Seafood$$$district-1Daily 10:00-22:00
Ngoc Suong is a long-running upscale seafood restaurant in a classic villa on Suong Nguyet Anh, plating fresh fish, prawns and crab in a formal room.
Signature: Steamed fish, Grilled prawns, Crab
Order: Steamed reef fish and salt-and-pepper prawns.
Tip: It suits a group seafood banquet; fish is priced by weight from the tanks.
Vietnamese$$tan-dinhDaily 09:00-23:00
Cuc Gach Quan is a Bib Gourmand favourite: an architect's old villa turned into a warm room for home-style Southern Vietnamese cooking and clay-pot braises.
Signature: Braised pork in clay pot, Water-spinach with garlic, Tofu hotpot
Order: The clay-pot braised pork and the tofu the kitchen makes in house.
Tip: There is no fixed menu; tell the staff your group size and let the dishes arrive family style.
Vietnamese$$district-1
Secret Garden hides on the rooftop of an old apartment block off Pasteur, serving home-style Southern Vietnamese cooking on a breezy open-air terrace.
Signature: Banh xeo, Fresh spring rolls, Grilled pork
Order: Banh xeo and the fresh spring rolls with boiled pork.
Tip: It is up several flights inside an old building; look for the small sign and keep climbing.
Vietnamese$$district-1
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.
Vietnamese$$district-1
Home Saigon tucks into a quiet alley off Pham Ngu Lao, plating polished versions of family Southern Vietnamese recipes in a set of restored old-house rooms.
Signature: Grilled pork, Clay-pot fish, Vietnamese salads
Order: The caramelised clay-pot fish and the pomelo salad.
Tip: It sits down a narrow hem; the street entrance is easy to miss, so follow the house numbers.
Vietnamese$$district-3
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.