Okonomiyaki & kimchi fried rice

Casual pool hall, food & beer.

Sometimes have good DJ’s & concerts. In a quiet neighborhood so the club is soundproofed.

Cute bar with unique cocktails

Famous banh Xeo spot that Anthony Bourdain visited, but it’s good. Order: - 1 banh xeo - soft shell crab - fish sauce chicken wings - beer w/ ice

Vietnamese club

Nice collection of absinthe & gin. The best dog, Phen (#2), lives here.

Often referred to as “Rum Bar” but it’s actually Rượu, which is Vietnamese rice wine. Go with 3+ people, get 1 bottle with Coke & limes. It’s strong, you’ll get drunk. It’s not always open & serving, you’ll see the tables on the sidewalk if it is.

Really nice owner with lots of great gravel bicycles. He can assist in renting them and helping plan a bike trip.

Go with friends and day drink. Indoor sledding, haunted house, small water park, 25,000 crocodiles, lots of things to see and it’s completely empty usually.

Well-located apartment building for booking an Airbnb. Very nice pool, coffee shop, wine/grocery store on the grounds. Walking distance to many great local food spots, neighborhood bars, coffee shops, nice restaurants etc.

Set menu, counter seating, 2 seatings per night 6pm & 8pm. Fish is flown in from Tokyo market. Affordable upscale, around $40 USD.

Rooftop overlooks Nguyen Hue walking street. Gets clubby with DJ in evenings/special events. Club downstairs.

Rooftop with nice view of the city. Good cocktails & music, great place to start off a night. Gets clubbier at night with DJ’s.

A must for visitors to Vietnam, especially Americans. Takes about 2 hours, plan a decompress afterwards.

One of the original pilates studios in the city, and has some of the best trained instructors. Great experiences with Khai (owner) and Thuy.

Go for upscale sunset drinks on the river, make a reservation.

Little cocktail bar, good for 1-2 people.

Best espresso martini in Saigon, not listed on the menu but they’ll make it - the Vietnamese coffee makes it really special (enjoyed by both Kahlua haters & lovers). Sometimes they have great dj’s and it’s packed, sometimes very empty. But a great place to get cocktails with friends.

Sometimes has very good concerts or events. Green Box kitchen makes healthy bowls that are yum - Can order on Grab Food.

Really great food & wine, I think they have a tasting menu option. The owner/chef is from Chicago, US and very friendly. More western food.

Cute brunch spot, they have a famous com tam here made with Iberico pork. Brunch cocktails, oat milk lattes, kombucha, smoothie bowls.

One of the best views in the city, right on the river facing District 1 skyline. Go around sunset, hit some golf balls, and drink beer.

Nicer veggie restaurant - very peaceful & feels spa-like. Get the mushroom fried spring rolls & sesame lotus chips.

Popular/cute lunch cafe - Chicken rice, bun thit nuong, or vegan Buddha bowl are very good.

Fabric market & food market.

Vegan bubble tea - can order on Grab Food.

Vegan desserts - great to order a box for events.

Private room Korean BBQ spot. Great for birthdays or general fun boozy dinner.

Upscale bar for cocktails & wine tucked at the end of PVC, sometimes they have live jazz music. Very cozy for a quiet date night.

A very popular Banh Mi spot & worth the hype. Very large sandwich. Classic with lunch meats, homemade pate, etc.

Best tacos in Ho Chi Minh, especially the carnitas. Go for happy hour - their margaritas are very good Owner from LA.

Best dim sum in Ho Chi Minh, some favorites: - XO Sauce Rice Rolls - Shrimp Dumplings - Steamed Minced Pork Dumpling Shanghai Style (soup dumpling) - Shumai dumplings - Pan fried radish cake with dried meat - Deep fried bean curd skin roll w/ shrimp - Peking duck (large group) - Steamed custard cream bun w/ egg yolk

Great food & nice sake. Go on Monday night for oyster night, make reservation.

Cong Cafe is famous for its coconut coffee and it really is a must-try. This location is great because it’s in a little hidden shopping complex with lots of cute local clothing brands & thrift stores.

Popular chain but this location is pretty cute. Love that they use coffee ice cubes in the cold brew.

Upscale Vietnamese food. Better than An An. Gorgeous restaurant. Dress code for men and need a reservation.

One of the better casual Izakaya spots.

Casual Izakaya spot, great for drinking & eating snacks with a group - basement location. They make their own plum wine here, which is very good.

Popular Vietnamese brewery.

Cool cocktail bar, crowd felt very LA when I went on a Saturday night. Try the Garden at Night cocktail.

Rooftop bar that screens movies onto the building next door on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. Check the instagram weekly, lots of independent/international films.

Late night spot open until 3:30 AM. Order “com tam suon trung” for the classic broken rice with pork & egg.

Really nice Thai food, also try the red Tra Atiso drink.

Banh Cuon Trung (eggy rice rolls filled with pork & mushroom - eat with herbs and fish sauce). Great for breakfast, really nice owners. Tucked down a small hem (alley).

Duck noodles

Great little restaurant for European food & wine.

Great sourdough bread. Their sourdoughnut with jam is really special.

More casual spot on Phạm Viết Chánh with a lot of great beer options. Try the Bazan Hibiscus Cider.

Best oat milk latte.

Upstairs from Captain Phook, a little quieter. Nice wine & cocktails. They always screen movies on the wall & play records. You can pay to choose a record from their collection & play it.

One of the best pho spots in the city, got a Michelin nod. No chicken or veggie pho here.

Upstairs spot that has exceptional yakitori. A little nicer and you usually need a reservation.

Famous little cocktail bar, one of the first on Phạm Viết Chánh. Busy every day of the week. Great Negroni.

Great place to work for the day. Nice oat milk latte. Comfortable seating, plenty of outlets, good wi-fi. Can order wine & snacks.

Little neighborhood gem, must sit at the bar/counter. Great lunch specials.

Nice pho spot that got a Michelin nod. Their fried chicken is quite good & their home made hot sauce is amazing. Not a huge fan of their pho-tine (Viet-Canadian) dish but it’s a novelty. The owner Mama Dung is so nice.

Beers on the street vibe - small tables & stools. Delicious grilled chicken. Get the chicken hearts, butts, livers, and fried sticky rice.

The best com tam in the city. Open until noon everyday except for Tuesdays. Order “com tam suon trung” for the classic broken rice with pork & egg.