Set right in the centre of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, the Green Tangerine can be found serving up stellar French fare. Its courtyard, the first thing you see when you walk through the gates, is a superbly romantic spot. If it’s a steamy day, however, the dining room provides an air-conditioned sanctuary where weary diners can slip into comfortable chairs, sip a glass of excellent white wine, and order up a selection of dishes to nourish, revive and delight. The menu changes often, but the cuisine is always cleverly imagined and precisely executed – experimental food that’s a gastronomic pleasure. A starter of crab, red and green peppers, and tomatoes blazed in cognac, all presented on a mille-feuille cake, is required eating. Standout mains include candied quails roasted Provencal-style with grapefruit and Cointreau Chantilly on a baked Alaska omelette; and the scallops in orange tree essence wrapped with mashed aubergines and rau cai sprouts, Cointreau and orange sauce. You can find French classics here too, but with a little twist, like the dessert of chocolate truffle fritters perfumed with pink pepper and a red fruit and flower sauce. Be sure to save room, and also give the ‘delicacy plate’ a try if you can - it’s a sampler of five of ‘life’s pleasures you don’t want to share’. The international wine list offers over 50 bottles, including a few served by the glass. Green Tangerine Restaurant is truly International creation with a Vietnamese twist.

year of established: 2003 operating hours: 09:00 - 23:00 reservations: recommended credit cards: V, MC, AE alfresco: yes BYO/corkage: yes price: $, $ 48 Hang Be Street Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi Tel: (84-4) 3825 1286 - f: (84-8) 3926 1797 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it year of established: 2003 operating hours: 09:00 - 23:00 reservations: recommended credit cards: V, MC, AE alfresco: yes BYO/corkage: yes price: $, $48 Hang Be StreetHoan Kiem District, Hanoi Tel: (84-4) 3825 1286 - f: (84-8) 3926 1797 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it