MÀU Gastro Wine Bar: An independent review

🗓 Last visited in July 2026

For some time, I have been following how a new generation of Vietnamese chefs is modernizing Vietnamese cuisine, either by blending it with Western or Japanese influences or by creating more refined, upscale interpretations of traditional dishes.

In Hanoi, ZAO – Vietnamese Rooted Eatery and  MÀU – Gastro Wine Bar are two good examples of this movement. Both were added to the Selected category in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide.

We visited and reviewed ZAO earlier this year. Last weekend, it was MÀU’s turn.

More: ZAO – Vietnamese Rooted Eatery:  Personal review

Setting

MÀU occupies a central location directly opposite Hanoi’s Temple of Literature and is spread across two floors.

On the ground floor, there is a small outdoor table for wine and light bites. Inside are several regular tables and counter seats beside the open kitchen for guests having a full meal. A second dining area is located upstairs.

Menu overview

*Click an image to enlarge

As with many restaurants following a similar concept and price point, MÀU offers two options: an à-la-carte menu and a seasonal chef’s menu.

The à-la-carte selection contained several dishes that caught our attention. But as this was our first visit and we wanted to try the kitchen’s signature ideas, we chose the chef’s menu, priced at VND 1,150k++ per person, excluding drinks.

Summer chef’s menu

MÀU’s chef’s menu was divided into three parts, each containing several dishes.

The summer menu began with a trio of “Nibbles”:

• Miyagi oyster
• Tiger prawn-filled quẩy (Vietnamese fried dough)
• Salmon tartare

All three were good, but my favourite was the tiger prawn quẩy, both for its originality and its distinctly Vietnamese character. Huong, meanwhile, preferred the oyster.

A refreshing yuzu sorbet was served as a palate cleanser before the menu moved on to the next course.

A quick word on the service: it was excellent throughout the meal. I genuinely believe that Hanoi’s hospitality industry has made remarkable progress in recent years, something rarely acknowledged on social media.

At Mậu, the service was so efficient that the courses initially arrived a little faster than we would have liked for this style of dining, especially over wine. We asked the team to slow the pace slightly, which they did for the rest of the meal.

The main courses were the fish of the day, presented as a contemporary interpretation of cá om chuối đậu—fish braised with green banana and tofu—and pork cheek with pumpkin rice and a lemongrass and chilli sauce.

I really enjoyed both dishes. They represented exactly what I look for in upscale Vietnamese restaurants: food rooted in traditional Vietnamese cooking but reworked with creativity. This was particularly true of the fish, which I hope will earn a permanent place on Mậu’s menu rather than remain only a “fish of the day.”

Interestingly, Huong was less impressed than I was. She found the sauce accompanying the fish a bit too sweet and, as a local, was understandably less struck by the dishes’ Vietnamese roots. That said, she still enjoyed them but just not quite as much as I did.

We also added the ravioli with chẩm chéo for an additional VND 130k++. Here, we both felt that the kitchen had played things a little too safe. We are very fond of chẩm chéo, yet its distinctive seasoning was barely noticeable in the dish. Perhaps MÀU is cautious with stronger flavors because many of its guests are international visitors who may be less familiar with them.

After the two main courses came another house-made sorbet, this time flavoured with green tomato and basil. It was an unexpected combination, but one that worked remarkably well.

The menu ended with a choice of two ice-cream desserts: puffed-rice ice cream or corn ice cream with caramel sauce. The corn version was quite good, while the puffed-rice ice cream left less of an impression. We would like to see MÀU add a dessert that is not ice cream, giving diners a more varied final choice.

Drinks

As a wine bar, MÀU offers a good selection of wines by the glass. Huong tend to enjoy dry, mineral-driven white wines, so the Spanish Ramon Bilbao Verdejo suited her particularly well. I also enjoyed a Pinot Noir from France’s Loire Valley.

Wines by the glass range from VND 175k++ to VND 350k++. A pairing of four different wines is also available with the chef’s menu for VND 950k++ per person.

Our overall impression

Overall, we had a great experience at MÀU, even though I was more impressed by the main courses than Huong was. We are likely to return, as there are several dishes on the à la carte menu that we would still like to try. We are also curious to see how the chef’s menu evolves with the seasons.

A final word on the service. The person who looked after us was particularly friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. She clearly made the whole experience even better.

We hope contemporary Vietnamese restaurants such as MÀU can thrive in the long term and continue offering a different perspective on Vietnamese cuisine. MÀU’s inclusion in the Michelin Selected 2026 list will undoubtedly help on this point.

Price and practical notes

Our total bill was nearly VND 4 million for two chef’s menus and drinks. We received a 50% reduction through the Visa Dining offer available to Visa Signature and Infinite cardholders.

This was an independent visit paid for with our own money. The Visa Dining reduction was a cardholder benefit not an arrangement with the restaurant.

*Drinks menu and our bill from July 2026. Click an image to enlarge: