Trang Tien Ice cream - Ice cream shop in Hanoi

To walk into the flagship Kem Tràng Tien near the edge of the French Quarter is to step directly into a vibrant, high-energy slice of daily Hanoian life. Located just a short stroll from the banks of Hoàn Kiếm Lake, this massive, brightly lit indoor courtyard has been drawing massive crowds of sweet-toothed locals since 1958. The environment is delightfully chaotic. There are no cozy booths or quiet tables here; instead, the venue embraces a lively "drive-in" atmosphere where people park their motorbikes and casually stand shoulder to shoulder on the polished floor. The air hums with chatter, laughter, and the steady rustle of wrappers as rapid-fire counters exchange ice cream for small handfuls of cash. The ice cream itself relies on local nostalgia rather than heavy, rich Western creaminess. Biting into their legendary Kem Cốm, you are greeted by a light, refreshing sweetness packed with real, chewy flecks of aromatic young green rice. Other traditional options, like the subtly earthy taro or the refreshing coconut, offer a perfect, icy antidote to the city's humid air. At less than 17,000 VND ($0.70 USD) per treat, it is a fast, unpretentious, and completely authentic cultural ritual. While the floors can get a little sticky from melting treats and the service is purely transactional, the sheer joy of eating a popsicle alongside hundreds of locals makes it a beautiful, must-try experience in Hanoi.

Pandan Cone Ice . Trying the oldest ice cream in vietnam. They call it rice but its actually pandan! Too high expectation on this but its very light and having similar texture and taste like es goyang. However its cone is nice, crunchy and has waffle flavour! . #vnfoodies #vnfood #vnicecream #pandanice #trangtien

A lovely ice cream shop on one of Hanoi's most iconic historic streets, and you can really feel the history of the city here. What impressed me most was the kindness of the staff. I accidentally left a bag behind, and when I came back later, they had kept it for me. I was very relieved and grateful for their honesty and help.

I am extremely disappointed with the service at Trang Tien Ice Cream. The ice cream itself may be famous, but the attitude of the staff completely ruined the experience. The employees at the counter were unbelievably rude and disrespectful. Instead of speaking politely, they shouted directly at customers in an aggressive and impatient manner, as if customers were bothering them just for ordering ice cream. This is one of the most well-known places in Hanoi, located right in the heart of the capital and visited by countless tourists every day. It is honestly embarrassing that such a famous place allows staff to behave so poorly toward customers. Basic respect and professionalism should be the minimum standard, especially in a tourist destination representing the image of the city. I understand that the shop can get crowded, but being busy is never an excuse for rude behavior. Customers wait in long lines and still try to be patient, yet the staff act annoyed, unfriendly, and even hostile. It felt very uncomfortable and disappointing. I will definitely not return, and I cannot recommend this place to anyone unless the management seriously improves customer service and staff attitude.

After the booking I was waiting some information about arriving, or something like that. We arrived, and noticed, that the entrance to this apartment was going through the restaurant. During the booking I added my credit card details, but at arrival they asked for cash. We had no cash with us. Finally we agreed to pay with paypal, and they charged us $ 20 more, just because we paid by card. First the payment was not working, and the staff said if we can't pay, they will come the next day to take our cash. The apartment was ok, the towels are really smelly, very old, also the bedding was not too clean. By mistake, our payment went through twice, as they were pushing me to pay immediately, so I trieded 4 times. I asked them to check it out, it wasn't so urgent for them, like to get my payment.||Btw: whan the staff come to let us in the apartment, he was sick, not wearing mask. (coughing front of us, even not put their hand....)