Secret Garden is a vietnamese restaurant in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Secret Garden hides on the rooftop of an old apartment block off Pasteur, serving home-style Southern Vietnamese cooking on a breezy open-air terrace.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Banh xeo, Fresh spring rolls, Grilled pork
Must order: Banh xeo and the fresh spring rolls with boiled pork.
Tip: It is up several flights inside an old building; look for the small sign and keep climbing.
Address: 158 Pasteur Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Quan Ngon 138 gathers dozens of regional Vietnamese street dishes near the Independence Palace, cooked at open stalls inside a colonial-era house.
Signature: Banh xeo, Bun bo Hue, Goi cuon
Order: Work through several small dishes; the banh xeo and grilled meats are reliable.
Tip: It is busy and touristy but a painless way to sample many regional dishes in one sitting.
Home Saigon tucks into a quiet alley off Pham Ngu Lao, plating polished versions of family Southern Vietnamese recipes in a set of restored old-house rooms.
Signature: Grilled pork, Clay-pot fish, Vietnamese salads
Order: The caramelised clay-pot fish and the pomelo salad.
Tip: It sits down a narrow hem; the street entrance is easy to miss, so follow the house numbers.
Hoi An Sense is a Michelin Selected restaurant bringing central Vietnamese cooking to a garden villa in Da Kao, from cao lau to white rose dumplings.
Signature: Cao lau, White rose dumplings, Central Vietnamese dishes
Order: Cao lau noodles and the white rose shrimp dumplings.
Tip: The garden courtyard is the seat to request; there is often live traditional music at dinner.
Quan Ngon 138 gathers dozens of regional Vietnamese street dishes near the Independence Palace, cooked at open stalls inside a colonial-era house.
Signature: Banh xeo, Bun bo Hue, Goi cuon
Order: Work through several small dishes; the banh xeo and grilled meats are reliable.
Tip: It is busy and touristy but a painless way to sample many regional dishes in one sitting.
Home Saigon tucks into a quiet alley off Pham Ngu Lao, plating polished versions of family Southern Vietnamese recipes in a set of restored old-house rooms.
Signature: Grilled pork, Clay-pot fish, Vietnamese salads
Order: The caramelised clay-pot fish and the pomelo salad.
Tip: It sits down a narrow hem; the street entrance is easy to miss, so follow the house numbers.
Ba Co Loc Coc is a Michelin Selected room for traditional Southern Vietnamese home cooking in District 3: grilled meats, clay pots and market vegetables.
Signature: Southern grilled dishes, Clay pots, Vietnamese salads
Order: The grilled dishes and a clay-pot braise to share.
Tip: It fills fast with local families at dinner; go early or book ahead on weekends.
Hoi An Sense is a Michelin Selected restaurant bringing central Vietnamese cooking to a garden villa in Da Kao, from cao lau to white rose dumplings.
Signature: Cao lau, White rose dumplings, Central Vietnamese dishes
Order: Cao lau noodles and the white rose shrimp dumplings.
Tip: The garden courtyard is the seat to request; there is often live traditional music at dinner.
Nephele is a Michelin Selected modern Vietnamese room in Binh Thanh, working local herbs and seasonal produce into a quiet, contemporary set menu.
Signature: Tasting menu, Seasonal Vietnamese plates
Order: The seasonal set menu, which leans on the day's market.
Tip: It sits down a residential lane in Binh Thanh; booking ahead is the safe move for dinner.
Okra Food Bar is a Michelin Selected Thao Dien room plating modern Vietnamese small plates alongside a serious cocktail list in a compact, design-led space.
Signature: Modern Vietnamese small plates, Cocktail pairings
Order: A run of the small plates with a cocktail pairing.
Tip: Seats are limited and the counter is the best view of the kitchen; reserve for weekends.