Bia Sành Điệu (Lưu Quang Vũ)

Bia Sành Điệu ("stylish beer") runs as a full restaurant-and-brewery hybrid, and the Lưu Quang Vũ location at No. 30, Trung Hòa, in Cầu Giấy is the flagship. A second Hanoi branch operates at 183 Nguyễn Tuân in Thanh Xuân, with a third in Hạ Long, and Beer Asia notes it is especially popular with local diners. The interior is large and showy, built to impress.

The beer list is broader than most single-focus taprooms attempt. Around six in-house brews, including the Sành Điệu IPA, sit beside Vietnamese craft from C-Brewmaster, Platinum, 7 Bridges, Pasteur Street and Heart of Darkness, and the restaurant claims more than 40 craft beers in all. A separate list of around 25 Belgian beers includes names such as Chimay, St. Sebastiaan and Leffe. Beer flights and themed tasting sets make it easy to sample.

The kitchen is as much of a draw as the beer: Vietnamese and European-Asian fusion, with an emphasis on grilled meats and hotpots. Signatures include rosemary-grilled Australian lamb ribs, herb-smoked duck and Fuji beef tenderloin grilled at the table, plus seafood, fried rice and noodle dishes and a large cold-cut platter for sharing.

The restaurant's own site lists hours of 10.30am to 10.30pm daily, while Beer Asia gives later weekday closing, so check before a late visit. It also delivers beer and food within the inner city. It suits groups wanting a sit-down dinner with their beer, and anyone looking to compare Vietnamese craft with Belgian classics in one place.