24 cafes worth the trip across Vietnam, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Vietnam guides.
Café Giảng ★ 4.6 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 39 Nguyen Huu Huan, Ly Thai To, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Café Giảng in Hanoi is where egg coffee was invented in 1946, served down a narrow alley off Nguyen Huu Huan in the Old Quarter by the founder's descendants.
Tip: Down a narrow alley off Nguyen Huu Huan; the cafe is at the back of a small courtyard. Egg coffee 35,000 VND.
Loading T café ★ 4.6 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 8 Chan Cam, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Loading T café in Hanoi occupies the second floor of an 8 Chan Cam French villa from the 1930s, with original geometric tiles and olive-green shutters.
Tip: Five minutes from Hoan Kiem Lake and two from St Joseph's Cathedral. Climb past the family shrine on the way up.
Maison Marou Hanoi ★ 4.6 · Hanoi
french-quarter · 91A Tho Nhuom, Tran Hung Dao, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Maison Marou in Hanoi is the chocolate cafe and shop of Vietnam's bean-to-bar Marou, plating French pastries with single-origin Vietnamese chocolate.
Tip: Watch the chocolate kitchen at work through the back-room windows; the bar sells single-origin bars to take home.
Cafe Phố Cổ ★ 4.5 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 11 Hang Gai, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Cafe Pho Co in Hanoi is the rooftop egg-coffee balcony hidden behind a silk shop on Hang Gai, reached through a corridor, courtyard and home staircase.
Tip: Enter through the red-fronted silk shop at street level, then follow the corridor to the courtyard and climb to the roof.
Cafe Đinh ★ 4.5 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 13 Dinh Tien Hoang, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Cafe Đinh in Hanoi was opened in 1987 by Cafe Giang's daughter Mrs Bich, with a tiny upstairs balcony over Hoan Kiem Lake and the original 1946 recipe.
Tip: Up an old staircase above a travel agency; the balcony has six seats. Iced 35,000 VND, hot 30,000 VND.
Tranquil Books & Coffee ★ 4.4 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 5 Nguyen Quang Bich, Cua Dong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tranquil Books & Coffee in Hanoi is a literary cafe opened in 2015 by poet Nam Lu, with bookshelves of thousands of volumes and specialty Vietnamese coffee.
Tip: Four branches in Hanoi: Nguyen Quang Bich is the flagship. Strong Wi-Fi and quiet at weekends.
Maison de Tet Décor ★ 4.4 · Hanoi
tay-ho · 58 Tu Hoa, Quang An, Tay Ho, Hanoi
Maison de Tet Décor in Hanoi is a vintage French-villa cafe in Tay Ho's Quang An, with healthy brunch plates, garden seating and a slow-pour coffee bar.
Tip: Garden tables fill first in the cool months; indoor air-con upstairs for summer. Strong Wi-Fi and laptop-friendly.
The Workshop Coffee ★ 4.4 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 27 Ngo Duc Ke Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: It is up a rickety staircase off Dong Khoi; the big windows make it a fine spot to work.
Cộng Cà Phê ★ 4.3 · Hanoi
hai-ba-trung · 152D Trieu Viet Vuong, Bui Thi Xuan, Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi
Cong Cà Phê in Hanoi opened on Trieu Viet Vuong, the city's historic cafe street, in 2007 and grew to nearly 100 stores; the flagship still pulls locals.
Tip: The Nguyen Huu Huan branch in the Old Quarter has a three-story open balcony if Trieu Viet Vuong is full.
Okkio Caffe ★ 4.3 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 151 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: The entrance is up an alley off Dong Khoi; look for the small sign and climb the stairs.
Cheo Leo Cafe ★ 4.3 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-3 · 109/36 Nguyen Thien Thuat Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
Cheo Leo is one of Saigon's oldest cafes, open since the late 1930s, still brewing robusta over a charcoal fire and keeping it warm the old way.
Tip: It hides down an alley off Nguyen Thien Thuat; this is a coffee ritual, not a laptop cafe.
The Hanoi Social Club ★ 4.2 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 6 Hoi Vu, Hang Bong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
The Hanoi Social Club is a 1920s French colonial villa in the Old Quarter serving filter coffee, brunch and live acoustic music to remote-working expats.
Tip: Three floors; the rooftop is the quietest for laptop work. Live music in the evenings, check schedule.
L'Usine Le Thanh Ton ★ 4.2 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 19 Le Thanh Ton Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: The cafe hides behind the boutique; walk through the shop to reach the tables.
Runam Bistro ★ 4.1 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 3 Cong Xa Paris Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: It faces Notre Dame Cathedral; the upstairs rooms are quieter for a slow breakfast.
Old Compass Cafe ★ 4.1 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 63/11 Pasteur Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: It is up three flights down an alley by Liberty Citypoint; the entrance is easy to miss, so watch for the sign.
The Vagabond Patisserie ★ 4.1 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 9 Tran Cao Van Street, Da Kao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: The old-house setting is the draw; the pastry case is best stocked earlier in the day.
The Note Coffee ★ 4.0 · Hanoi
old-quarter · 64 Luong Van Can, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
The Note Coffee in Hanoi is a four-floor cafe a block off Hoan Kiem Lake's pedestrian zone, plastered floor-to-ceiling with 220,000-plus visitor notes.
Tip: The upstairs floors are quieter; the top floor has the deepest layer of notes. Five minutes from Ngoc Son Temple.
Cong Caphe ★ 4.0 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 42 Nguyen Hue Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Cong Caphe is Vietnam's most recognisable cafe brand, styling its rooms in nostalgic wartime bao cap decor, famous here for its coconut coffee.
Tip: It is inside the Cafe Apartment on Nguyen Hue; take the lift or the stairs to find it.
% Arabica Cafe Apartment ★ 4.0 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 42 Nguyen Hue Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
The Japanese specialty brand % Arabica occupies the fourth floor of the Cafe Apartment, a minimalist white counter pouring precise espresso downtown.
Tip: It sits on the 4th floor of the Cafe Apartment; go early to beat the queue for a window seat.
Partea English Tearoom ★ 3.9 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 42 Nguyen Hue Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: It is one of dozens of cafes stacked in the Cafe Apartment; the tea list is the reason to climb up.
Cafe Slow Thao Dien ★ 3.9 · Ho Chi Minh City
thao-dien · 53/10 Street 10, Thao Dien Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
Cafe Slow is a calm, greenery-filled coffee shop tucked down a Thao Dien lane, a work-friendly spot for slow-brewed Vietnamese coffee and a quiet morning.
Tip: It is down a residential lane in Thao Dien; the garden seating is the reason to seek it out.
Trung Nguyen Legend ★ 3.8 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 66 Le Loi Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: It is a polished chain flagship, handy for a downtown coffee break with reliable air conditioning.
The Coffee House ★ 3.6 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 1 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: It is a work-friendly chain, not a specialty roaster; the upstairs seating is quietest for laptops.
Highlands Coffee ★ 3.5 · Ho Chi Minh City
district-1 · 119 Ham Nghi Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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.
Tip: It is a nationwide chain rather than a specialty spot, but handy and air-conditioned in the centre.