Located on the 6th floor of Capital building (a 5-minute taxi ride from the Old Quarter), The Bank is a luxury nightclub, one of the largest in Hanoi.
It is a sort of crossover featuring the best parts of Viet-style and Western nightclubs. While most customers are Vietnamese groups who come to share a bottle, it is also perfectly fine to order drinks by the glass. You are free to roam around and dance instead of being assigned to a table all night long. There is some Vietnamese pop and house, but also International Hip Hop, EDM and Top 40.
I visited during their famous ladies night (Wednesday), and while the whole club was only half full, there was an incredible number of girls around. It is not surprising foreigners love The Bank as this is clearly the best pick-up place in Hanoi. There were many freelance prostitutes as well (judging by the way they were looking at me). It reminded me of a more upscale version of Apocalypse in Saigon.
On Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, they have wild sexy dancers (sometimes foreign girls) who wear naughty costumes. Some performances are really borderline and I was surprised to discover that Hanoi was such a liberal city. Here are a few pics from their Facebook for instance:
Prices are more expensive than your typical backpacker joint, but still OK for European standards. A beer costs VND110,000 and a cocktail around VND132,000 (including the 10% tax). The Mojito I had was not tasting very good though so don't put your expectations too high. Laughing gas balloons are another option. They are so popular that they had a supply of 5 huge canisters behind the bar.
It seems that many gays were among the customers, but luckily they were usually accompanied by a few of their girlfriends.
Overall: I didn't really like the music in The Bank, but I would still recommend it as a top pick-up spot in Hanoi. Do visit on their Ladies night, they have a free flow on that day for VND350,000 (on selected drinks like Whisky-Coke, Vodka-Red Bull, Gin-Tonic). Women do not have to pay.
The Bank Nightclub - Hanoi
The Capital, 6th floor, 41 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem District
Phone number: 09 44 90 32 32
Facebook: The Bank Hanoi
Website: The Bank Hanoi
Operating Hours:
Every day until 2AM