Ha Pho Cafe, tranquilly nestled inside a house built in the 1930s in Hanoi's Ha Dong District, charms visitors with nostalgic ambiance. 

Passing the aged facade, pedestrians would hardly imagine the house at 8 Phan Boi Chau Street to host a cafe, with only a small elegant sign visible.

The cafe was opened on the spur of the moment, said Hoang Anh Quan, its owner and an architect. Once, when Quan had been looking to rent an office, he passed by this building, which immediately mesmerized him with its ancient outlook. He immediately thought of turning it into a cafe.

Quan spent a lot of time renovating the interior, preserving its original walls, pillars, window frames and backyard. The house was later painted yellow, closely resembling its original hue.

Filled with diverse furniture of different shapes and sizes, the first floor interior creates a cozy atmosphere, separated from the yard by a big glass window.

Most of the decorative pictures and paintings are Quan’s own works.

The backyard is decorated with plants and boasts a small stage for live performances, all protected by a retractable canvas roof.

From the backyard, there is a small staircase to reach the second floor.

On the second floor, large windows provide a great view of the charming backyard. The furniture, lime walls and cement flooring all contribute to the nostalgic ambiance.

The cafe has preserved the building's original front windows, which provide a calming light to a second floor nook.

Most of the artwork revolve around two main themes: old Vietnamese architecture and flowers.

Open from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily, the cafe serves coffee (at VND25,000 or $1.1 a cup), other drinks like juice, tea, and snacks. Every Saturday night, it hosts an acoustic music performance.