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

2. Saffron

Saffron has its menu inspired from many regions including the Middle East, North Africa, Greece, Italy, Spain, and Southern France. This is the perfect food stop for a big impressive and worthwhile meal with your family and friends. The place is quite small, giving you an intimate feeling and the decor is classy but not stuffy. The owner is trilingual in Vietnamese, English, and French and very enthusiastic and welcoming, so are the waiters. Vehicles are parked on the front pavement and strangely, there is no security guards standing around. Yet, the restaurant is still very popular with the locals so a reservation is a must.

Address: #51 Hai Ba Trung Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 11:30 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3824 8358
Price range: 50,000 - 500,000VND

3. Portofino

As a Venetian style restaurant, Portofino specializes in Cicchetti and is perfect for lunch and dinner. On the 2nd floor, Portofino offers a private dining room for up to 25 people. Salads are fresh and colorful. Pizza and pasta dishes are also tasty and excellent with the cheapest price at 100,000VND. The comfortable and warm atmosphere with nicely attentive service will please you. Also, some reviews said that a free wine shot will be given to each customer for dessert and a lovely jasmine wreath for women.  

Address: #15 Dong Du Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 9:00 am to 10:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3823 3597
Price range: 100,000 – 1,000,000VND

4. Ciao Bella

Interestingly, turns out that Saffron, Portofino and Ciao Bella are owned by the same person, so the vibe and food are quite similar but many customers still come here - Ciao Bella to taste its signature dishes such as ‘Posh Carbonara’. Prosecco is usually served upon together with bread and 2 different sauces even before ordering.  There are 3 floors, including the ground one. Each floor only has 5-7 tables so in the evening, especially at weekends, the restaurant often runs out of tables.

Address: #11 Dong Du Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 7:30 am to 11:00 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3822 3329
Price range: 50,000 - 275,000VND

5. The Long @ Times Square

As Saigon’s longest sidewalk-style dining bar, The Long offers customers both Asian and Western cuisine with not so high priced a portion for a restaurant on Saigon’s most fashionable streets Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue Boulevard. Since the chef/owner is the third generation of a pizza-making tradition family, The Long is Saigon’s gem for artisanal pizza. Customers also prefer lunch sets Mondays through Fridays from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm with the two-course menu at 168,000VND and three-course menu at 198,000VND. The Long is also offering 50% discount on cocktails in the afternoon. Furthermore, ramp your meal up with a gelato bar up to 32 appealing homemade flavors and nightly live music.

Address: #57-69F Dong Khoi Street (22-36 Nguyen Hue Boulevard), District 1, HCMC / Street level of Times Square
Opening hours: 10:30 am to 00:00 am (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3823 6688
Price range: 50,000 - 200,000VND

7. Vittorio

Craving for Italian pasta and pizza made by using a wood fire oven? Then don’t hesitate to stop by Vittorio, which has one of the biggest varieties of Italian plus Vietnamese food on the backpackers’ street! The pizza is not cheap but well-worth trying. They also serve Tagliata di Manzo (fillet steak, marinated with rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, arugula, and shaved parmigiano then sliced, eaten medium to rare) using Australian beef and the quality is top-notch.

Address: #137 Bui Vien Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 08:30 am to 11:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 6680 3134
Price range: 50,000 - 500,000VND

8. NAMO Tuscan Grill

The restaurant is on a bustling street but is an oasis of tranquility once you walk through the door. Beautifully designed with an open bar in the middle and subdued lighting coupled with the dark color furniture, it gives you a cozy and warm atmosphere yet the feeling of luxury at the same time. Some reviews praised NAMO’s steaks as the best in Saigon and most of them rated the service here as a 5-star hotel. The staff are well-trained and able to speak perfect English.

Address: #146-148 Pasteur Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 11:00 am to 10:30 pm (Monday to Thursday and Sunday); 11:00 am to 11:00 pm (Friday to Saturday, Public Holiday and Eve of Public Holiday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3822 1431
Price range: 100,000 - 500,000VND

9. Nossa Steakhouse

A wide selection of imported meats prepared for the Western steaks along with the finely selected fresh local seafood is the focal point of these authentic dishes. Sauces are perfect, especially the salmon one favored by many customers. The space is quite small space but still retainS the comfort for guests. Therefore, if it gets crowded, there will be restriction on seats. However, most of the time there are a few guests, so rarely do you have no place to sit and one thing is that most of the visitors here are Westerners. The restaurant also has an outdoor terrace, a bar, a private dining area and excellent service.

Address: #36 Pham Hong Thai Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, HCMC
Opening hours: 11:00 am to 11:30 pm (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3825 1536
Price range: 75,000 - 510,000VND

10. R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant

R&J offers you a fantastic ambiance with really good food - including a genuine visit from a chef who clearly cares if his food is good and customers feel the same way. Every month, there will be a different theme with special food such as a lobster month or salmon month. This is also an ideal place to take your mate with comfortable couch seating options and private booth tables. 

Address: #22-36 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, HCMC /Level B1 of The Reverie Saigon
Opening hours: 17:00 pm to 00:00 am (Everyday)
Tel: (+84) 28 3823 6688
Price range: 300,000 – 1,000,000VND