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When the French spirit converges in Hanoi
Villa des Fleurs is a familiar name to those who enjoy experiencing cafes and restaurants in Hanoi. Since 2017, this brand has been a space for afternoon tea combined with fresh flowers, located in the owner's private residence on Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District.
Four years later, Villa des Fleurs transformed into a café bistro on Quan Thanh Street before officially shifting to a Dining & Wine model at the end of 2025.
The model may have changed, but the core spirit—attention to detail and prioritizing experience over scale—remains intact. Perhaps the only difference lies in the location, with a century-old French-style villa that has witnessed countless ups and downs of the capital.
If you only glanced at it without stepping inside, few would guess that amidst one of those bustling, noisy streets, there exists such a beautiful, old-fashioned villa. The time-worn walls, high ceilings, and windows bearing the hallmarks of French architecture remain intact through the decades.
As night falls, soft yellow light illuminates the elegantly set European-style dining tables – adorned with fresh flowers, pristine white tablecloths, and gleaming glasses. The antiquity and historical weight of that space are simply something that money cannot replicate.
Executive Chef Sakal Phoeung
The chef invited to head the kitchen at the restaurant is Executive Chef Sakal Phoeung - a name that needs little introduction to anyone following French cuisine in Vietnam.
His journey with this country began at Sofitel Plaza Saigon, where he took his first steps on what he described as "utterly captivating" from the moment he arrived. Since then, through decades and various kitchens, he has remained – and is now the President of Les Disciples d'Escoffier Vietnam, an organization that celebrates the legacy of the legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier.
When invited to Villa des Fleurs, he accepted not because of the contract or its proximity to the city center: “First and foremost, it was because of the villa itself,” he recounted. “When they invited me to visit, I noticed its name was Villa des Fleurs – a name with a distinctly French feel. That piqued my curiosity. And when I arrived, seeing the architecture and the layout, I felt it truly resembled a French villa from 100 years ago. It evoked a strong sense of nostalgia.”
For Sakal Phoeung, that nostalgia is not just an emotion – it's the foundation of his cooking style. He pursues bourgeois cuisine: traditional, refined, unpretentious French cuisine, punctuated by local Vietnamese ingredients.
A style that demands patience—in the selection of ingredients, in the preparation time, in the way a dish is presented: “This place complements what I do perfectly and fulfills what I’m looking for.”
After six months of transforming the restaurant from a bistro to a Dining & Wine establishment, he saw the most noticeable change in the team: “They are growing every day and becoming more confident in their current direction. And we have more and more customers – people who come here because they want exactly what this place offers: French cuisine and a French atmosphere.”
A truly authentic French dinner.
On the evening of May 8th, La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Vietnam – a branch of one of France's oldest and most prestigious culinary associations – chose Villa des Fleurs as the venue for its monthly event, “A Gastronomic Rendezvous”. For an organization known for its selective approach to venues, La Chaîne Vietnam's presence confirms the quality of Villa Des Fleurs.
“A Gastronomic Rendezvous” brings together many familiar faces from leading hotels and restaurants in the region, and even internationally, and delivers satisfaction to even the most discerning diners.
The five-course menu begins with surprise canapés—small, delicate, and intriguing enough to pique diners' curiosity and encourage them to happily recommend these canapés to new acquaintances.
The hot starter, gnocchi, fricassee-style green asparagus, egg parfait, and truffle sauce—rich, flavorful, and leaving diners in awe. The "From the Sea" salmon cooked in butter with brandade and cockle juice emulsion is relatively salty for most palates, but this is quickly compensated by the duck dish.
“From the Land” is a seven-day dry-cured duck dish with baby carrots, beets, and plum sauce. The seven-day curing period isn't random – it's enough time for the duck meat to lose its toughness without sacrificing flavor. With the chef's skillful hands, the duck breast is cooked to be tender, juicy, flavorful, and not dry or tough as many people imagine dry-curing techniques to be.
Following the main course, the desserts, shaped like Habanos cigars, are made from chocolate, coffee cream, and drizzled with cognac. The sweetness of the chocolate and cream, combined with the cognac, not only creates an unforgettable aftertaste but also serves as a proud and sophisticated closing to the meal.
It evokes the idyllic pleasure of leisurely smoking a cigar after dinner, a pastime of the upper class of yesteryear. Dessert, at this point, is not merely for satisfying the palate, but has become the perfect excuse for diners to linger, savoring unfinished conversations and fully immersing themselves in the tranquil, nostalgic atmosphere of the century-old villa.
That is also the spirit of "savoir-vivre" that chef Sakal Phoeung mentioned when asked about the vision for Villa des Fleurs: "We want this to be a place where people come to have a truly authentic French culinary experience. We aim to bring French cuisine, French culture, and the art of enjoying life in the French style - savoir-vivre à la française."
“Savoir-vivre” (French for “Knowing how to enjoy life”) is the art of enjoying life without rushing, with depth and subtlety that, once experienced, will make diners want to return again and again. And the dinner on May 8th is proof that this spirit is not just on paper.
