Hoi An Guide
Food
A lovely small cafe restaurant tucked away down a laneway. Fusion food done well. Nu Eatery has been around for a long time by Hoi An standards, and I highly recommend everything on the menu.
Chef Duc has a few restaurants in town. Get a balcony seat upstairs and enjoy the scenes of the night market and river below. Fabulous creative Vietnamese modern cuisine using local produce.
A causal eatery serving classic Vietnamese dishes in a foreigner friendly way. A very good introduction to the cuisine, and well priced too.
A long time favourite of mine, The sisters who worked in the pottery village lived here, and there are examples of traditional Hoianese pottery and other local artisans work being showcased here. Take your time to admire the architecture, upstairs and down. A very nice restaurant.
Artists Workshops & Galleries
A wonderfully talented watercolorist from Cham Island near Hoi An. He has his atelier in Cua Dai, the beach hamlet of Hoi An. Make sure you make contact with him first before turning up.
A Hoi An street artist. You may see him painting on the streets. His workshop gallery is a soulful place to visit. His wife is a tailor of linen clothes here too. Worth a visit, and make a purchase of one of his originals of Hoi An city.
Book a traditional Vietnamese lacquer workshop here. You can also visit and look around. Coconut paper and Do paper for sale, alongside journals and wooden sculptures. The artists are lovely, do take the time to make conversation.
Nice quiet side of the Old Town, fabulous building and many of Minh’s paintings can be found here.
Cafes
A wonderful small cafe in the back alleys of Hoi An. Run by my friend Trung Phan from his grandparents house. Many specialty coffees, and a perfect place to sketch.
Delicious and beautifully presented teas and coffees. Homemade cookies, and a delightful place to spend time. A social initiative whereby the staff who dont hear, will guide you how to order without speaking, instead you use the order form and small wooden blocks with printed words. A peaceful place away from the hustle on the streets.
Getting there is the most fun, through the alleys of Hoi An. They have a gorgeous outdoor area, the best coconut coffee in town, and the carrot cake is nice too! Take a look upstairs at the up cycled pottery, and plant sale.
Locally roasted coffee. If you can make it to the top, and get past all the young instagrammers, then the roof top view is one of the best in Hoi An. It can be very hot up there at certain times of year, but on a pleasant day, or early morning it is wonderful.
In need of a hot cafe latte and a toasted cheese & tomato panini? This is your place. Long running expat favourite cafe. The sketching views from the verandahs upstairs are great!
Need a break from the crowds in the main part of town? Most of them have not discovered this cafe yet. A travel bloggers hideout, but they will be happy to serve you too! Speciality coffees and a quiet atmosphere.
Tranquil, ethical, socially conscious, Fabulous brown rice sushi, miso and organic coffee & tea. By the river, out of town, but enjoy a lovely stroll riverside to get there, away from the maddening traffic, and spot some local families and children playing, not involved in tourism.
A new cafe with a wonderful espresso machine and local specialties. It is located right inside the herb gardens of Hoi An, so you need to walk in. A great place to visit when enjoying a day at Tra Que herb village.
Tailor Shops
The best place to have your tailoring done. The fabric selections include pure silks, Irish linens, and Australian cool wool.
A Hoi An street artist. You may see him painting on the streets. His workshop gallery is a soulful place to visit. His wife is a tailor of linen clothes here too. Worth a visit, and make a purchase of one of his originals of Hoi An city.
Shopping
Locally designed and made. Fine quality organic cotton and next door silk ready made designer clothing.
Gorgeously presented Ethnic textiles, repurposed and designed. Fabulous pottery, wooden items, and well worth exploring, go right down to the back of the shop to the outside courtyard for more textiles, baskets and Hoi An atmosphere.
Lovely handmade journals and papers. Embroidery and bookbinding workshops here too.
Chilli Sauce - Tương Ớt Triều Phát
Quang Nam Chilli sauce can be bought here.
Museums
My favourite in Hoi An. The building and architecture, and those burial jars from the first millennium BCE. Incredible. This is the museum of the oldest people and culture of Hoi An.
I love the displays, I prefer to see it in real life, but you are in Hoi An, and this is a wonderful way to know more about the diversity of culture in Vietnam.
This one has it all, including the best view from the very top of the building. You need a few hours to thoroughly explore, but it is absolutely fascinating and a very good introduction into the modern history of Vietnam. American war paraphernalia is there too, a subject we don’t much touch on when on Retreat due to the focus of our Experiences. So this is your place, if that is your thing.
Massage
In the old town, clean new great massages, and they use lemongrass massage oil which is delightful. Regular long term staff with good skills
Book via their google page and go for the whole treatment. I usually have a body scrub, massage and facial. It is a quiet, professional family run spa in the suburban area of Hoi An.