If you could only eat at one place in Hanoi then I’d have to pick Lá Studio. Their food is divine, the cafe is beautifully designed and the staff are really friendly. Patience is required when it comes to their service, but the wait is always well worth it.
This fully vegan cafe and bakery nestled amongst the streets of Tây Hồ in Hanoi is a must-visit for vegans and non-vegans alike. Continue reading my Lá Studio review to find out why!
Who are La Studio?
Lá Studio is a fully vegan cafe and bakery situated in Tây Hồ in Hanoi. It is located inside a quaint local building decorated with antique sewing machines and old wooden toys. They make all of their baked goods from scratch and they serve a range of delicious breakfast and lunch items as well as hot and cold drinks.
What food do they serve?
Lá Studio’s menu is surprisingly extensive for a small cafe. They have a range of smoothie bowls (my favourite is ‘Chocobana’), sandwiches made using their homemade bread, salads, soup, and freshly baked cakes. If you are lucky, they will have baked up a delicious vegan cheesecake ready for your arrival!
They also have a selection of coffees, teas and kombucha. They offer oat milk, almond milk or soy milk.
You may also be interested in: Where can I get oat milk coffee in Hanoi?
The positives
There is much to love about this vegan cafe!
The food is amazing
Every single dish I have ordered at Lá Studio has been absolutely delicious. Everything is made to a high standard and plated beautifully. It is a Western-style menu that is perfect for breakfast, brunch and lunch.
All of their bread is made on site, including their sourdough loaf which they use to make many of their sandwiches. My favourite being their Tempeh Sandwich. Their smoothie bowls are made fresh to order and come topped with sliced fruit and granola. And their salads are surprisingly tasty, not something I thought I’d ever say.
I would recommend also trying out their baked sweet treats. They often have cookies on offer, but will also sometimes have other delicious treats like baked vegan cheesecakes.
Bonus tip: Pre-order one of their sourdough bread loafs to have in your Airbnb or hotel for snacking on.
Staff are very friendly
The staff are always very friendly which creates a lovely atmosphere inside Lá Studio. They are always on hand to answer any questions you may have about the food or the drinks. Plus they all speak great English.
After only two visits to Lá Studio the staff began to recognise us and would remember where we like to sit and what we like to order. They always made us feel very welcome!
Work-friendly space
There aren’t many great cafes in Hanoi for working in, and at first glimpse, Lá Studio didn’t look like it would be particularly good for digital nomads either. That’s because the downstairs area can get quite busy with customers.
However, if you take yourself upstairs then there are a few tables by the balcony that are great to work from. They have a few fans and a few plug sockets for your laptops.
You can still work downstairs and I have seen plenty of people do it, but I prefer to stay out of the way of people who are visiting for lunch or a coffee. Which is why it’s great that they have this upstairs space!
The negatives
There’s not much that I don’t like about this vegan cafe, but if I’m going to be picky there are a few things that I believe could be improved.
Service can be slow
The slow service time at Lá Studio gets picked up on by quite a few reviewers online. And I do have to agree. We’ll sometimes be the only people in there on a weekday morning and it can take about 20 minutes for our smoothie bowls and coffee to arrive.
This isn’t so great if you are in a rush. But then I do believe that there is a slower pace of life in Vietnam and it is great to follow along with it. This is a great cafe to spend time in and enjoy.
Moreover, when there are a few extra staff members in later in the morning the service speed picks up considerably. So I do find drinks and food around lunchtime come out quicker than breakfast first thing in the morning.
Busy at weekends
Okay, this isn’t really that big of a con. But this cafe is so popular that it can get quite busy at the weekend. The place packs out with local expats and tourists. This is great for Lá Studio and it is proof of how great their food and drinks are.
However, you may need to wait a few minutes for a table to open up. But it is definitely worth the wait! Worst comes to worst, you can always order for takeaway!
Visit La Studio
Lá Studio is located on the edge of Tây Hồ next to the lake. It is surrounded by local market sellers, which adds to the charm of the location. Once you’ve finished eating, make sure to take yourself over the lake edge to admire the beautiful scenery!
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