Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Ho Chi Minh City for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Ho Chi Minh City for grown-ups.
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.
Signature drink: Vietnamese-ingredient cocktails
Food: Bar snacks
Order: A cocktail built on local ingredients from the seasonal list.
Tip: It is up a narrow staircase with no obvious sign; book ahead as the room is tiny.
Snuffbox is a hidden speakeasy off Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, an intimate low-lit room turning out precise classics and house cocktails for Saigon.
Signature drink: Classic and signature cocktails
Food: Bar snacks
Order: A well-made classic or the bartender's choice off menu.
Tip: The entrance is deliberately discreet; call ahead and the staff will point you to the door.
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.
Signature drink: Seasonal signature cocktails
Food: Small plates
Order: One of the seasonal signatures built around local produce.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Cocktails with a skyline view
Food: Dining menu
Order: A signature cocktail at sunset over the skyline.
Tip: There is a smart dress code; arrive before dark for a table on the open-air rail.
Social Club sits atop the Hotel des Arts with an infinity pool and one of the city's best skyline outlooks, a polished rooftop for sunset cocktails.
Signature drink: Rooftop cocktails
Food: Dining menu
Order: A cocktail by the infinity pool at golden hour.
Tip: It is on the roof of Hotel des Arts; come for sunset drinks before it fills for the DJ set.
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.
Signature drink: Cocktails over Nguyen Hue
Food: Bar snacks
Order: A cocktail on the terrace above the Nguyen Hue crowds.
Tip: Head 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.
Signature drink: House cocktails
Food: Bar snacks
Order: A house cocktail from the rotating list.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Craft beer and cocktails
Food: Bar snacks
Order: A local craft beer and a round on the shuffleboard.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Signature cocktails
Food: Small plates
Order: A signature cocktail with a plate from the kitchen.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Nhau-culture cocktails
Food: Vietnamese small plates
Order: A cocktail built on local herbs and rice spirit.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Sustainable garden cocktails
Food: Small plates
Order: A garden cocktail made with the rooftop herbs.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Classic cocktails
Food: Bar snacks
Order: A properly made classic like an Old Fashioned.
Tip: The entrance is easy to miss; head upstairs for the dimly lit, speakeasy-style room.