats
Dishes land in the middle of the table. Rice bowls are filled and refilled. The table gets louder as it gets emptier. Come with people you love - or come alone and leave with new ones.
Meet Kim - video coming soon
The reel will play here once the MP4 is uploaded to the media library.
Watch on InstagramA Host, Not a Business Owner
"Opening Hanoi House here, in the heart of the island, feels less like expanding a cafe business - and more like an extension of Home."
I have learned that the most meaningful things in my life rarely arrive fully formed or planned. They appear gently - through conversations, through shared meals, through moments of stillness when there is no rush. Hanoi House happened in a moment like that.
You might not see me in the kitchen here, but you will see me in each detail of this cafe - and in every team member who loves this concept as much as I do. If you are here today: thank you for walking in. I hope you feel warmth here, not only from the coffee and food, but from the heart behind it.
We cannot make your life more time - but I am sure we can make your time more life here.
- Kim
Moments From Our House
Visit Us in Stone Town
Location
Hanoi House Cafe Stone Town
Cathedral Street
Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania
A short walk from St. Joseph's Cathedral - look for the plants spilling out of the old Lusitania doorway.
Opening Hours
Open daily · 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Lunch · Dinner · Coffee all day
Contact
WhatsApp / Phone: +255 77 2434 995
Email: xinchao@kimdiningconcept.com
What Guests Say About Hanoi House
This is a place you can't skip. It's more than just a cafe - it has its own energy, its own magic. It makes you feel at home. And this feeling is exactly what I am looking for when travelling. Hanoi is a little gem hidden in busy Stone Town.
Had an amazing meal at Hanoi House Stone Town! I had the summer rolls and beef pho which were absolutely delicious. The egg coffee was amazing too! Our waitress Amina was incredible.
Very beautiful place and not at all crowded. This is a new restaurant so this will be popular fast. So go there before that happens.
Dined with us in Stone Town? We'd love to hear about it.
Leave a Google ReviewThere's a Place at Our Table for You
The dumplings are folded, the phin is dripping, and the door of this old house is open. Message us on WhatsApp to reserve - or simply walk in, the way friends do.
Walk-ins always welcome - like any good home, the door is open.