Container Café

Recycling has never been a new concept, but a coffee house built with two containers with wooden and glass windows might be the first in the city. However, one problem with using containers is that they absorb too much heat on sunny days. After trials and errors, Mr. Giang - owner of the café had come up with the best insulation panels. The interior of the cafe is now fully cooled and ventilated, creating a comfortable place for guests. He even made tables and chairs from fragments like motorcycle wheel rims, tires, and tanks, engine cylinder or vintage cameras, turning the café into an outrageous yet attractive place. 'Scrap materials will worsen the environment. Then why don't we use them to make an eco-friendly hang-out?', said Giang.

Address: #138 No.1 Street, Trung Son residential area, Binh Chanh District
Opening time: 8:00am - 9:00pm (Everyday)
Price range: 20,000 - 60,000 VND

The Other Person 

Originated from Akihabara and have become one of Japan’s popular culture icon, Maid Cafes are themed cafe shops with waitresses dressed as maids treating customers as if they are kings or masters. For those who are interested in Japanese culture, The Other Person is a must-visit. Located in a small apartment block on Ton That Dam St, this is one of the first coffee houses with the ‘maid’ concept in Saigon. The café has a ‘kawaii’ setting, with TVs always screening Japanese animes and a pink piano matching with its surrounding for those who wish to show their musical talents or just simply play for fun. Interestingly, they also organize periodical cosplay shows. Still, one minus point of this coffee house is that due to its small size and tricky location, finding the place can be quite challenging.

Address: #14 Ton That Dam Street, District 1
Price range: 30,000 - 60,000VND

The Workshop

Lied in a small alley of a central street, though you have to walk up a few flights of stairs to reach the place, it rewards with a great view of Saigon and exceptional cups of coffee. The Workshop is flawlessly bedecked in a rustic industrial design with high ceilings and a central open coffee brewing stand where customers are invited to watch how their espresso is processed. And guess what, they even feature an artisan coffee roaster in-store. How cool is that!

The baristas not only excel at espresso but also many other coffee making techniques such as cold brew, cold drip and immersion methods like Syphon, V60, Kone, Chemex or Kalita Wave. With an impressively extensive menu of Vietnamese/Western beans and styles, they never fail to enamor customers who eventually become regulars and some even praised The Workshop as the best place to enjoy the ‘art of coffee’ in town.

In addition, the coffee house offers some great food choice (including vegetarian pasta) in case you are looking for breakfast, lunch or even dinner. Some finger food and snacks are also available dining options. And if you are interested, they sell some coffee making tools, cups, and several pretty nice local artists work hung up on the walls.

That being said, the limited seating might turn some coffee seekers off and those stools can be a bit uncomfortable if you sit for too long.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/the.workshop.coffee/
Address: #27 Ngo Duc Ke Street, District 1 / 2nd floor|
Tel: (+84) 28 3824 6801
Opening time: 8:00am - 9:00pm (Everyday)
Price range: 60,000 - 90,000VND

Du Mien Garden

Despite situated quite far from the city center, Du Mien Coffee is still extremely famous for its extraordinary design. Taking advantage of the banyan trees that are hundreds of years old, the owner has beautified the café with unique nest-shaped wooden houses offering shades for those who fancy certain serenity and intimacy. But should you want to mix yourself with nature, then green grassland, beautiful blooming flowers, a crystal blue lake, and balconies in many different altitudes will definitely not disappoint you. As one of the biggest coffee houses in HCMC with an area of around 6000m2, there seems to be no sense of loss or imprisonment sipping a cup of coffee here and sudden inspirations can always spark off in seconds. Therefore, it is worth noticing that there might be no seat available on weekends considering that the drinks on the menu are quite cheap.

Address: #7 Phan Van Tri Street, Ward 10, Go Vap District
Opening hours: 7:00am - 11:00pm (Everyday)
Price range: 30,000 - 100,000VND

Hard Rock

Hard Rock is an American coffee house and must-go destination for rock lovers, located in the most crowded area of Saigon - the upscale shopping and entertainment complex MPlaza Le Duan (formerly known as Kumho Asiana Plaza) which is within minutes from the city’s prominent landmarks such as City Post, Notre Dame Cathedral, and Reunification Palace. It occupies 2 stories with a bar on the lower and a restaurant/gift shop on the higher floor. At Hard Rock, you can find pieces of clothes, instruments or other memorabilia belonging to many of the most legendary rockers and contemporary artists in the history of rock. There are live rock sessions every night and many tribute nights with no additional charge. Although pricier than other rivals, there is no doubt about the quality of the food and beverages here. Parking is also free if you stay there less than 4 hours.

Address: #39 Le Duan Street, District 1
Tel: (+84) 28 6291 7595
Opening hours: 11:00am - 12:00am (Everyday)
Price range: 30,000 - 90,000VND

The Lab 

  “Don’t drink anything in a lab, unless you’re at The Lab”
Located in a small quiet alley on Nguyen Chi Thanh St, The Lab seems to be distinct from the fast pace of life around the area. Resembling a chemistry laboratory filled with colorful, effervescent, smoke-filled test instruments and tube racks, The Lab mixes science with refreshment and is proving a magnet for young people interested in creativity, science, and unique drinks. Apart from the normal drinks, The Lab also has its signature drinks such as The Lab smoothie or The Lab cocktail, all are served in glass beakers or jars and put on medical trays. With its familiar customers, The Lab is not just any ordinary lab but a lab for new ideas - ideas that need to be tested and turned into reality, which is also their aim through the open-end message "Formula for life?". If you want to find peace after busy working days then The Lab is the place for you.

Address: #47 Pham Huu Chi Street, Ward 12, District 5
Opening hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm (Everyday)
Price range: 30,000 - 60,000VND

Toilet Café

Toilet cafés is not a new concept in Asian countries, but it is new in Vietnam as the first one just came to Vietnam 2 or 3 years ago. Customers sit on toilets and eat from bathtubs and drinks from toilet-shaped cups. The café space is laid out with many toilet seats and even the staircases look like those of a toilet. It may be unimaginable someone would come to a place like this and relish beverages but still, hundreds of customers still go to the Toilet Kingdom café every day for its coziness and reasonable prices.

Address: #29 D2 Street, Ward 25, Binh Thanh District
Opening hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm (Everyday)
Price range: 30,000 - 60,000VND

Kujuz 

Located on a small street of Saigon, what makes Kujuz so special is that it has walls made up of a plethora amount of old windows and doors. The quiet space inside this coffee house makes it an ideal place to relax or have some good read. It costs 50,000VND for a glass of drink but if you pay 100,000VND, you can have as many as you want and you can even leave and return within a day. Here, you can also make your own drink with the guidance of the staff.

Address: #35 Ly Tu Trong Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 9:00am - 10:00pm (Everyday)
Price range: 60,000 - 90,000VND

Hoài Niệm

“A small place where we brothers and sisters sit together – tell some stories, have some good laugh and give each other memories that will last a lifetime” is what this coffee house on Tran Van Dang St strives for. Although it is not spacious, it’s a perfect place to sit together and recall all the old memories. When you go to Hoai Niem, you will get the feeling as if you’re in the 70s. You can even have a new haircut here if you’ve booked your reservations.

Address: #239/50 Tran Van Dang Street, Ward 11, District 3
Opening hours: 9:30 am - 10:30 pm (Monday to Saturday)
Price range: 15,000 - 40,000VND

Darkroom

Come here, sit on an old wooden chair, look at an old flower pot is a real pleasure after the busy lifestyle in HCMC. Darkroom is decorated with old familiar objects, such as vintage film cameras or film rolls which brings a sense of peace and nostalgia vibe. Coming to this place, you can find some nice talks with many film cameras enthusiasts since this is one of the last two places that scan film in modern Saigon.

Website: https://darkroom.vn/
Address: #30/1F Ngo Thoi Nhiem Street, Ward 25, Binh Thanh District
Tel: (+84) 98 747 96 95
Opening hours: 7:30am - 10:00pm (Everyday)
Price range: 20,000 - 50,000VND

Top Of The Town

Arriving here, you will be surprised at the classic and elegant design of Top Of The Town, giving the vibe of a fairytale garden or the ancient Greek mythological palace. Having a spectacular 360-degree view of Saigon, Top Of The Town is the perfect destination for celebrations, romantic dinners or private parties with its international wine list and à la carte menu. Yet, the food menu is limited in comparison with the drinks one, and water is free here. Come and join the vibrancy in the terrace bar with locals, expats, and tourists.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/TopoftheTownBarandRestaurant (Vietnamese)
Address: #18 An Duong Vuong Street, Ward 9, District 5, HCMC / 25th floor of Windsor Plaza Hotel
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3833 6688
Price range: 100,000 – 660,000VND

Café EON

Located on the 50-52th floor, Café EON is now the highest cafés in Saigon for a stunning view, especially suitable for night get-togethers when the city is overwhelmed with colorful lights. This venue features two concepts, one of those fond of overlooking the cityscape ‘from above the cloud’ while enjoying tasty drinks and the other concentrates on Asian foods. However, since it is ‘on the cloud’, the cheapest price for a drink here is 120,000 VND, which is still better than buying a ticket to Bitexco to see the city. (For more information, the 49th floor of Bitexco Tower is Saigon Skydeck where you can also get a 360-degree panorama of the city through a telescope with an entrance fee of 200,000 VND.)

Website: http://eon51.com/cafe-eon/ (English, Vietnamese)
https://www.facebook.com/EON50Cafe/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED (Vietnamese)
Address: #2 Hai Trieu Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC / 50-52th floor of Bitexco Tower
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 11:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 6291 8750
Price range: 120,000 – 260,000VND

Moonlight Café

Located on the top floor of Parkson CT Plaza building near Tan Son Nhat Airport, this is the cafe known for the ideal airplane view of Saigon. Therefore, ‘airplane café’ has become the brand of this cafe terrace. Sitting in the café and that is a stunning view you might see! Just lean back to the wooden chair, relish a coconut juice, watch an airplane preparing to take off on a glittering night, and so on. You can also observe the airport on the way up by using the outside glass elevator (this elevator is only available for floor 10 ‘CGV Cinema’ and floor 11 ‘Moonlight Café’). All these things will make your night unforgettable. There are also a ball house for kids and some live piano performances after 8 pm.

Address: #60A Truong Son Street, Ward 2, Tan Binh District, HCMC /11th floor of Parkson CT Plaza
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3547 2555
Price range: 35,000 – 65,000VND

Lac Dinh House

The cool, shady Turtle Lake area is always an ideal place for those who like to savor snacks while observing Saigon’s busy traffic. But have you ever thought of watching the scene from above to see the whole picture of this modern yet classic area? If the answer is yes, then don’t hesitate to go to Lac Dinh House. Frankly speaking, Lac Dinh is not so much a café as a tea shop. At Lac Dinh, you don’t need to be a connoisseur of tea, just say what you like and the mistress will make a teapot that meets your requirements. Tea will be served as a set along with a small teapot and a boiling oven to keep it hot. Cakes and dishes are made to her own recipe, so the taste is very distinctive such as cheesy chicken and rice, tiramisu, avocado double cheesecake, black forest cake, carmen cake, cherry scones, apple pie and even traditional dishes, namely water fern cake, bánh xèo (Vietnamese pancake). You can access the website to know more about the day’s menu as it varies every day. Rarely does anyone complain about cakes and tea; but if they do, it is probably about having to climb the stairs to the 4th floor and there are so few tables that it is frequently crowded. Therefore, reservation is a must. Also, the store closes as soon as the dishes are out of stock and the parking lot on the ground level is for Phuc Long café only so you should call the number below in advance.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/lacdinhtram/ (Vietnamese)
Address: #6 Cong Truong Quoc Te Street, Ward 6, District 3, HCMC / 4th floor
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 901 872 105
Price range: 45,000 – 200,00VND

Chill Skybar

What is more awesome than having delicious cocktails while watching the sunset from the top? And if you have a plan for night parties, this is the perfect place. Located on the 26 & 27th floor, many music stars come here to sing frequently and famous local and international DJs are ready to ramp the energy up every weekend. Fancy as it seems, if you don’t reserve in advance, you might even have difficulty getting a space to stand, much less sit, especially at weekends. Chill also have a restaurant on the 27th floor called 27 Grill, separate from the Chill Skybar that is outdoor on the terrace, specializing in steaks. So you can enjoy the view of Saigon with the outstanding Bitexco building before fill your stomach up as the food preparing time is quite long. Most importantly, men coming here have to wear trousers and shoes, wear shorts and slippers and the securities won’t let you in. As for women, high heels are not recommended since you have to stand most of the time, unless you arrive here before 10 when there are fewer customers.

Website: http://chillsaigon.com/ (English)
https://www.facebook.com/like.chill.saigon/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED  (English, Vietnamese)
Address: #76A Le Lai Street, District 1, HCMC / 26-27th floor of AB Tower
Opening hours: 5:30 pm to 2:00 am (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 938 822 838
Price range: 200,000 – 550,000 VND

Mary Jane’s The Bar

Located on the rooftop of a building in District 1, Mary Jane’s The Bar is an ideal place for young people who love romantic outdoor space and photography. From here, you can enjoy a cool atmosphere on high and observe Saigon from when the sun sets until it glitters in the lights at night. The bar is divided into different areas with different seating styles and you will not have a hard time getting the chance to relax and enjoy the fresh air. There are also long benches and tables for groups with lots of greenery, flowers and graffiti drawings. Sadly, there are some minus points. The drinks are quite bland according to some customers and options are limited. This place is also difficult to find as there is no signboard at the front. So for the entrance, search for the entry of the bank, take the elevator to the 10th floor and take the last stairs up or you can ask the security.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/maryjanethebar/  (Vietnamese)
Address: #85 Nguyen Huu Cau Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, HCMC /11th floor
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 903 104 319
Price range: 30,000 – 200,000VND

Pandora Sky Lounge

If you are looking for a suitable space to watch Saigon at night, Pandora Rooftop Lounge is one of the best options. Being one of the first two rooftop bars in HCMC, located in the prime location of the city, Pandora is divided into two areas: hip-hop music indoors and deep/tropical house music outdoors. Prices here are quite high (a mixed-fruits dish at 490,000VND, shisha at 399,000VND, a cocktail at 98,000VND, cheapest outdoor drinks for a group at 990,000VND and food at 120,000VND or more). But if you come during 6-9pm every day, which is called ‘Happy Hours’, you are offered 50% discount on drinks & shisha and 20% discount on the total bill for food. Yet, ironically, the chefs don’t start cooking until 7:30 pm according to some reviews. And 6-7pm is the suitable time period for couples with romantic dates because it is not very crowded at that time.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/PandoraSkyLounge (Vietnamese)
Address: #36 Bui Thi Xuan Street, District 1, HCMC / 14th floor of HDTC Building
Opening hours: 6:00 pm to 3:00 am (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3926 0455 – (+84) 938 222 324
Price range: 200,000 – 490,000VND

Cloud 9 Lounge (The Fusion)

Situated right next to the Turtle Lake, Cloud 9 Lounge is a perfect hang-out for tourists. The café is divided into 2 different areas. The 6th floor has a modern interior design in harmony with warm lighting, and the rooftop lounge is designed and furnished in a spacious, airy alfresco style. The roof terrace is fantastic, not the highest but what you find will surprise you. It is like you are transported out of the city and into a tropical setting, among lovely greenery with well-placed bamboo and plants. There are also private corners so you can chat with your friends in a more intimate atmosphere. Cloud 9 offers diners a wide selection of international wines along with beers, creative cocktails, and traditional Asian cuisine. Moreover, every Friday and Saturday, DJs come here to rock the place and bring absolute entertainment to everyone with music varies from half-decent dance music to average cheesy pop. But the main selling point still is the view of the bright spots of the city as the sun sets.

Address: #2bis Cong Truong Quoc Te Street, Ward 6, District 3, HCMC / 6-7th floor of Hai Nam Building
Opening hours: 5:00 pm to 00:00 am (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 909 445 544 – (+84) 983 160 521
Price range: 200,000 – 400,000VND

Shri Restaurant & Lounge

Located on the 23rd floor of Centec Tower, this modern, comfortable and stylish restaurant - café is the perfect place to meet up and enjoy Asian cuisine with panoramic views of the city. The word ‘Shri’ in Sanskrit means ‘light’, as this location uses transparent glass to receive multiple sources of light. In the evening, the place is sparkling with the light from the city, creating a romantic atmosphere suitable for couples and intimate dates with friends and family. Customers say that there are about 6-7 tables in the restaurant yet it is not often crowded. And for over six years, Shri has been famed for its delicious Asian and Spanish grill dishes, especially the savory and tangy goose liver paste dish, with the largest selection of international wines and cocktails.

Website: http://shri.vn/ (English)

https://www.facebook.com/shri.restaurant/ (Vietnamese)
Address: #72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 3, HCMC /23rd floor of Centec Tower
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 00:00 am (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3827 9631
Price range: 300,000 – 660,000VND

Café De La Poste

With a beautiful location in the heart of the city, next to HCMC Post Office and opposite Notre Dame Cathedral, Café De La Poste is a great place to enjoy coffee and have a date with Saigon. Being one of the rarest venues with a panoramic view of the most beautiful area of Saigon, its French architecture reminisces the beauty of the Pearl of the Far East, gracefully contrasts with the glittering modern buildings. Starting off the morning at Café De La Poste with a cup of Noisette coffee while watching the vibrant and liberal lifestyle of Saigoneses is absolutely refreshing. Café De La Poste is also a favorite destination of travelers not only for the view of Saigon architecture but also for the European, American and Vietnamese cuisines and the bar with an attractive wine rack. And don’t forget to try Vietnamese beef and vegetable stew (bò kho) and shredded pork skin bánh mì – two most positively rated dishes here. Sadly, a few customers were displeased at the slow service when having to wait for 10-15 minutes for food and some unattentive waiters. Yet, why not come here to admire the view and see if those complaints are true?

Website: https://www.facebook.com/cafedelapostevietnam/ (Vietnamese)

Address: #2 Cong Xa Paris Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3823 1634
Price range: 49,000 – 149,000VND

ICHI Cat Café

Highlighted in the center of Saigon with the gentle white color, ICHI Cat Cafe is known as the first ‘miniature paradise’ of numerous mischievous yet adorable noble cats, namely Maine Coon, Bengal, American Shorthair. Sadly, only children above 7 are allowed to enter the café, you cannot bring your own cats here and there are also some other rules that you have to follow (Read here: http://www.ichicatcafe.com/ichi-rules.html ).

Website: http://www.ichicatcafe.com/  (English, Vietnamese)
Address: #221/2 Tran Quang Khai Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 10:30 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 6277 2898
Price range (for food and drinks): 15,000 – 60,000VND
Cuddle charge (for cat service): 40,000VND per adult
30,000VND per child (under 1m2)

Tokyo Pet Center

On entering, you have to change your shoes into the shop’s slippers and the staff will spray hand sanitizer for you. You are free to hug, cuddle them and take pictures but you cannot feed them, grasp their tails or touch them while they are sleeping. There are 4 floors in total. The 1st floor is a pet shop that sells foods, utensils, and breeds of pure and rare dogs. The 2nd one is home to many cats from many countries in the world: Vietnamese Calico cats, Japanese dogs, long- or short-haired cats from the US and the UK, Persian cats, Russian cats with the fur as white as snow, etc. The 3rd one is for dog lovers with beautiful and adorable puppies like Toy Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, Dachshund. And the uppermost floor is a pet hotel with air-conditioning and wide space, perfect for pets to play around freely, where you are guaranteed that your pet is safely taken care of while you are on vacation.

Address: #284C Nguyen Trong Tuyen Street, Ward 10, Phu Nhuan District / 1st floor
Opening hours: 8:30 am to 9:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3997 0299
Price range: 35,000 – 60,000VND
Cuddle charge: 25,000VND

Hachiko Coffee

Hachiko Coffee is where you will be surrounded by Pug, Husky, Alaska or Poodle Chow Chow dogs. In addition to enjoying coffee and hugging these cuties, you can also get advice, discuss how to train your dogs and where to join with other animal enthusiasts. The interior design is very lovely with decorative items such as dog-printed pictures and cups. This place is also famous for drinks that will not disappoint you. And there is also a hand sanitizer on every table.

Address: #14 Hoa Sua Street, Ward 7, Phu Nhuan District
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 10:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 906 478 389
Price range: 40,000 – 70,000VND
Cuddle charge: 22,000VND

PETS N’ ENGLISH Coffee

With the ‘kawaii’ overwhelming pink color, long wooden tables, shelves, and other decorative items are neatly arranged to leave plenty of room to freely run and play with the dogs. The place is cleaned frequently and sprayed with lemon fragrance so the dogs' smell is really limited. On the ground floor, most of the dogs are quite small in size, the biggest and most popular of which is the rare Samoyed dog with fluffy snow-white fur called Sam. On the 2nd floor, the dogs are bigger, but only a few like to be hugged, stroked and surrounded by people. 

Address: #106A No Trang Long Street, Ward 14, Binh Thanh District
Opening hours: 8:30 am to 10:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 973 292 318
Price range: 39,000 – 59,000VND
Cuddle charge: 25,000VND

BABO Café

Babo Coffee is a unique cafe in Saigon with many reptiles such as snakes, pythons, salamanders, and lizards. However, don’t be scared or worried as they are all well-trained and guaranteed to be extremely safe. The staff will also instruct you how to cuddle and play with them. In addition to reptiles, there are owls, parrots, rabbits, turtles, and hamsters. The shop is spacious and drinks are cheaper in comparison with other pet cafés. I will definitely recommend you come here and experience the exciting feeling of touching these animals and seeing them crawling on the tables around your drinks.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/ReptileCoffee/ (Vietnamese)Address: #93/18 Pham Van Hai Street, Ward 3, Tan Binh District
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 933 069 399
Price range: 15,000 – 28,000VND

Pet Me

If you are a fan of Rio bird in the same named American film series and want to see the daily lives of birds in person, Pet Me is the place should not be ignored. This is the first and only parrot cafe in Vietnam. There are many kinds of colorful parrots in various sizes and from various countries, ranging from Asia, Australia to South America. Notably, there is a tour for children, guided in English and Vietnamese, introducing about birds and how to take good care of them. You can buy birds and accessories such as sliders or football courts. Apart from parrots, there are also squirrels, geckos, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Website: http://petmeshop.com/en/ (English, Vietnamese)
Address: #198 Nguyen Van Huong Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 8:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 917 096 677 – (+84) 916 399 299
Price range: 30,000 – 80,000VND

Black House Coffee

There are separate zones for those who want to enjoy the drinks with or without fish massage. You can also try fishing for free here.

Address: #480/58B1 Binh Quoi Street, Ward 28, Binh Thanh District
Opening hours: 6:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 914 331 779
Price range: 20,000 – 100,000VND
Massage price: Free

* Board Game Station 01:

Address: #21 Trinh Van Can Street, Cau Ong Lanh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 909 361 556

* Address: #1401 Nguyen Van Linh Street, Tan Phong Ward, District 7 / 2nd floor
Opening hours: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 188 814 9256

TableTop Café

TableTop Café is a heaven for experienced gaming enthusiasts as most of the board games here are top-tiered like Kemet, Through The Ages, Agricola, Caverna or Cydades Titans. Moreover, they have a large menu with many food and drink options to choose from, but you can still bring your own dishes (and pay a fee of 20,000VND if you don’t order their food or drinks). The seats are plenty but not so comfortable if you were to spend over 2 hours there as they are made of wood. Cushions should be put on them for a better experience. And you should reserve in advance since the place gets crowded quickly, especially at weekends.  

Website: https://www.facebook.com/tabletopBC/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf  (Vietnamese)
Address: #324/1 Dien Bien Phu Street, Ward 11, District 10 / Alley 322, 1st floor
Opening hours: 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm (Weekdays)
8:00 am to 10:00 pm (Weekends)
Tel: (+84) 128 366 4936 – (+84) 903 438 903
Price range: 25,000 – 30,000VND
Game ticket price (you can stay and play for as long as you want): 15,000VND/person/game
20,000VND for unlimited games

HUB Tavern

The interior is designed in a medieval style, making you feel like being in a real castle. There is also a ‘Commander Room’ with a fireplace and torches lit up the whole place. With over 100 game titles, HUB Tavern frequently cooperates with many local gaming groups (such as BG Viet and BGVN) to organize offline gaming events and tournaments, one of which is the annual Catan Championship in November, a chance for gamers to compete and win valuable presents. The most exciting event here is still the Boardgame Trading Weekend held every 3 months where you can exchange board games with other players.

Website: https://www.boardgamehub.net/ (Vietnamese)
Address: #30 Nguyen Dinh Chinh Street, Ward 15, Phu Nhuan District
Opening hours: 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 9840 8265
Price range: 20,000 – 30,000VND
Game ticket price: 29,000VND/party game (with 1 soft drink included)
49,000VND/any game (with 1 any drink included)

Meet Coffee and Board Game

Located in the heart of District 3, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, the gourmet style with dark colors and light décor of the place will help you feel relaxed and comfortable. Meet Coffee now owns over 40 board games and all are 100% free to encourage young people to know more about access board games. Also, many customers praised that drinks here are much better in comparison with those of other board game cafés.

Address: #290/52 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Ward 8, District 3
Opening hours: 8:30 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 941 909 51
Price range: 15,000 – 26,000VND
Game ticket price: Free

Nhã Nam Books N’ Coffee

On arriving, you will be impressed by its spacious front with glass windows. Combining books and cafes, Nha Nam Books N’ Coffee is where young people can find most of Nha Nam’s published books along with enjoying the peaceful and open space of more than 200 square meters. The place is divided into many areas with different decorative styles specializing in different genres of books. For instance, the Hobbit Cave: displaying all books of Nha Nam that are on the market; the Pigeon Nest: a small warm nest for young souls, possessing an impressive number of children’s books; the Don Quixote’s Windmill: the ultimate meeting room with two long tables and colorful chairs, suitable for groups to study and work, or the Green Corner: a small quiet study space dedicated to Korean-Chinese-Japanese literature where you can make tea by yourself and drift into the mysterious regions of Eastern Asia, etc. Nha Nam Books N’ Coffee serves only drinks and prices are quite high. Yet, every coffee-drinking area is facilitated with air-conditioners and strong wifi. So, what is more relaxing and refreshing than sipping a cup of coffee while reading books in such a nice place like this?

Address: #24A D5 Street, Ward 25, Binh Thanh District
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3510 6778
Price range: 25,000 – 45,000VND

*Phương Nam Book Café:

Address: Nguyen Van Binh Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Opening hours: 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)

Price range: 25,000 – 59,000VND

Address: #3 Nguyen Van Binh Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1

Opening hours: 7:00 am to 10:30 pm (Everyday)

Price range: 25,000 – 30,000VND

Ciao Café

With light yellow color and angel photos on the walls, Ciao Café brings out a friendly and cozy atmosphere. There are over 800 books and private sitting areas with small wooden tables and sofas so you can comfortably read for hours without feeling disturbed. In addition, the music of the restaurant is very romantic, so you can read the book and enjoy the mellow love songs. The menu of Ciao Café varies from delicious drinks to Italian fast food such as: Pizza, spaghetti with all kinds of coffee (cappuccino, espresso and Vietnamese coffee). And if you are a fan of ice cream, Ciao Café is the just the place for you with a diversity of flavors such as mint, vanilla, taro, chocolate, orange, coconut, peach, kiwi, strawberry, Rhum - raisins, almonds, peanut, lemon, chocolate - chestnut, ginger, durian, banana, etc.

Address: #40 Ngo Duc Ke Street, District 1
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3829 1491
Price range: 50,000 – 165,000VND

FYI Bookcafé

The FYI Bookcafe looks rather modest but still impresses customers with its modern and elegant decoration, from the signboard to the meaningful name (FYI: For Your Inspiration). The books here are selected carefully and divided into five main categories: Chicken soup for your soul, Novels, Sales & Business, Marketing, and Communications. Not too many genres, but FYI Bookcafe will give you a lot of exciting experience that can not be ignored. Coming to FYI Bookcafe, you can enjoy reading with a glass of coconut juice, coffee or crispy golden French fries and plenty of other food and drinks at reasonable prices. At noon, they also serve thick noodle soup (aka ‘bánh canh’), broken rice or ‘bánh mì’.

Address: #205/2-3 Nguyen Trai Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3925 3645
Price range: 22,000 – 72,000VND

Huy Hoang Book Café

Located on the 2nd floor of Huy Hoang Bookstore, Huy Hoang Book Café impresses everyone by the quiet space, relaxing yet modern and luxurious. The layout of bookshelves and the combination of books with fancy colors really attract its customers. You may also be pleased with the variety of its menus like coffee, ice cream, juice, tea, or pastries... at reasonable prices and the dedicated service of the staff members. And come before 10 if you want to study or read in a quiet atmosphere.

Address: #357A Le Van Sy Street, Ward 1, Tan Binh District / 2nd floor
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3991 3636
Price range: 35,000 – 80,000VND

Ca Chep Bookcafé

As a bookstore everywhere is related to books; the walls of the café full of famous are written writes both in the country and abroad with their famous quotes. The space is luxurious and quiet with the layout of tables and chairs suitable for reading and viewing the beautiful scenery of Saigon. The menu at the bar is diverse with a variety of drinks, ice cream, and quality assurance, at affordable prices to serve the needs of customers when they are coming here.

Address: #211-213 Vo Van Tan Street, District 3
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 9:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 6290 6951
Price range: 20,000 – 39,000VND

HUB Book Coffee

With a large area, Hub Book Coffee is divided into three main spaces: two spaces are quiet rooms hidden behind the mini library of the café, suitable for workshops or private meetings; the widest one uses transparent glass for natural light, where you can have lunch and relax. Hub Book Coffee’s book library is very large and located in the middle of the shop with hundreds of books from a variety of topics, culture, life to economics, science and many other useful books, including precious and rare books. Not only can you read books on the spot but you can also borrow and take them away.

Address: #18A Cong Hoa Street, Ward 4, Tan Binh District
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 6277 1422
Price range: 20,000 – 55,000VND

Khanhcasa Garden Café

Khanhcasa is spacious, airy and beautifully decorated in classical style. Still a nice, fresh café with beautiful view of Saigon. However, the difference here is its strange and meticulous detail in decoration. And if you pay close attention, you will notice that all table legs here are made of the familiar sewing machine legs, placed next to luxurious white mica chairs, which becomes the unmistakable beauty of Khanhcasa Garden café. There are many green trees both inside and outside, creating such pleasant feelings, close to nature. The menu specialises in tea and cakes, with free candied crystallized ginger to use along with tea. There is also a separate area for display and sale of pots, dishes made of ceramic, porcelain or glass.

Address: #66 Le Loi Street, District 1/ 1st floor
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3822 7796
Price range (for food and drinks): 40,000 – 150,000VND

Bond Anime Café

As Saigon’s first anime café, Figure collectors, especially the Otaku or anime, manga, doujinshi enthusiasts will surely fall for Bond, because the shop devotes the whole ground floor to selling Japanese items. The 1st floor with comfortable sofas, the 2nd one with lovely manga style paper chair and the 3rd one with low tables and chairs for you, all are suitable for you to chat with friends and observe the dolls. While contemplating those on the spot, if you like any, you can ask to buy but their prices are quite expensive. In addition to the manga characters, the shop also owns a collection of more than 300 notebooks and hundreds of unique cartoon character keys. This is also the ideal place for groups with toys and board games such as Jenga, Uno, Werewolf, etc.

Address: #372 Hoa Hao Street, Ward 5, District 10
Opening hours: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 6264 5427
Price range (for food and drinks): 20,000 – 50,000VND

Me cafe is decorated with sophisticated and pretty handmade stuffs. And if you like any item in the shop, feel free to ask the staff because those decorative items are also what the shop is selling.

Address: #8A Luong Huu Khanh Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 8:30 am to 10:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3926 2828
Price range (for food and drinks): 20,000 – 60,000VND

THE LABAN

Located on one of the most prettiest and busiest streets of Saigon, from The Laban, it takes only a 10-minute walk to Ben Thanh Market and the same amount of time to reach Notre Dame Cathedral. Because of such convenience, therefore, besides with cheaper price than hotels, you can save more money for eating and drinking. The most popular and spacious room here is the Penthouse with a cute small garden and a terrace facing the center of the city. There are also large double rooms and separate dorm rooms with balconies for men and women. The ground floor is used as a café, with an extensive menu of egg coffee or Yofu Panda, and the must-try dish here is the rice field with a unique combination of yogurt, violet glutinous rice and brown rice. At the weekend, there are also acoustic performances.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/theLabanvn/ (Vietnamese)
Address: #23A Bui Thi Xuan Street, District 1
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3925 2822
Price range:
For food and drinks: 30,000 – 50,000VND
For rooms: Penthouse: 1,899,000VND/night
Private rooms: 550,000 – 1,400,000VND/night
Dorm rooms: 200,000VND/bed/night

4221 Café & Homestay

Located on a quite street, the plus point of 4221 is its gentle, classical warm design reminiscing the old Saigon. What makes 4221 really different is the Vietnamese traditional dished literally homemade by the lovely owner and the staff. Particularly, the peach and lemongrass teas are very favored here. There is also a piano which customers can play freely. On Saturday and Sunday evenings, 4221 has acoustic sessions beginning at 8:30pm.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/4221.cafe.nhahang/ (Vietnamese)
Address: #157 Nguyen Dinh Chinh Street, Ward 11, Phu Nhuan District
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 10:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 963 175 577
Price range:
For food and drinks: 25,000 – 125,000VND
For rooms (breakfast included): Private rooms: 600,000VND/night
Dorm rooms: 250,000VND/bed/night

Prem Bishop & Café

Prem is a true gem for vegetarians in Saigon and is walking distance to Tao Dan Park and War Remnants Museum. The ground floor of Prem is the café, upstairs are dorm rooms. As the owner of Prem is a yoga trainer who is really health-conscious, everything from fresh smoothies to the healthful wraps are all made with care and love. On top of that, they also organize yoga classes on weekends.

Website: http://www.prembistro.com/welcome#about (English)
https://www.facebook.com/prembistro/ (English)
Address: #204 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Ward 6, District 3
Opening hours: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 983 189 911 (English) – (+84) 28 6279 9920
Price range:
For food and drinks: 40,000 – 195,000VND
For rooms: Dorm rooms: 220,000VND/bed/night

ChaosDowntown ( or Cháo Downtown)

On Saigon’s rainy days, if you want a warm place to rest, you can visit the beautiful tents of Chaosdowntown, which is 500m away from Tao Dan Park and 800m from Ben Thanh Market. Coming here, you can easily use many services such as bar, restaurant, café,… And though located in a small alley, this is a famous art space of Saigon which frequently organizes many art exhibitions and fashion fairs.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/chaosdowntown/ (English, Vietnamese)
Address: #121/61 Le Thi Rieng Street, District 1
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 8:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 931 818 824
Price range:
For food and drinks: 15,000 – 45,000VND
For rooms: Private rooms: 350,000 – 450,000VND/night
Dorm rooms: 160,000VND/bed/night

Flower Alley

* Address: Alley 57, Ho Thi Ky Street, Ward 1, District 10

2. Opera

Having an outstanding view of Saigon Opera House – the great exemplary architecture of French colonialism in Vietnam, Opera is a perfect place for a welcoming and casual trattoria dining. There is also an option to eat outside on the terrace but tables are limited so you had better reserve and request for this in advance if it’s your preference. With the passionate and expert Italian chef, Opera will take you on a phenomenal trip to uncover the signature taste of Italy’s hearty cuisine from wood-fired pizza, pasta to homemade Italian dishes prepared from an open kitchen. Moreover, the breakfast menu featuring the well-loved Vietnamese pho and special buffets at Sunday noons never fail to please its customers. Some reviews also praised for the great variety of gluten-free food available for coeliacs and the friendly waiters who always ensure that people with food allergies are well-catered for. Prices are rather high as the restaurant locates in a 5-star hotel with well-trained service staff. Still, you get what you pay for and having a meal here will definitely not disappoint you.

Website: http://www.saigon.park.hyattrestaurants.com/opera/default-en.html (English, Vietnamese)
Address: #2 Lam Son Square, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC / Lobby level of Park Hyatt Saigon
Tel: (+84) 28 3520 2357
Price range: 1,000,000 – 2,000,000VND

3. La Bettola

Set in a lovely villa, not too casual nor too classy, La Bettola is a rare Italian restaurant in Saigon that stays true to Italian taste. Customers can choose to dine either indoors or outdoors in a covered patio. The service staff is very attentive and the Italian owner/chef Giuseppe Amorello who puts his heart into making real Italian dishes sometimes walks around, greet all customers and answers any questions to make sure everything is prepared to their liking. He even revealed that the wood-fired oven was custom-made so that they could get just what they were looking for in the quality of pizza and bread. Needless to say, pizzas are fantastic, homemade pasta – lasagna, gnocchi and ravioli - risotto as well as other various meat and fish are top-notch. The homemade mozzarella cheese is also really popular. There is a set lunch with 2 courses at 180,000VND and 3 courses at 290,000VND from Monday to Friday with different menu weekly. One special thing to note, every Friday night from 6:00pm-9:00 pm starting this week August 4th, there will be gastronomic ‘All You Can Eat’ buffet available in the outdoor gallery (no drinks included). However, reservation is always a must here.

Website: http://www.la-bettola.com/ (English)
https://www.facebook.com/labettolasaigon/ (English, Vietnamese)
Address: #82 Xuan Thuy Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC
Opening hours: 10:00am-10:00pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3898 9600
Price range: 115,000 – 350,000VND

4. Pasta Fresca

Recently opened in July 2016 by two long time best friends from Tuscany, Federico Pinzi, head chef, and Valerio Di Veglia, manager, Pasta Fresca is a small place to share their passion for Italian delicacies. The restaurant is intimate yet photogenic with great care in the decorative details, as well as a lovely small garden, colorful tables, and great service. The whole menu including food and drinks is not extensive, as in its name, the restaurant specializes in pasta with ingredients chosen upon your preference: you pick a pasta style and a sauce style, then Federico makes the dish right in front of you. This place is very popular and the number of tables is limited so it is best to book a table in advance.

Website: http://www.la-bettola.com/ (English)
Address: #28 Thao Dien Street, Thao Dien Ward, District 2, HCMC
Opening hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6:00pm-10:30pm (from Tuesday to Sunday)
Tel: (+84) 169 451 3422
Price range: 45,000 – 300,000VND

5. Chef Mamma’s

Founded in 1996, Chef Mamma’s is where Vietnamese meets Italian cuisine, just like its owners – Ms. Thu Thuy and her husband Mr. Nunzio Biviano, the friendly Italian chef with over 40 years experience of cooking who sometimes offers free candies or desserts. Wholehearted service with the motto “Customers’ health comes first”, the restaurant uses not only olive oil for cooking but also fresh and raw ingredients imported from Italy in order to preserve the original and special flavors. Covering a large menu of over 150 offerings from Italy and Vietnam like pizza, spaghetti, risotto or broken rice, food lovers will be pleased savoring the dishes while discovering the differences of the culinary culture between two countries. The place is very clean with an open kitchen so you can see how your good is cooked and sophisticated details in decorations like Italian maps and pictures. There is also a private zone for smokers inside. Furthermore, Chef Mamma’s is located near Tan Son Nhat Airport and inside Saigon SuperBowl Center so you can play bowling then enjoy the Italian/Vietnamese meal, perfect for weekend hangouts with friends.

Address: #A43 Truong Son Street, Ward 4, Tan Binh District, HCMC
Opening hours: 10:00am-10:00pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3848 6478
Price range: 50,000 – 150,000VND

6. VIII-RE OttavoRe

This classy and high-quality Italian restaurant VIII-RE or Eighth King located in the heart of Phu My Hung has slowly made local converts and is poised to gain wider attention. But first, aren’t you curious about its name? Why the Eighth King? Well, according to legend, there are seven kings that ruled over Rome before the Roman Republic and Empire. And it has always been a very popular Roman acknowledgment that if you put great passion into something and you do it well, you will become the Eighth King of Rome. Interesting, isn’t it?

VII-RE has an open veranda with high ceiling and no air-conditioner (but still very airy), 2 lounging areas and a massive tree trunk as a table for parties. Upon arrival, customers are served an amazing straight-from-oven bread sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil vinegar. Most of the ingredients in this restaurants are imported from Italy, from flour, cheese, mains including seafood, meat to wine. Though in its ‘baby stage’, the restaurant still receives huge compliments and popularity for its attentive service and a wide menu, including pasta and risotto made to perfect al dente with great pizza and grill selection. And if you want to order some wine, the friendly staff will ask you to step into the glass wine cabinet then personally choose your favorite.

Website: http://www.ottavore.com/about/ (English)
Address: #27 Le Van Thiem Street, Tan Phong Ward, District 7, HCMC
Opening hours: 5:00pm-11:00pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 5410 7232 – (+84) 909 158 351
Price range: 150,000 – 780,000VND

7. Carpaccio

Carpaccio, previously known as Pomodoro, takes you into a paradise of authentic Italian food with fresh ingredients paired with traditional artisanal recipes cooked by well-trained chefs that will light a firework on your palate and draw a big happy smile on your lips. The menu overall consists of classic Italian dishes with the basics covered in every aspect: meat, fish, pasta, and pizza. Prices are affordable and the service staff is excellent with good English. Customers are also served fresh crusty breadsticks with creamy butter or olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping while looking over the menu. The décor reminds customers of an old Italian wine cabinet with a nice brick ceiling, walls and interesting photos of old Italy.  Though has a good location near many attractions, it is not packed frequently as there are many tables.

Website: http://www.carpaccio.com.vn/ (English)
Address: #79 Hai Ba Trung Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 10:00am-10:00pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3823 8957 – (+84) 28 3823 8998
Price range: 50,000 – 400,000VND

8. La Hostaria

As one of the Good Morning restaurant chain, which was considered by The Guide magazine as the best Italian restaurant chain in Vietnam, La Hostaria is known for its a very wide and creative range of authentic ethnic Italian dishes, in addition to the traditional classics of soups, veal and fish dishes, risottos, pizzas and pastas. The Italian wines are excellent and the staff is very attentive. Right from the entrance, customers immediately confronted with the iconic Pulcinella on glass – a symbol of Napoli, reminiscing of southern Italy with traditional masquerade balls. The interior design of the restaurant is warm and intimate with a sense of ancient Italian architectural style, most notably the colored glass paintings, the stone ceiling and walls so even if it is midday, the place is still cool and airy. At that level of quality, the price remains quite reasonable. Most of La Hostaria’s guests are businessmen or guests coming from offices and buildings around Le Thanh Ton Street. It can be a bit busy at times but there is always room at the bar to have a drink while waiting for a table.

Website: http://www.hostariasaigon.com/ (English)
Address: #17B Le Thanh Ton Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 11:00am-3:00pm, 6:00pm-11:30pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3823 1080
Price range: 200,000 – 600,000VND

10. Oliver’s Pizza

Nestled in a quiet alley, off an interesting street full of great shops and cafes, Oliver’s Pizza is quaint with only a few tables inside, giving it a very cozy feeling. The major difference from other pizzerias is that they serve tasty and fluffy Romana-style pizzas, which originated in the Italian capital with rectangular shapes and medium-thick dough bases. The dough is matured for 24-72 hours at just above freezing temperature, giving it a hearty yet light, richer and fuller flavor. Pizza is available by slice so you don’t have to have a huge meal and can get a snack after work, by half tray of 4 slices or full tray of 8 slices up to 10 different kinds. The side salad is fresh and a perfect complement at reasonable prices. They also have 2 combo options. In addition to red, white and rosé wines, there are also beers and good Italian coffee. The owner/chef Olivier is really friendly and courteous and the service is terrific. 

Website: https://www.facebook.com/oliverspizzasaigon (English, Vietnamese)
Address: #80/5 Mac Dinh Chi Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 11:00am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-10:00pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 933 502 638
Price range: 100,000 – 300,000VND

1. Cheo Leo

Opened in 1938, Cheo Leo is now the oldest café in the city and has remained practically unchanged ever since. The name ‘Cheo Leo’, which means ‘high and dangerous’ in Vietnamese, was due to the fact that the café was miles away from downtown when first built. Before Reunification Day, it was a favorite venue among students of Saigon’s high schools for the gifted such as Pétrus Ky (former name of Le Hong Phong), Chu Van An, Kien Thiet and many famous artists at that time. Presently, it is a preferred drink stop of many foreigners, expats and locals aspiring for a reminder of what Vietnamese coffee used to taste like. The process of making coffee is infinitely elaborate and meticulous. To have a good batch of coffee, tap water must be stored in a tank for 2-3 days to get rid of unwanted smell of disinfectants in water because of which determines the fragrance of coffee. Then the finely ground coffee will be put into a strainer and go through two filtration to produce a perfect cup of coffee. Notably, the best-known drink here is ‘bạc xỉu’- a Chinese-style coffee with a huge amount of condensed milk.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/cheoleocafe/ (Vietnamese)
Address: #109/36 Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, Ward 2, District 3, HCMC
Opening hours: 5:15 am to 6:45 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 1669 626 363
Price range: 8,000 – 15,000VND

2. Chiêu

Built in 1969, through numerous events, Chieu Café has been an iconic symbol for the persistence of Saigon’s coffee culture. The major space of the first floor, considered as Chieu’s ‘soul’, still remains intact, including its furniture and colors. With the interior design full of warm colors, the blend of orange and brown, Chieu Café gives you immensely comfortable vibe. Later, when the shop has more customers, the owner requisitioned the second floor as a small music stage. As the background is filled with music written by Vietnamese famous composers such as Ngo Thuy Mien, Vu Thanh An and Trinh Cong Son, the beautiful green lianas, and ornamental trees make it comfortable to stay for a while. The menu varies from many types of juices, coffee, cocktails to Vietnamese cuisine for breakfast and lunch.

Address: #124/1 Cao Thang Street, Ward 4, District 3, HCMC
Opening hours: 7:30 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3839 3217
Price range: 25,000 – 75,000VND

3. Âm Phủ

This was the first café in Saigon that was set on a trolley, has no official name, no brand and no stop for a long period of over 60 years. Therefore, it has such a creepy name Âm Phủ, or Hell café, called by its repeated customers. In Mr. Dang Ngoc Con’s memory, his father began pushing a trolley to the road to sell coffee during the French colonization in the mid-1950s. Then he followed his father’s footsteps and started a small business together with his wife. The coffee trolley is now set inside their small house along with one or two plastic stools and some more outside in the alley after sunset, when there is much more people’s arrival to enjoy this signature coffee.

Address: #330/2 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Phu Nhuan District, HCMC
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 10:00 pm (Everyday)
Price range: 15,000 – 40,000VND

4. Mr. Thanh’s

Mr. Luu Nhan Thanh, a Chinese-Vietnamese man in his 70s, is a coffee lover who used to make coffee for himself and some neighbors every morning. Then one day, one of them proposed a brilliant idea to open a coffee shop and now, the coffee shop has been opened for more than 30 years in the Chinatown of District 11. Like Âm Phủ café, this café has no signboard and is poorly-equipped with only a couple of wooden tables and stools. Yet, the neighbors are still able to find the place by following the combined smell of sweet coffee and firewood smoke. On a daily basis, he always gets up early at 5 am to light up a charcoal stove to boil water, put coffee powder in a racket kept inside a pot and pour in boiled water. After a few minutes, the coffee is poured into a steel kettle, which is heated on the stove before bringing to his very first customers, and many people also call this process coffee-braising. And the result is a fragrant cup of coffee with surprisingly cheap price unchanged for more than 3 decades. There is also a small diner near the shop with just VND 20,000 for a bowl of Chinese-style glass noodles. Then, what is more refreshing than kicking off your day with a bowl of hot noodles and a cup of Saigon coffee with just VND 30,000?

Address: Alley 313 Tan Phuoc Street, District 11 / Behind Thiếc Market
Opening hours: 6:00 am to 17:00 pm (Everyday)
Price range: 4,000VND – 10,000VND

5. Bâng Khuâng

The oldest coffee shop in the red basalt area called Bang Khuang (opened in 1967 at 176 Phan Boi Chau Street, Buon Ma Thuot City) was brought to Saigon by the daughter of the owner. In Vietnamese, ‘Bang Khuang’ is a dazing emotion of human, but here it’s the name of a beautiful purple flower known as Angelonia goyazensis in Latin. Renovated from an apartment in an old building, the path to the café are faded stairs. A nostalgic space with old floral tiles, old bookshelves, and tall, open ceilings. Its simple interior decor with paintings, bicycles, plant baskets hung on the wall are arranged randomly, making customers feel like visiting a close friend’s home. Interestingly, the cuckoo sound will resound whenever someone pushes the door in. The café is on a one-way street so it’s a bit inconvenient that you have to take a detour. Parking is free but just keep in mind to get the free parking ticket at the cashier after paying your bill!

Address: #9 Thai Van Lung Street, District 1, HCMC / 2nd floor
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 903 878 667
Price range: 40,000 – 110,000VND