Hidden in the heart of the city
No flashy signboard, no sparkling lights, Dong Kinh Tea House quietly nestles on the bustling Hang Bong street. The frontage is only about one meter, enough for people to pass by and then turn back, out of curiosity or because they feel something very different. However, that very privacy is its own unique charm. Step through the silent wooden door and go deeper inside, a whole new world opens up - quiet, classic, and poetic.
Ancient teahouse full of poetry
The owner, Ms. Thanh Huyen, said: "When coming here, I want everyone to enjoy the space in the purest way, sip a cup of tea and chat together. I hope that all guests coming here can be themselves in every moment and have beautiful memories in Dong Kinh."
Dong Kinh Tea House space
This place was renovated from an ancient house nearly a hundred years old. The space still retains the spirit of traditional Asian architecture, with panel doors, tiled roofs, old tiled floors and objects reminiscent of the French colonial period. The street cries and car horns almost disappear behind the thick walls and the layer of memories linger here.
Details such as wooden doors, brown tiled roofs, tiled floors, or moss-covered walls all evoke the image of Hanoi in the early 20th century - a quiet, sophisticated, and artistic Hanoi.
Every corner is a story
In Dong Kinh, people do not sit in a hurry. The space of the restaurant is divided into many areas, each corner is a "layer of memory".
Right in front of the door, a small temple over a hundred years old still exists - like the soul of the whole house. Many people, before entering the restaurant, stop to light incense, as if to express their respect for the sacred place, or simply to remind themselves to slow down and appreciate the present more.
The "layers of memory" here
Inside, the space is elaborately decorated with carved wooden tables and chairs, velvet sofas, soft golden chandeliers and a series of carefully selected antiques. Most of the decorative items here were collected and arranged by a designer, aiming to clearly recreate the living atmosphere of an old Hanoi family. Each ceramic vase, pendulum clock, crackle-glazed tea set or tea cabinet seems to have a soul, telling stories of a long-ago time.
The second floor is the “old Hanoi living room” - where the light from the balcony filters through the window bars, drawing long streaks of sunlight on the tiled floor. This area is only available to guests with reservations, with a more private and quiet space. The paintings and ceramics are carefully displayed, everything is arranged not for “decoration”, but to “tell a story”.
Tea and the Soul of Tokyo
If space is a gentle embrace, then tea in Tokyo is the breath of this place. Tea here is not just for drinking but for enjoying, for feeling, for remembering. Each pot of tea is carefully and properly prepared, accompanied by a story about its origin, about the land that gave birth to it.
Tea in Dong Kinh is served by the pot, prices range from 60,000 to several hundred thousand, there is even aged Pu-erh tea that costs more than one million VND/pot. But rarely does anyone find it “expensive”, because the experience here is not about numbers. That is the moment you touch the rustic crackle-glazed ceramic pot, smell the light fragrance floating in the air, then sip the hot tea, letting the mild astringency on the tip of your tongue gradually spread into a deep sweet aftertaste.
Dong Kinh Tea House does not operate as a mere commercial tea house. It regularly organizes poetry readings, cultural talks, classical music performances or art exhibitions like a miniature “cultural salon” in the middle of the old town. This space is not only for tea but also for interaction between people, between the present and the past.
This place is like a small attic that preserves the memories of Hanoi, not noisy and ornate but delicate and emotional enough to hold people's attention. In the age of social networks, AI, and speed, such a space is like a "stop" for tired souls - a place where you can let go of the rush, listen to yourself breathe and live a little slower.
