Hai Phong Beer Guide: Bia Hoi Corners, Craft Taprooms, and Where Locals Actually Drink

Hai Phong is Vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム)'s third-largest city and it drinks like it. While most travelers treat it as a one-night stopover before a Ha Long Bay boat or a ferry to Cat Ba, the city has a beer culture that rewards anyone willing to linger — draft corners that have been pouring since before you were born, a small but real craft scene, and local food that pairs with cold beer better than almost anything you will find in Hanoi.

The Bia Hoi Culture Here Is Different from Hanoi

"Bia hoi" — fresh, unfiltered draft beer brewed daily and sold at around 10,000–15,000 VND per glass — is not a Hanoi invention, even if Hanoi gets most of the credit. Hai Phong has its own version, and the vibe is quieter, less performative, more neighborhood. You are not sitting at a famous corner surrounded by backpackers; you are sitting on a plastic stool next to a guy who works at the port.

The main bia hoi (비아호이 / 鲜啤 / ビアホイ) strip in Hai Phong clusters around Dinh Tien Hoang Street and spills into the side lanes off Minh Khai. By 4:30 PM the plastic furniture is out, the kegs are tapped, and the volume climbs steadily until about 9 PM when most spots start winding down. A half-liter glass runs 12,000–15,000 VND at the more local spots. If you are paying 25,000 VND, you have wandered somewhere catering to visitors.

Do not overthink the ordering. Point at the tap. When your glass arrives, the standard move is a quick mot, hai, ba, yo (one, two, three, cheers) with whoever is at the table next to you. They will appreciate it.

What to Eat While You Drink

Hai Phong has its own food identity that does not always show up in broader Vietnamese food conversations, and most of it is best eaten alongside beer.

"Banh mi" here is worth a detour on its own — the local style uses a crispier, lighter baguette than Saigon versions, and several spots near the Tam Bac lake area have been operating the same way for decades. Pair it with a glass of bia hoi and you have a complete meal for under 40,000 VND.

For a proper spread, order "banh da cua" — a thick, reddish-brown noodle soup made with freshwater crab, a dish Hai Phong considers its own in the same way Hue (후에 / 顺化 / フエ) owns bun bo Hue. It is rich, a little funky from the crab paste, and filling enough that you will probably want to slow down the beer after a bowl. Most bia hoi spots do not serve it, but the noodle shops on Hang Kenh Street and around the central market will.

"Cha muc" — fried squid cake, sold in flat rounds at market stalls — is the definitive Hai Phong bar snack. Chewy, savory, slightly smoky from the griddle. A portion of four pieces costs about 20,000–25,000 VND and disappears fast.

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Craft Beer: Small Scene, Growing Fast

Hai Phong is not Da Nang (다낭 / 岘港 / ダナン) or Hanoi in terms of craft beer infrastructure, but there are a handful of places worth knowing.

Pasteur Street Brewing does not have a Hai Phong outpost, but local-leaning craft taprooms have started filling the gap. 7 Bridges Brewing products from Da Nang appear on tap at a couple of bars near the expat corridor around Tran Phu Street, usually at 70,000–90,000 VND per pint. It is still very much a bar-menu curiosity rather than a scene, but that is changing.

For something more local, Haiphong Craft Beer — a small-batch operation that sells directly from a shophouse near Le Dai Hanh Street — is the city's most interesting domestic option. They rotate seasonals and the owner speaks enough English to walk you through what is pouring. Expect to pay 60,000–80,000 VND a glass. Opening hours are loose (roughly 5–10 PM, closed Mondays), so confirm before you go.

The Local-vs-Foreigner Split

Hai Phong does not have the tourist infrastructure of Hanoi or Hoi An (호이안 / 会安 / ホイアン), which cuts both ways. You will not find an English-language beer menu or a rooftop bar with cocktail service. What you will find is a city that is genuinely indifferent to performing for visitors — in the best sense.

At the bia hoi corners, the split is almost entirely locals. A foreigner sitting down draws a look or two and then everyone goes back to their conversation. The craft places and a couple of bars on Tran Phu attract a small expat crowd — teachers, port-industry contractors, the occasional passing traveler who made it this far — but the numbers are small enough that even these spots feel local by default.

If you want to bridge the gap, learn two phrases: "mot nua" (one more) and "bao nhieu tien" (how much). Combined with a willingness to share peanuts, they will carry you through most evenings.

Photo by Charlie Solorzano on Pexels

A Note on Beer Quality

Hai Phong's most ubiquitous commercial beer is Halida, brewed locally and served everywhere at 15,000–20,000 VND for a can. It is a standard light lager, perfectly cold, and unoffensive. Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン) Beer and Hanoi Beer also appear widely. None of them are interesting, but they are cheap, consistent, and what everyone around you is drinking.

The bia hoi itself varies by supplier — most draft in the city comes from a small number of local breweries and the quality fluctuates. Go earlier in the evening when the keg is fresh.

Practical Notes

Most bia hoi spots operate 4–9 PM; craft bars run later, roughly 5 PM to midnight. Hai Phong does not have a bar district as such, so expect to move between neighborhoods rather than pub-crawl a single strip. Cash only at street-level spots — 200,000–300,000 VND per person covers a solid evening of bia hoi and snacks with room to spare.