Old Compass Cafe is a cafe in 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.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: A Vietnamese drip coffee with a slice of cake.
Tip: It is up three flights down an alley by Liberty Citypoint; the entrance is easy to miss, so watch for the sign.
Address: 63/11 Pasteur Street, 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.
Signature drink: Coffee and French pastries
Order: A French pastry from the counter with a flat white.
Tip: The 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.
Signature drink: Vietnamese iced coffee
Order: A ca phe sua da or the peach tea.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Phin sua da
Order: A phin sua da and a Vietnamese-style banh mi.
Tip: It is a nationwide chain rather than a specialty spot, but handy and air-conditioned in the centre.
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.
Signature drink: Filter coffee
Order: A single-origin pour-over from the brew bar.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Coconut coffee
Order: The coconut coffee, blended thick over ice.
Tip: The 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.
Signature drink: Flat white
Order: A flat white with the eggs benedict from the all-day menu.
Tip: The cafe hides behind the boutique; walk through the shop to reach the tables.
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.
Signature drink: Coffee and French pastries
Order: A French pastry from the counter with a flat white.
Tip: The 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.
Signature drink: Vietnamese iced coffee
Order: A ca phe sua da or the peach tea.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Phin sua da
Order: A phin sua da and a Vietnamese-style banh mi.
Tip: It is a nationwide chain rather than a specialty spot, but handy and air-conditioned in the centre.
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.
Signature drink: Filter coffee
Order: A single-origin pour-over from the brew bar.
Tip: It 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.
Signature drink: Coconut coffee
Order: The coconut coffee, blended thick over ice.
Tip: The 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.
Signature drink: Flat white
Order: A flat white with the eggs benedict from the all-day menu.
Tip: The cafe hides behind the boutique; walk through the shop to reach the tables.