Located in a small alley off Hang Tre street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Hidden Gem Coffee brings in customers with its distinctive design which uses recycled objects as decorative items.
The idea to build this unique cafe came to 35-year-old Nguyen Van Tho after he saw the serious pollution in his hometown in Yen Phong, Bac Ninh province. The town has many craft villages where a lot of waste and sewage are dumped into the river.
 The cafe is located in an alley off Hang Tre street in Hanoi. Photo: Viet Cuong  Beauftiful design of the second floor. Photo: Khanh Long  The cafe atrracts a lot of foreigners. Photo: Viet Cuong  The eye-catching ceiling made from discarded plastic bottles. Photo: Khanh Long  Recycled objects are turned into nice decorative items. Photo: Khanh Long  The coffee shop has an airy space. Photo: Viet Cuong  Utensils used at the cafe are all made from environmentally friendly materials. Photo: Khanh Long  VVisitors are impressed by decorative items made from discarded objects. Photo: Viet Cuong  Unique space of Hidden Gem Coffee. Photo: Khanh Long  Enjoying drinks in a special space. Photo: Khanh Long  Environmental protection messages inside Hidden Gem Coffee. Photo: Khanh Long  Nguyen Van Tho talks with young customers about environmental protection. Photo: Khanh Long |
Tho travelled to many places to search for discarded items in scrap shops and even landfills. It did not cost him much money, only time, energy and creativeness to turn useless objects into beautiful tables, chairs and decorative items which have created an exceptional space for Hidden Gem Coffee.
More than 90% of the furniture and decorative items at Hidden Gem Coffee are recycled from wood, rubber, glass and plastic waste and disused items. The cafe has an eye-catching ceiling made from discarded plastic bottles. At Hidden Gem Coffee, bamboo and stainless-steel straws are used instead of plastic, throwaway ones. Other utensils used at the coffee shop are all made from environmentally friendly or recyclable materials.
“I want to do something to protect the environment.” Tho said, hoping his cafe will help spread the environmental protection message throughout the community.
By Khanh Long & Viet Cuong
