When I was researching a bit before my Hanoi trip, on eateries around Bonsella Hotel, I chanced upon the The Note Coffee cafe, which was featured on the list of "The 50 Most Instagrammable Cafes In The World"; ranked 5th!
Step closer to be blown away by the millions of post it notes stuck to the walls, the doors, the windows etc! They were like all over the place, and could appear extremely messy in the eyes of a person with severe OCD.
Just in case you are thinking it was just a gimmick and the operator would simply paste the post it notes for no reason; each of them had a handwritten message from customers all over the world.
Before any exploration, get yourself some food and drinks from the counter on the ground floor. I was still full and could only stomach some drinks!
Let's proceed up! The staircases in Vietnam can be so unsafe; how would an elderly person be able to navigate up and down without a handrail by the side?! Thankfully, I am still able at this moment.
Walls covered with post it notes! Question: how did they paste the note all the way up there?! I doubt someone would purposely jump up on a staircase as that's so dangerous! Oh well, I was pretty brainless when it comes to safety when I was a teen.
The second floor that felt claustrophobic as it had a lower ceiling. My aim was to go all the way to the top so that I can have a window seat with views for some time-lapsed videos.
Third floor.
There was a higher level but it appeared to be reserved only for larger groups. As there were just three of us, I guess we had to make to do with level four.
View from our level. You can see the shark jaws building from the picture on the topmost, whereas the bottom picture shows the legendary Hoan Kiem Lake. Click here to read more about the legend!
Even this plant sticking out from the planter box wasn't spared. However, doubt the notes can survive the occasional wind and rain.
Some were in the design of long trains from the ceiling. Disadvantage with that is that someone would eventually get irritated with the notes and remove the whole train!
Although the colorful notes looked pretty when we were inside the cafe, the backing of the notes would be the ones you see from the outside. And it was white backing. Therefore, do step in and be overwhelmed by squares and squares of post it notes.
Would you care to read all the handwritten messages on the post it notes? I think it would be so romantic if a couple wrote and pasted a note and eventually found it ten, twenty years later!
Now my turn to write; for the empty post it notes, you can usually find them in boxes placed on tables. If there isn't any, just get from one of the service staff members. I wonder if people would be so stingy as to grab a ton to bring home. I am stingy but not to that extent. Plus, I have horrible handwriting!
In case you are wondering whether it is 3M post it notes, the ones provided at The Note Coffee were exclusive, and had from, to and date. I jotted something but can't remember what I wrote! Don't ask me where I pasted it.
Typical post it notes had just a sticky strip at the back whereas the ones at The Note Coffee had literally sticker backing! That's the reason why you don't see most of them fluttering.
My drink; likely coffee.
Don't stick your stickers at "high touch" surfaces. As you can see, they don't last well. Speaking of which, would these be an issue during COVID times, when many people were obsessed with virus that stays on surfaces?
Whatever the case, it's time to leave.
Video time!
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Address
Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Map
As above.
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