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.
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.
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.
OrderA cocktail by the infinity pool at golden hour.
DrinkRooftop cocktails
FoodDining menu
TipIt 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.
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.
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