Am planning a trip to Hanoi late May anyone been lately ? looking for advice on best area to stay for shopping and night life, also location good Indian restraunts and any trips at resonable price ( side trips ) have been to Saigon so in general familiar with Vietnam but never been to Hanoi, all advice appreciated.

Side trips for the day to The Perfumed Pagoda, Ninh Binh (Ha Long Bay on land) and Ha Long Bay, although that would be better to do in 2 or 3 days. Sa pa if you have time, depending on how long you'll be staying.

The only Indian restaurant I knew is not there any more and I haven't bothered looking for another.

The street in front of the cathederal has some good restaurants and pubs (Mocha for example), and Hang Hang St. is where a lot of tourists hang out in the bars.

Stay by Hoan Kiem Lake, that's right in the centre, check Agoda for places within your budget.

We stayed in the old quarter at the Viet Anh Hotel. Check out their website for details, www.vietanhhotel.com.

We had Indian food at the Tandoor Restaurant located in the old quarter but maybe this is the place that Pattaya Parent is refering to. For a good Vietnamese food lunch buffet try Brother's Cafe, www.brothercafe.com. Also dont miss the water puppet show.

Good call on the water puppets, I still enjoy it after half a dozen times of going! Go to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and the Citadel as well, and the Museum of Ethnology was good

Viet Nam is like Thailand for food in that you can stop in just about any place and you'll get good local food. Maybe take a trip to the snake village and eat some snake and drink snake blood wine? The restaurants on 'dog street' (Cau Gia?) have just about all gone as it's becoming a trendy designer area.

The Tandoor sounds like the right name but I remember it being on the street parallel to the lake, Hang Trong? But maybe they moved into the old quarter.

Hope my travel Blog help......... http://sunnyhor.travellerspoint.com/1/

But beware of Scams...especially TAXI & CYCLO. They are Vietnams number one Scam!!!

liquor prices:

crate of beer Hanoi 200k dong,

bottle of vodka Hanoi 65k dong,

local Vfresh juices to mix the vodka (far superior to any packaged juice in Thailand) 30k dong per liter...

make sure your hotel has ice available...the cheap ones don't and there ain't no 7-11s about...

(from the opening scene of Apocalypse Now transposed to Hanoi in 2011 tutsi peers outta the blinds of the cheap hotel room and mutters: 'Hanoi...shit...' and waits to be advised of his mission...he's got a good stock of booze and is in no hurry...)