The downtown core: colonial boulevards, Ben Thanh Market, rooftop bars and the widest span of eating, from banh mi queues to Michelin tables.
Secret Garden hides on the rooftop of an old apartment block off Pasteur, serving home-style Southern Vietnamese cooking on a breezy open-air terrace.
OrderBanh xeo and the fresh spring rolls with boiled pork.
TipIt is up several flights inside an old building; look for the small sign and keep climbing.
Quan Ngon 138 gathers dozens of regional Vietnamese street dishes near the Independence Palace, cooked at open stalls inside a colonial-era house.
OrderWork through several small dishes; the banh xeo and grilled meats are reliable.
TipIt is busy and touristy but a painless way to sample many regional dishes in one sitting.
Home Saigon tucks into a quiet alley off Pham Ngu Lao, plating polished versions of family Southern Vietnamese recipes in a set of restored old-house rooms.
OrderThe caramelised clay-pot fish and the pomelo salad.
TipIt sits down a narrow hem; the street entrance is easy to miss, so follow the house numbers.
Hoi An Sense is a Michelin Selected restaurant bringing central Vietnamese cooking to a garden villa in Da Kao, from cao lau to white rose dumplings.
OrderCao lau noodles and the white rose shrimp dumplings.
TipThe garden courtyard is the seat to request; there is often live traditional music at dinner.
ST25 by KOTO is a Michelin Selected farm-to-table Vietnamese restaurant on Le Duan, run by the KOTO social enterprise that trains at-risk youth.
OrderDishes built around Vietnam's award-winning ST25 rice.
TipEating here supports KOTO's hospitality training programme; the set lunch is good value.
Pizza 4P's is the Vietnam-born chain that makes its own cheese and fires Japanese-Italian pizzas; the Saigon Centre branch is its polished downtown flagship.
OrderThe half-and-half burrata pizza with house-made mozzarella.
TipBook ahead; the chain is hugely popular and the mall branch fills at lunch and dinner.
Bep Me In is a Michelin Bib Gourmand room dressing up Southern Vietnamese home cooking in a nostalgic old-Saigon setting just off Le Thanh Ton in District 1.
OrderThe clay-pot braises and grilled river fish.
TipThe retro decor draws a young local crowd; it is down a lane, so watch the house numbers.
Quan Bui is a polished mini-chain of Vietnamese restaurants, and its Le Duan branch is a reliable, air-conditioned room for Southern home cooking.
OrderThe grilled pork ribs and the morning-glory with garlic.
TipIt is a comfortable introduction to Vietnamese food for first-timers, with an English menu and cocktails.
Baba's Kitchen is Saigon's best-known Indian restaurant, a Bui Vien mainstay for North and South Indian curries, tandoor grills and thali plates.
OrderThe butter chicken with garlic naan, or a South Indian thali.
TipIt is on the backpacker strip; the thali is the value order and the kitchen does mild-to-fiery on request.
The Racha Room is a stylish Thai fusion restaurant and bar on Mac Thi Buoi, plating punchy modern Thai plates and cocktails in a dim, design-led District 1.
OrderThe massaman curry and a lemongrass cocktail.
TipIt turns into a lively bar later; book for dinner if you want a quieter table.
Nha Hang Ngon is a bustling institution in a colonial villa on Pasteur, gathering open stalls of regional Vietnamese street dishes under one roof.
OrderA spread of small dishes; the banh xeo and cha gio are reliable.
TipIt is touristy and busy but a painless one-stop sampler of dozens of Vietnamese dishes.
Sorae is a high-end Japanese restaurant and lounge in the AB Tower, serving sushi, sashimi and wagyu across a dramatic space with skyline views.
OrderThe omakase sushi selection or the wagyu.
TipIt sits at the base of the AB Tower; dress smart and book a window table for the view.
Ngoc Suong is a long-running upscale seafood restaurant in a classic villa on Suong Nguyet Anh, plating fresh fish, prawns and crab in a formal room.
OrderSteamed reef fish and salt-and-pepper prawns.
TipIt suits a group seafood banquet; fish is priced by weight from the tanks.
Anan Saigon holds one Michelin star for Peter Cuong Franklin's new Vietnamese cooking, turning street classics like banh mi and pho into tasting courses.
OrderThe tasting menu, with its caviar-topped banh mi and reimagined pho.
TipBook ahead for the counter; the rooftop Nhau Nhau bar upstairs is worth a nightcap.
Akuna holds one Michelin star under Australian chef Sam Aisbett, pairing modern Australian technique with Japanese ideas and Vietnamese produce.
OrderThe seasonal degustation on the ninth floor of Le Meridien.
TipIt sits on the 9th floor of Le Meridien; dinner only, closed Sunday and Monday.
Long Trieu at The Reverie holds one Michelin star for refined Cantonese cooking: abalone, sea cucumber, Peking duck and honey-glazed barbecue pork.
OrderSuckling pig and Peking duck, carved tableside.
TipIt is on the 4th floor of the Times Square building; go for a long lunch of dim sum.
Esta is a District 1 tasting room where a modern kitchen plates Asian fusion; it has featured in the Michelin Guide and Robb Report Vietnam's top 25.
OrderThe chef's tasting menu, which crosses Asian influences.
TipReservations are strongly recommended; email or call ahead, as the room is small and books out.
Quince is a Michelin Selected wood-fire kitchen open since 2018, where an open hearth of glowing embers drives bold, smoke-kissed modern cooking.
OrderAnything off the wood fire; the menu changes with the market.
TipThe open kitchen counter is the seat to book for the full show.
Stoker is a Michelin-listed three-floor steakhouse in District 1 built around an open wood fire and grass-fed and grain-fed beef dry-aged over 21 days.
OrderA dry-aged steak from the wood fire, plus the bone marrow.
TipThe ground-floor counter around the open kitchen is the liveliest seat.
Le Corto is a polished French room off Dong Khoi, open since 2016, plating pan-fried foie gras, dry-aged Long An duck and Ca Mau crab above a wine cellar.
OrderCorto's Cigar, a dark rum mousse with coffee ice cream, to finish.
TipTwo floors with a wine cellar; the ground floor can only be booked by phone, so call for a table there.
Noir serves a set tasting menu in complete darkness, guided by blind and visually impaired waiters, a District 1 dinner about taste, smell and touch.
OrderThe surprise set menu; choose meat, seafood, vegetarian or mixed.
TipLock your phone away and let the waiters lead; book online in advance.
Vietnam House sits in a colonial building on Dong Khoi, where a team under chef Luke Nguyen matches traditional Vietnamese dishes with a modern twist.
OrderThe clay-pot fish and the shaking beef.
TipThe upstairs dining room is grander; lunch is a quieter time to visit.
Hoa Tuc plates refined modern Vietnamese cooking in a former opium-refinery courtyard off Hai Ba Trung, and runs the well-known Saigon Cooking Class upstairs.
OrderThe betel-leaf beef and the pomelo salad.
TipThe courtyard is a calm escape from the traffic; book for dinner outdoors.
Banh Xeo 46A is the sizzling-pancake specialist off Tan Dinh, where turmeric-yellow rice crepes stuffed with shrimp and pork come wrapped in herbs and greens.
OrderA whole banh xeo, torn into lettuce with herbs and fish sauce.
TipOne pancake is bigger than it looks; order one to start and share before adding more.
Bun Bo Nam Giao has cooked Hue-style spicy beef noodle soup since 1991, its lemongrass-and-chili broth a backpacker-district fixture near Bui Vien.
OrderThe full bun bo Hue with beef shank and cha.
TipThe broth is fiery by Southern standards; add the shrimp paste on the side to taste.
Pho Quynh sits on the backpacker strip of Pham Ngu Lao and runs nearly around the clock, a reliable late bowl of pho and beef stew for the Bui Vien crowd.
OrderThe pho bo kho, a beef-stew twist on the classic bowl.
TipIt is one of the few kitchens serving proper pho well after midnight in the backpacker area.
Pho Hung is a big, busy pho hall on Nguyen Trai near the backpacker area, a convenient all-day bowl of Southern beef pho with the full raft of herbs.
OrderPho bo with a side plate of herbs and lime.
TipIt is roomy and central, an easy pho stop between District 1 and Cho Lon.
The Workshop was among the first cafes to take specialty coffee seriously in Saigon, a light-filled heritage loft up a staircase off Dong Khoi.
OrderA single-origin pour-over from the brew bar.
DrinkFilter coffee
TipIt is up a rickety staircase off Dong Khoi; the big windows make it a fine spot to work.
Okkio is a design-led Saigon coffee brand whose Dong Khoi flagship, up an alley and a flight of stairs, is a local favourite for coconut coffee.
OrderThe coconut coffee, blended thick over ice.
DrinkCoconut coffee
TipThe entrance is up an alley off Dong Khoi; look for the small sign and climb the stairs.
L'Usine is a cafe, all-day kitchen and concept store rolled into one, its Le Thanh Ton branch a bright colonial-loft spot for Western brunch.
OrderA flat white with the eggs benedict from the all-day menu.
DrinkFlat white
TipThe cafe hides behind the boutique; walk through the shop to reach the tables.
Runam is a lavish multi-storey cafe in a French-style mansion facing the cathedral, pouring Vietnamese egg coffee and hot drip alongside a full breakfast.
OrderEgg coffee, Saigon style, with a banh mi to follow.
DrinkEgg coffee
TipIt faces Notre Dame Cathedral; the upstairs rooms are quieter for a slow breakfast.
Cong Caphe is Vietnam's most recognisable cafe brand, styling its rooms in nostalgic wartime bao cap decor, famous here for its coconut coffee.
OrderThe coconut coffee smoothie, thick and cold.
DrinkCoconut coffee
TipIt is inside the Cafe Apartment on Nguyen Hue; take the lift or the stairs to find it.
Partea is an English tearoom inside the Cafe Apartment on Nguyen Hue, serving a long list of loose-leaf teas in vintage porcelain in a chintzy room.
OrderA pot of loose-leaf tea with the scones.
DrinkAfternoon tea
TipIt is one of dozens of cafes stacked in the Cafe Apartment; the tea list is the reason to climb up.
The Japanese specialty brand % Arabica occupies the fourth floor of the Cafe Apartment, a minimalist white counter pouring precise espresso downtown.
OrderThe signature Kyoto latte or a clean espresso.
DrinkKyoto latte
TipIt sits on the 4th floor of the Cafe Apartment; go early to beat the queue for a window seat.
Trung Nguyen Legend is the flagship cafe of Vietnam's biggest coffee company, a grand Le Loi space serving the brand's phin-brewed robusta blends.
OrderA phin of the Legend blend, black or with condensed milk.
DrinkVietnamese phin coffee
TipIt is a polished chain flagship, handy for a downtown coffee break with reliable air conditioning.
Old Compass is a bohemian third-floor cafe and cultural space hidden down a Pasteur alley, a bookish, old-world room for drip coffee, tea and events.
OrderA Vietnamese drip coffee with a slice of cake.
DrinkVietnamese drip coffee
TipIt is up three flights down an alley by Liberty Citypoint; the entrance is easy to miss, so watch for the sign.
The Vagabond is a patisserie and cafe set in a restored old villa in Da Kao, pairing carefully made French pastries and cakes with coffee in a calm room.
OrderA French pastry from the counter with a flat white.
DrinkCoffee and French pastries
TipThe old-house setting is the draw; the pastry case is best stocked earlier in the day.
The Coffee House is a homegrown Vietnamese chain popular with students and remote workers, its Nguyen Trai branch a bright, reliable spot for iced coffee.
OrderA ca phe sua da or the peach tea.
DrinkVietnamese iced coffee
TipIt is a work-friendly chain, not a specialty roaster; the upstairs seating is quietest for laptops.
Highlands is Vietnam's biggest home-grown coffee chain, and its Ham Nghi branch is a dependable downtown stop for phin-brewed sua da and freeze drinks.
OrderA phin sua da and a Vietnamese-style banh mi.
DrinkPhin sua da
TipIt is a nationwide chain rather than a specialty spot, but handy and air-conditioned in the centre.
Maison Marou is the cafe and patisserie arm of Marou, the Saigon bean-to-bar chocolate maker, turning its single-origin Vietnamese chocolate into tarts.
OrderThe dark chocolate tart and a cup of hot chocolate.
TipYou can watch pastry work through the glass; the boxed bars make the best edible souvenir.
Tous Les Jours is the ubiquitous Korean-French bakery chain whose Le Loi branch stacks its cases with cream buns, cheese breads and sponge cakes.
OrderA cream-filled bun or the cheese bread, straight from the case.
TipIt is a reliable chain, not artisan; the appeal is cheap cakes and air conditioning downtown.
PAUL is the French boulangerie chain whose Saigon Centre branch bakes proper laminated croissants, baguettes and tarts, a reliable Western pastry stop.
OrderA butter croissant and a pain au chocolat.
TipIt sits on the ground floor of Saigon Centre; the croissants are freshest in the morning.
Bosgaurus is one of Saigon's most serious roasters, working Vietnamese highland beans alongside imported single origins in a striking multi-storey cafe.
OrderA pour-over of the roaster's Vietnamese Cau Dat lot.
BeansVietnam, Ethiopia, Colombia
BrewsEspresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
TipThe riverside Ton Duc Thang space is the flagship; ask the baristas what they just roasted.
Lacaph is a coffee experience space and roaster devoted to Vietnamese beans, its exposed-brick District 1 room built for tastings of phin-brewed coffee.
OrderA guided tasting flight of Vietnamese single origins.
BeansVietnam
BrewsEspresso, Filter, Phin, Whole bean retail
TipBook the tasting flight to compare phin, filter and espresso brews of the same Vietnamese bean.
The Refinery is a French brasserie and wine bar in a heritage former opium refinery, a Saigon institution since 2006 with a leafy courtyard.
OrderA glass of French white with the moules or oysters.
PourA French white with the oysters
WineFrench and old-world wines
FoodFrench brasserie plates
TipThe courtyard is a calm escape from the traffic; it doubles as a full brasserie for lunch.
Drinking and Healing is one of Saigon's most sought-after cocktail bars, a dim speakeasy where the drinks lean on Vietnamese herbs and spirits.
OrderA cocktail built on local ingredients from the seasonal list.
DrinkVietnamese-ingredient cocktails
FoodBar snacks
TipIt takes the top floor of a historic building, with two small neon-lit smoking terraces looking straight at the Bitexco Tower.
Snuffbox is a hidden speakeasy on Ton That Dam in Saigon's District 1, open since late 2015 and pouring Mint Juleps and other jazz-era classics.
OrderA well-made classic or the bartender's choice off menu.
DrinkClassic and signature cocktails
FoodBar snacks
TipThe entrance is deliberately discreet inside an old apartment block; live music plays on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Stir is a hidden cocktail bar tucked inside a District 1 residential block, a warm room of seasonal signature drinks that rewards anyone who finds it.
OrderOne of the seasonal signatures built around local produce.
DrinkSeasonal signature cocktails
FoodSmall plates
TipIt hides inside a residential building; look for the unmarked stairwell off Le Thanh Ton.
Chill Skybar was Vietnam's first rooftop bar, a sprawling open-air deck on the 26th floor of the AB Tower with 360-degree city views and pricey drinks.
OrderA signature cocktail at sunset over the skyline.
DrinkCocktails with a skyline view
FoodDining menu
TipThere is a smart dress code; arrive before dark for a table on the open-air rail.
Broma is a laid-back rooftop overlooking the Nguyen Hue walking street, a low-key early-evening drink that builds into an eclectic music party at night.
OrderA cocktail on the terrace above the Nguyen Hue crowds.
DrinkCocktails over Nguyen Hue
FoodBar snacks
TipHead up early for a rail seat over the walking street before the DJ turns it into a club.
Rehab Station is a moody cocktail bar set in a restored old building off Nguyen Binh Khiem, a favourite of Saigon's late crowd for well-made drinks.
OrderA house cocktail from the rotating list.
DrinkHouse cocktails
FoodBar snacks
TipIt sits down a lane near the Botanical Gardens; it hits its stride late in the evening.
Malt is a relaxed downtown bar known for two things, a deep craft-beer list and a shuffleboard table, a low-key alternative to Saigon's speakeasies.
OrderA local craft beer and a round on the shuffleboard.
DrinkCraft beer and cocktails
FoodBar snacks
TipIt is more pub than speakeasy; go for craft beer and the shuffleboard, not a dress code.
Layla is a buzzy cocktail bar and eatery in a colonial apartment block off Dong Du, with one of the city's longest bars, floor-to-ceiling windows.
OrderA signature cocktail with a plate from the kitchen.
DrinkSignature cocktails
FoodSmall plates
TipIt is the bigger sister of Summer Experiment; the eleven-metre bar is the seat to grab.
Nhau Nhau is the rooftop bar atop Anan Saigon, a narrow perch over the Ton That Dam wet market that riffs on Vietnam's nhau drinking culture with cocktails.
OrderA cocktail built on local herbs and rice spirit.
DrinkNhau-culture cocktails
FoodVietnamese small plates
TipIt shares a building with the one-star Anan; head to the roof for the wet-market view.
Summer Experiment is a sustainability-minded cocktail bar on Ly Tu Trong, growing herbs on its rooftop for a low-waste drinks list served in a warm room.
OrderA garden cocktail made with the rooftop herbs.
DrinkSustainable garden cocktails
FoodSmall plates
TipIt sits above street level on Ly Tu Trong; the rooftop herb garden supplies the bar.
Firkin is a Mad Men-style cocktail bar up an unassuming staircase on Mac Thi Buoi, all vintage posters, dim light and well-made classic cocktails.
OrderA properly made classic like an Old Fashioned.
DrinkClassic cocktails
FoodBar snacks
TipThe entrance is easy to miss; head upstairs for the dimly lit, speakeasy-style room.
Banh Mi Huynh Hoa is Saigon's most famous banh mi, a pricey but overstuffed baguette of house pate, cold cuts and butter with a queue near Ben Thanh.
OrderThe full banh mi thit, loaded with pate, cold cuts and pickles.
TipIt costs more than most stalls but is packed with meat; expect a queue at peak hours.
Banh Mi Bay Ho is a decades-old Da Kao stall known for its homemade pate, a tiny operation featured on Netflix's Street Food that sells out most afternoons.
OrderThe classic pate banh mi, made to the family's old recipe.
TipIt closes when the day's bread runs out, so come well before evening.
Banh Mi Hong Hoa is a busy bakery-and-stall near Ben Thanh turning out generously filled cold-cut baguettes, a rival to the nearby Huynh Hoa queue.
OrderThe mixed cold-cut banh mi with extra pickles.
TipThe bread is baked on site through the day, so it is nearly always warm and crisp.
Chi Tuyen is a Co Giang sidewalk stall known for bun thit nuong, cold rice vermicelli piled with charcoal-grilled pork, herbs and a crisp fried spring roll.
OrderBun thit nuong with an extra grilled spring roll.
TipPour the whole cup of fish-sauce dressing over the noodles and toss before eating.
Chu Se is one of District 1's premier hu tieu spots, ladling the clear pork-bone broth of hu tieu Nam Vang over chewy noodles with pork and shrimp.
OrderHu tieu Nam Vang, the dry version with broth on the side.
TipOrder it kho, dry, with the broth alongside, to taste the noodles the way regulars do.
This Le Thanh Ton cart is a downtown fixture for bo bia, soft rice-paper rolls of jicama, dried shrimp and Chinese sausage, alongside silky tau hu da tofu.
OrderA handful of bo bia rolls with the sweet-savoury dip.
TipBo bia comes sweet or savoury; the savoury rolls with dried shrimp are the classic snack.
Chi Thong is a Co Giang stall widely rated for some of the best goi cuon in town, fresh rice-paper rolls of poached pork, prawn, vermicelli and herbs.
OrderFresh goi cuon with the peanut-hoisin sauce.
TipIt is part of the Co Giang evening food strip; the rolls are made to order, so they arrive cool and fresh.
On the Co Giang evening food strip, this stall grills bo la lot, minced beef wrapped in fragrant betel leaves, served with rice paper, herbs and a dip.
OrderSkewers of bo la lot to roll in rice paper with herbs.
TipRoll the grilled betel-leaf beef in rice paper with herbs and dip; the strip is busiest around 19:00.
Pasteur Street opened in 2014 and helped start Saigon's craft-beer boom, brewing American styles laced with Vietnamese ingredients like passion fruit.
OrderThe Jasmine IPA or the Cyclo Imperial Chocolate Stout.
TipThe original taproom is up an alley off Pasteur; the tasting flight is the way to sample widely.
Heart of Darkness is one of Saigon's most ambitious breweries, its Ly Tu Trong taproom pouring 20-plus taps of experimental beers under Conrad-inspired names.
OrderA flight across the rotating experimental taps.
TipThe 20-plus taps rotate fast; the shaded patio is the seat to grab on a hot afternoon.
East West is a large modern brewpub on Ly Tu Trong with an on-site brewery and a broad kitchen, the most polished of Saigon's craft-beer halls.
OrderA pint of the Far East IPA with a plate from the kitchen.
TipIt doubles as a full restaurant; the industrial upstairs bar is quieter than the ground floor.
Winking Seal is a craft brewery whose District 1 taproom on Dang Thi Nhu pours its own hop-forward and easy-drinking cans and drafts, a relaxed spot.
OrderA flight across the core range of Winking Seal cans.
TipThe beer is brewed south of the city but the Dang Thi Nhu taproom pours the full range fresh.
Ben Thanh is Saigon's landmark market, a 1914 hall of produce, dry goods and a busy food court by day that spills into an open-air night market.
OrderA bowl of bun mam or che from the covered food court.
TipPrices are marked up for tourists; the food-court stalls at the back are the real reason to come.
Ben Thanh Street Food Market is a covered food hall a block from Ben Thanh, gathering stalls of Vietnamese and Asian street dishes around shared tables.
OrderGrilled seafood and a plate of banh xeo from adjacent stalls.
TipIt is more polished and pricier than the street, but a comfortable air-conditioned sampler.
Cho Cu, the Old Market, is a one-block street market on Ton That Dam in the shadow of downtown towers, a fast-vanishing pocket of old Saigon selling produce.
OrderA grab-and-go banh mi or fruit from the street vendors.
TipIt is steadily being demolished for development; go soon to see this slice of old downtown.
Thai Binh Market sits on the edge of the backpacker district, a workaday produce market whose corner stalls turn out cheap noodle salads, che and snacks.
OrderA cheap noodle salad or a cup of che from the corner stalls.
TipIt is a two-minute walk from Bui Vien; the food stalls at the entrances are the reason to stop.
Run by the team behind Hoa Tuc restaurant, the Saigon Cooking Class teaches a hands-on menu of Southern Vietnamese classics in a studio above the courtyard, with an optional market trip.
Cyclo Resto pairs a cyclo ride and a Ben Thanh market visit with a hands-on Vietnamese home-cooking class, teaching a few Southern dishes from scratch in its District 1 kitchen.
Tu Hai is a cheap banh mi counter near the Da Kao end of Dinh Tien Hoang, known for the thin banh mi que pate sticks that locals snack on all day.
OrderA bag of banh mi que, the slim pate baguette sticks.
TipThe pate sticks are made for snacking; buy several, they cost next to nothing.
Banh Mi Hong Hoa is a bakery-and-stall near Ben Thanh where warm baguettes come stuffed with cold cuts and pate for a fraction of a sit-down meal.
OrderThe mixed cold-cut banh mi with extra pickles.
TipBread is baked through the day, so the baguette is almost always warm and crisp.
This Co Giang stall serves a bargain bowl of bun rieu, the tomato-and-crab-paste noodle soup, for around 28,000 dong, one of the cheapest sit-down meals.
OrderA bowl of bun rieu cua with tofu and tomato.
TipAt under thirty thousand dong it is a genuine bargain in the centre; go for an early lunch.
Down an alley off Ho Hao Hon, this old Chinese-Vietnamese counter serves cheap egg-noodle and wonton soups for breakfast, a longtime local favourite.
OrderMi hoanh thanh, egg noodles with wontons in clear broth.
TipIt is a morning spot down a hem; go for an early, filling and very cheap breakfast bowl.
Au Parc faces the park behind the Reunification Palace, a long-running District 1 brunch spot for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern plates, shakshuka.
OrderShakshuka with the house-baked bread
TipGrab a table on the pavement facing the park; weekend brunch is busy, so come early.
Oc Dao is a perpetually packed snail house where Saigon comes to eat oc, working through plates of shellfish over cheap beer late into the night.
OrderA spread of snails, scallops and clams cooked to order.
TipOrder several small plates to share; the tamarind and coconut snails are the ones to start the night.
Vua Cua, the Crab King, is a lively evening seafood joint on Vo Van Kiet where the draw is crab cooked every way, from tamarind to salted-egg, with cold beer.
OrderSalted-egg crab and a plate of butter-fried snails.
TipCome hungry with a group; crab is priced by weight and meant to be shared.
Nong Thon Dai Viet is a 24-hour seafood kitchen on the Bui Vien walking street, built for the after-party crowd with grilled and steamed seafood.
OrderGrilled prawns and a hotpot to share after midnight.
TipIt runs around the clock; the busiest, most fun hours are well after the bars close.
Pho Ha is a 24-hour institution near the Bitexco tower, a dependable bowl of Southern beef pho at any hour for night workers and post-bar crowds.
OrderA bowl of pho tai nam in the small hours.
TipIt never closes, making it the safe fallback for a 3am bowl of pho downtown.
The View Rooftop Bar sits above Duc Vuong Saigon Hotel at 195 Bui Vien in Ho Chi Minh City, pairing food and cocktails with a look over the street below.
TipIt doubles as a restaurant with Vietnamese and Asian dishes; go for sunset and stay through the busier weekend evening crowd.
Le'Fê Rooftop Bar is a compact 9th floor Indochine styled terrace off Nguyen Van Trang in Ho Chi Minh City, a quieter escape from the Bui Vien crowds.
TipThe bar also runs stand-up comedy nights alongside DJ sets; the cocktail list is short but well made.
Stir is a hidden first floor speakeasy in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1, ranked 84th on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 for its Vietnamese inspired classics.
TipOrder a cocktail built on a Vietnamese street food flavour, the menu explains the pairing behind each one.
ChinChin Bar on Ho Tung Mau Street in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 is a gay bar with drag shows, dancing and live music, open until 04:00 at weekends.
TipFriday and Saturday bring the After Party, with 150,000 VND entry and the bar open until 04:00; drag shows are the headline act.
Frolic Bar is an LGBTQ bar on De Tham Street near Ho Chi Minh City's backpacker district, with drag shows, DJ sets, theme parties and a mixed queer crowd.
TipEntry is free for many events; Friday brings drag parties, Saturday a theme night, and happy hour runs 20:00 to 22:00.
CỘI Saigon is a gramophone and vinyl jazz cafe up a stairway in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1, styled on a 1960s listening room with warm lighting.
TipCome for the record collection as much as the cocktails; a live jazz band and vocalist take the room on weekend nights, and Sundays fill up fast.
LOST IN SAIGON is a loud industrial styled bar on Bui Vien Street in Ho Chi Minh City, built around live Filipino cover bands playing until 04:00.
TipThere is a pool table and a big screen for live sports; go for the singalong sets, not a quiet drink.
TNR Saigon is a long-running dive bar at 57 Do Quang Dau near Bui Vien in Ho Chi Minh City, open since 2008 with cheap drinks and DJ nights.
TipIt opens at 18:00 every day and runs to 03:00, or to 04:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
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