The idea, in fact, was to evoke the stylish and romantic era of travel in the 1940s. Indeed, the designers tried so hard to recreate the atmosphere of the period that sadly anything specifically Vietnamese seems to have been etched out. Yet, only a few steps outside the front door, the unmistakably Vietnamese cyclos and women in silky ao dais are ever-present. At the Press Club, comfort counts. Sinking into a well-upholstered couch with a cold beer, weary visitors can contemplate an imaginative menu of Eastern and Western dishes, ranging from rack of lamb to local delicacies served with distinctive Vietnamese fish sauce.
Prices are steep by local standards, though.
And in Hanoi's streetside cafes, you can savour old-world atmosphere for free. Unfortunately, communist Vietnam's fraternal relations with Cuba do not extend to concessions on cigar prices. Nestled in the commodious humidor lie boxes of Romeo y Julieta and Cohiba cigars. Prices were more reasonable before the monetary crisis, Riaz admits. New stocks come in from Bangkok at higher prices.