Skyline Lounge – Hanoi Tirant Hotel

Skyline Lounge sits on top of Hanoi Tirant Hotel on Gia Ngu, a short walk east of Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter. It opened in 2013, which makes it one of the first restaurant-and-lounge rooftops in the quarter, and it reopened after a major renovation with several spaces on the 11th floor: a restaurant, sofa lounges looking out over the city, a rooftop deck with an all-round view and a small pool lined with palms.

From the rail the view runs across the tiled rooftops of the Old Quarter towards the lake and the high-rises of the wider city, and it is at its best as the sun goes down behind the skyline. The kitchen serves Western and Vietnamese dishes, with set menus and a list of signature cocktails from the bar.

It opens daily from 11am to 11pm, so it works for a long lunch as well as a sunset drink. Dress is casual, and tables can be booked by phone or email through the lounge's website, which is worth doing for a rail-side seat at sunset.