Bakery$$district-1Daily 07:00-22:00Walk-in onlyFrench boulangerie and patisserie
PAUL is the French boulangerie chain whose Saigon Centre branch bakes proper laminated croissants, baguettes and tarts, a reliable Western pastry stop.
Order: A butter croissant and a pain au chocolat.
Tip: It sits on the ground floor of Saigon Centre; the croissants are freshest in the morning.
Worth the queue: Butter croissant
Bakery$$thao-dienDaily 07:00-21:00Walk-in onlyEuropean breads and pastries
Voelker is a European-style bakery and cafe in Thao Dien turning out proper sourdough, rye breads and laminated pastries for the expat crowd.
Order: A sourdough loaf and a flaky morning pastry.
Tip: It doubles as a sit-down cafe; the bread sells out, so come earlier in the day.
Worth the queue: Sourdough loaf
Bakery$$$thao-dienDaily 07:00-21:00Walk-in onlyFrench boulangerie and patisserie
Saint Honore is a French boulangerie and patisserie in Thao Dien, baking laminated croissants, tarts and gateaux to a high standard for the riverside expat.
Order: A butter croissant and a fruit tart.
Tip: It is on the pricier side but the viennoiserie is among the best in the district.
Worth the queue: Croissant
Bakery$$district-1Daily 09:00-22:00Walk-in onlySingle-origin chocolate and patisserie
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.
Order: The dark chocolate tart and a cup of hot chocolate.
Tip: You can watch pastry work through the glass; the boxed bars make the best edible souvenir.
Worth the queue: Chocolate tart
Bakery$district-1Daily 07:00-22:00Walk-in onlyKorean-French bakery chain
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.
Order: A cream-filled bun or the cheese bread, straight from the case.
Tip: It is a reliable chain, not artisan; the appeal is cheap cakes and air conditioning downtown.
Worth the queue: Cream-filled pastries