Relaxation

Cinemas in Hanoi

National Movie Centre

Add:  87 Pho Lang Ha
Tel: 514 1114
One of the best venues to catch foreign films in Hanoi - the equivalent of an arts cinema back home.

Cinematheque
Add: 22a Hal Ba Trung
Tel: 936 2648
The latest cinema to open, Cinematheque is earning rave reviews for its adventurous choice of films - from shorts to a mixed selection of arthouse films.

Farmlands Cinema
Add: 84 Pho Ly Thuong Kiet
Tel: 825 7484
For a more standard selection of Western movies.

Centre Culturel Francaise de Hanoi
Add: 24 Trang Tien
Tel: 936 2164
Set in the sublime L'Espace building near the Opera House, it offers a regular programme of French flicks.

Nightclubs in Hanoi

If you want to see the beautiful people of Vietnam cutting their moves, there are several local clubs to check out. New clubs tend to go in and out of favour like Beckham's haircuts, so ask around for what's hot or not before venturing forth.

Apocalypse Now
Add: 5C Pho Hoa Ma
Tel: 971 2783
Opened from 8pm to 1am.
This is a popular place of pilgrimage for Hanoi's hedonists. It really fires up on weekends, and is known for its loud and raucous music and street-wise swillers. It used to close when the last customers trickled away, but now the fun police crash the parly around 1am.

Live Music in Hanoi

Hanoi Opera House
Add: Pho Trang Tien
Tel: 8254312
This magnificent 900-seat venue looks along Pho Trang Tien to Hoan Kiem Lake. It was built in 1911 and a pains-taking, three-year renovation has restored it to its farmer glory. It was from a balcony on this building that the Viet Minh - run Citizens' Committee announced, on 16 August 1945, that it had taken over the city. Performances of classical music are periodically held here in the evenings and the atmosphere is incredible. The theatre's Vietnamese name appropriately translates to 'House Sing Big'.

Jazz & Modern

Jazz Club by Quyen Van Minh
Add: 31 - 33 Pho Luong Van Can
Tel: 825 7655
Performances: 9 - 11.30pm
The place in Hanoi to catch hot, live jazz (well, mostly jazz). Bar owner Minh teaches saxophone at the Hanoi Conservatory and moonlights here, jamming with a variety of musicians ranging from his talented son to top-notch international jazz players.

R&R Tavern
Add: 47 Pho Lo Su
Tel: 934 4109
One of the best bars for live music in Hanoi, with a Vietnamese band running through counter-culture '60s classics at the weekend, and a string quartet on Thursday. Bargain beer compared with many expat haunts, and some of the best burgers in town.

Terrace Bar
Add: 59a Pho Ly Thai To
Tel: 934 0888
This place is frenetic on Friday, when half of Hanoi's high-flyers seem to descend here for the happy hour (6pm). Drink specials from 20.000d include access to the roving platters of finger food and a soundtrack of live musk - rock'n'roll, '70s disco, Latin - it's a lucky dip.

▼ Traditional Music
Some of the best places to catch live traditional music are upmarket Vietnamese restaurants in central Hanoi, like:

Cay Cau
Add: 17A Pho Tran Hung Dao
Tel: 824 5346

Club Opera
Add:  59 Pho Ly Thai To
Tel: 824 6950

Dinh Lang Restaurant
Add: 1 Pho Le Thai Tho

Nam Phuong
Add: 16 PhoBaoKhanh
Tel: 928 5085
Fax: 825 8964

It can feel kind of touristy, but close your eyes and the music is hauntingly beautiful.

 Health & Spa

Babor Day Spa
77 Trieu Viet Vuong St.
Tel: 822-6792

Bellisima Beauty &Spa
40B Hang Bun str.

Fancy Spa
28 Dinh Ngang St.
Tel: 824-4183

Arosa Spa
1 Hoa Ma St.
Tel: 976-1423

Hanoi Beauty
60 Ngo Quyen St
Tel: 943 72 30

Blue Ocean
69 Tran Xuan soan St
Tel: 822 97 67

Elysee-Venus
76 Bui Thi Xuan St.
Tel : 943 08 77

Vu Doo Hair & Beauty
32 Cao Ba Quat St.
Tel : 733 83 29

Hair & Beauty Salon
31 Tran Quoc Toan St.b
Tel: 943 27 93

PL Spa & Hair
5B Hue St.
Tel : 943 18 88

QT Salon
48A Mai Hac De St.
Tel : 978 38 23

L'Occitane
36 Le Thai To St.
Tel : 828 98 44

Ricochet
112 Xuan Dieu St.
Tel : 718 29 03

Shisheido
The Hair Workshop
Hanoi Tower
49 Hai Ba Trung St.

Y Not Salon
1A Nha Chung St.
Tel : 928 51 98