Sven Viet

Sven Viet, a short walk from Hackney Town Hall, has been here for two decades as Tre Viet. However, it changed ownership in June 2026. It is now run by a gentleman called Connor Norris, and has been renamed Sven Viet. The dining room had plain wooden tables and a little bar in the corner. An extensive à la carte menu was accompanied by a short wine list ranging from £17.50 to £21.90, with no vintages listed. Examples were Isla Negra at £17.50 for a bottle that you can find in the high street for £7, Vina Sol at £19 compared to its retail price of £12, and Trivento Reserve Malbec/Merlot at £21.90 for a bottle that will set you back £11 in a shop.

To start with I had crispy spring rolls, made from rice paper and filled with prawn, pork and mixed vegetables. The rolls came with lettuce and mint leaves to wrap the rolls, and a mild fish sauce dip. The rolls were crisp and had a pleasant filling, with just a hint of spice (12/20). I then had stir-fried egg noodles with pork (£13.90). The noodles had reasonable texture and there was nicely cooked carrot, celery and red pepper to go with the pork, which had decent flavour (12/20). Bak choi with garlic (£9.90) was lightly cooked and had pleasant texture (12/20).

Service was functional, and dishes arrived when the kitchen was ready rather than in any obvious order. Still, this is a local Vietnamese restaurant rather than fine dining, so perfectly reasonable in context. The bill came to £36 per person with just water to drink. If you drank wine or beer and had a dessert then a typical cost per person might be nearer £50. Sven Viet was a pleasant experience, and you could do worse if you are hungry in Hackney.