We had a very sad news of the Hanoi’s infamous Train Street being permanently closed for safety reasons. Train Street was a top tourist attraction because there were cafes on the railway between residential buildings and visitors could enjoy the unique street and witness trains passing just by their noses.
You can still visit the street sneaking past by the policemen sitting by the gate, but the street does not have the same vibe as before. I wrote an article with a list of alternative places where you can enjoy a different view over the train street and railway for those who like to explore different options.
And a good news is that I recently discovered another new alternative from which you can sit and safely watch the train passing on railway bridge above the street!
I randomly hopped into this cafe after a dinner at my favourite BBQ place – under the railway. After an amazing Vietnamese BBQ dinner, we were looking for a cafe to go before heading home. It started to rain a bit and it was during the weekend, which means no motorbikes were allowed in most of the streets of Old Quarter. So we went to the first cafe we saw coming out from the BBQ alley.
It was Laika cafe with bright yellow building in the corner of a junction, which was easy to spot. We sat on the third floor and the cafe was pretty ordinary and somewhat similar to a typical AHA cafe, which is a coffee chain in Vietnam.
Then we heard a train coming and recognised there’s a railway bridge right in front of the seats. The railway is only about a couple of metres away from the seats and we could see the train passing right in front of our eyes. I’ve watched trains pass by so many times because I live by the railway, but it was a special view that I really enjoyed.
I hope you can check out this coffee shop while in Hanoi to take a snapshot of a very special view over the railway bridge.
Laika Cafe
Address: 18 Hàng Cót, Hàng Mã, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam