The Haflington

Table seats and couch area

The Haflington is a Cocktail Bar residing in Hanoi, Vietnam. Its interior and atmosphere are precisely designed with the concept of a “private museum” to embody the “Old World Aesthetic”.

This passion for antique and classic cultures is tied back to the man that this bar is named after, Mr. Haflington. This fictional character is designed to embody The Haflington’s spiritual values ​​and philosophy. With that being said, his legacy of creating such an environment for “connecting people and archiving every moment” is the core value and mission of The Haflington team as they not only honour Old World Aesthetics but also respect their customers’ experiences through excellent hospitality and services. These beautiful and unique antique items are gathered from all over the world to achieve such an otherworldly experience which almost makes you feel like time traveling to various cultures and regions back in history while enjoying a sip of exquisite drinks.

The Haflington’s Beverage Manager: Tuan Anh, Nguyen-Lucci

Nguyen-Lucci in the middle

Lucci is responsible for the bar’s drinking experience in general, as he designs both classic and original recipes through his superb craftsmanship and immense passion for the cocktail. He aspires to come up with “influential cocktail recipes” which could join the classic cocktails in the future as the cocktail that represents our era.

His favourite quote: “If you haven’t loved Classic Cocktails, that’s okay, we’ll make you love them”

Achievements

• Champion World Class Vietnam 2023
• Champion Bacardi Legacy SEA 2020
• Champion Ophir Vietnam 2018
• Champion Glenmorangie Vietnam 2017

Cocktails and Drinks

As they quote, “Much as we appreciate the origin of classic cocktails, we also want to honour classic taste in a new way”, their cocktails are a combination of familiarity and a unique twist. This resembles their atmosphere which also embodies both old tradition’s warmth and eccentric allure.

Therefore, The Haflington has 4 categories for their cocktails: USUAL CLASSIC / UNUSUAL CLASSIC / MODERN CLASSIC / LUCCI’S COLLECTION

Popular Cocktails

Song of the Bird

Beverage Manager: Lucci Song of the Birds is a cocktail created in 2022 in the “Our Craft” category at The Haflington. The cocktail is made from Rye Whisky, Sweet Vermouth, Fresh Orange Juice, Fresh Lemon, and Grenadine Syrup. The cocktail contains a flavor of wood and berries like birds dancing in a garden (inspired by Mr. Haflington’s classic collection of birds).Since being included in the menu, this cocktail has been among the best-selling cocktails at The Haflington and has been brought to GS in many Vietnamese and Asian cocktail bars, such as Thailand and Singapore. With the desire to contribute its creations to the world’s modern classic cocktail range, The Haflington is still on the road to popularizing this cocktail in Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cocktail bars through sharing classes and guest shifts

Beverage Manager: Lucci Song of the Birds is a cocktail created in 2022 in the “Our Craft” category at The Haflington. The cocktail is made from Rye Whisky, Sweet Vermouth, Fresh Orange Juice, Fresh Lemon, and Grenadine Syrup. The cocktail contains a flavor of wood and berries like birds dancing in a garden (inspired by Mr. Haflington’s classic collection of birds).Since being included in the menu, this cocktail has been among the best-selling cocktails at The Haflington and has been brought to GS in many Vietnamese and Asian cocktail bars, such as Thailand and Singapore. With the desire to contribute its creations to the world’s modern classic cocktail range, The Haflington is still on the road to popularizing this cocktail in Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cocktail bars through sharing classes and guest shifts

The Last Empire

Beverage Manager: Lucci The Last Empire is about the last dynasty in Vietnam’s growth history (Nguyen). Two premium base spirits are used to make this cocktail: Macallan aged 18 years and Hennessy VSOP Cognac. With the addition of two herbal liqueurs, Green Chartreuse and Punt Emes, the drink becomes more balanced, with a delicate bitter taste that ends with a chocolate aftertaste from the two barrel-aged base spirits. The rich, deep, and smooth primary flavor’s bittersweet aftertaste reminds us of an open ending. The final dynasty came to an end, ushering in a new era in Vietnam.

Beverage Manager: Lucci The Last Empire is about the last dynasty in Vietnam’s growth history (Nguyen). Two premium base spirits are used to make this cocktail: Macallan aged 18 years and Hennessy VSOP Cognac. With the addition of two herbal liqueurs, Green Chartreuse and Punt Emes, the drink becomes more balanced, with a delicate bitter taste that ends with a chocolate aftertaste from the two barrel-aged base spirits. The rich, deep, and smooth primary flavor’s bittersweet aftertaste reminds us of an open ending. The final dynasty came to an end, ushering in a new era in Vietnam.

Experience Report from our Visit

Browsing through busy crowds in the city of Hanoi, the Haflinton can be found slightly away from the large streets and festivals. Fairly hard to find, but its’ speak-easy bar-like ambiance intrigues your curiosity and kindly welcomes you into an extraordinary experience. Unlike most of the restaurants or bars in Vietnam, the Haflinton has a reception counter outside, which greets you at this fascinatingly gorgeous hideout. Inside, you can see all the different rooms with various themes, finely designed with countless antique items from each designated place and area. I myself was taken to the bar counter area, where a gigantic dinosaur skeleton overlooks us from the ceiling. Despite being slightly crowded, the bar was exceptionally quiet and elegant, and in combination with its interior design, I felt as if I was taken back to England in the 18th and 19th centuries. The atmosphere is collaboratively fashioned by experienced bartenders and servers with the finest hospitality and language skills, bringing in not only local customers but also many foreigners—the perfect hideout for people who need time off from the bustle of the Hanoi city. 

Main Bar counter

Seasonal Menu

Although all the unique factors and services inside this bar surprised me, what impressed me the most was their menu, especially their seasonal menu booklet. Apart from their regular menu, although their regular menu is also very interesting, full of drawings and descriptions, their seasonal menu is truly a work of art. Each drink has various countries or areas assigned to it, and the pages are filled with interesting factors and stories explaining the history, culture, and tradition that are integrated into the cocktail. The whole experience of looking through this menu to learn and order, enjoying the drink as you contextualize the backstory, takes you on an adventure back in time and place.

These are what I had at the bar!

Bare Hands, Great Mind, Strong Shoulders

Bare Hands, Great Mind, Strong Shoulders

As soon as I took a sip, I sensed bold and elegant whisky complemented very smoothly with an exquisite combination of fresh berry flavour and smoky aftertaste. Due to its strength, this cocktail works great as a slow-sipping drink suitable for long nights.

The Haflington not only serves its unique and original cocktails but also pays respect to past classic cocktails which lost their popularity and brought them back to light. Therefore they call themselves the “Museum of Cocktails” which certainly matches their interior design. On top of that, seasonal cocktails would occasionally appear on their menu to keep their loyal customers interested and incentivized. With these plentiful varieties of drinks, The Haflington welcomes and surely entertains everybody whether they are drink enthusiasts or beginners.