Guidebook for Ho Chi Minh City
Food Scene
Here you can find the famous Vietnamese bread "banh my" with reasonable price. They also offer many kinds of Vietnamese food. To take away.
69 locals recommend
Như Lan bakery
Here you can find the famous Vietnamese bread "banh my" with reasonable price. They also offer many kinds of Vietnamese food. To take away.
Just yards from Reunification Palace, this airy café makes an agreeable stop for breakfast, lunch, or a simple snack and coffee, especially on hot afternoons. High ceilings, Deco tile floors, and terracotta-topped tables give Au Parc a distinctly European ambience; not surprisingly, it’s owned by a French expat, Noelle Carr-Ellison. Excellent sandwiches (such as avocado, bacon, and lettuce) are served on fresh baguettes and accompanied by cucumber-and-tomato salads; a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern plates and mezze round out the all-day menu
44 locals recommend
Au Parc
23 Hàn ThuyênJust yards from Reunification Palace, this airy café makes an agreeable stop for breakfast, lunch, or a simple snack and coffee, especially on hot afternoons. High ceilings, Deco tile floors, and terracotta-topped tables give Au Parc a distinctly European ambience; not surprisingly, it’s owned by a French expat, Noelle Carr-Ellison. Excellent sandwiches (such as avocado, bacon, and lettuce) are served on fresh baguettes and accompanied by cucumber-and-tomato salads; a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern plates and mezze round out the all-day menu
You've got to try this Vietnamese pancake!!!! Into an outsize wok the chef tosses a fistful of bean sprouts, pork, shrimp, and/or mushrooms, then pours in a slick of marigold-yellow batter, rich with coconut milk. The resulting crêpe is the size of a Monopoly board—so large it overwhelms the table, let alone the plate. Its crisp, lacy edges break off with a satisfying crackle, complementing the moist and savory fillings. The key elements, however, are the pile of fresh herbs to tuck inside the crêpe and the giant mustard leaves to wrap the thing in; their aroma and bite are as powerful as a jarful of Dijon.
82 locals recommend
Banh Xeo 46A
46A Đinh Công TrángYou've got to try this Vietnamese pancake!!!! Into an outsize wok the chef tosses a fistful of bean sprouts, pork, shrimp, and/or mushrooms, then pours in a slick of marigold-yellow batter, rich with coconut milk. The resulting crêpe is the size of a Monopoly board—so large it overwhelms the table, let alone the plate. Its crisp, lacy edges break off with a satisfying crackle, complementing the moist and savory fillings. The key elements, however, are the pile of fresh herbs to tuck inside the crêpe and the giant mustard leaves to wrap the thing in; their aroma and bite are as powerful as a jarful of Dijon.
Owned by architect Tran Binh and his French-Vietnamese wife, Thai Tu-Tho, Binh acquired a derelict colonial mansion and reimagined it as an indoor-outdoor fantasia, blending historic details (antique armoires; a wall map of 1960’s Saigon) with contemporary touches (gorgeous lighting; a floating staircase) to create a strikingly romantic space—a gauzy, soft-focus realm that plays with one’s sense of time. Pre-1975 Vietnamese folk plays on a vintage reel-to-reel tape machine. A flowering cherry tree in the courtyard provides the fragrance. But graceful interiors are a dime a dozen in Saigon. It’s the cooking that makes Cuc Gach Quan remarkable. From an open kitchen, the chefs, Co Diep and Chi Bay, send out a phenomenal thit kho to, or clay-pot-stewed pork belly; intensely flavored but not at all heavy, it tingles the tongue then melts in the mouth. Eggplant cooked in scallion oil is deliciously smoky and tender. Diep’s cloudlike house-made tofu is lightly fried with lemongrass, shallots, and chiles, creating a sauce worth bottling and smuggling home.
311 locals recommend
Cuc Gach Quan Restaurant
10 Đặng TấtOwned by architect Tran Binh and his French-Vietnamese wife, Thai Tu-Tho, Binh acquired a derelict colonial mansion and reimagined it as an indoor-outdoor fantasia, blending historic details (antique armoires; a wall map of 1960’s Saigon) with contemporary touches (gorgeous lighting; a floating staircase) to create a strikingly romantic space—a gauzy, soft-focus realm that plays with one’s sense of time. Pre-1975 Vietnamese folk plays on a vintage reel-to-reel tape machine. A flowering cherry tree in the courtyard provides the fragrance. But graceful interiors are a dime a dozen in Saigon. It’s the cooking that makes Cuc Gach Quan remarkable. From an open kitchen, the chefs, Co Diep and Chi Bay, send out a phenomenal thit kho to, or clay-pot-stewed pork belly; intensely flavored but not at all heavy, it tingles the tongue then melts in the mouth. Eggplant cooked in scallion oil is deliciously smoky and tender. Diep’s cloudlike house-made tofu is lightly fried with lemongrass, shallots, and chiles, creating a sauce worth bottling and smuggling home.
Rising in levels like a manor from a medieval fairytale, Quan An Ngon is one of the most popular restaurants in Ho Chi Minh, housed in a renovated Vietnamese mansion with a tree lined garden and staff waiting to greet guests wearing traditional silk outfits (complete with wooden shoes). Inside Quan An Ngon Restaurant, the expanse of teak, ornate Chinese inspired lattices and surrounding balcony have all the hallmarks of a classic kung-fu movie. Visitors are often delighted with the classically styled interior. If you are looking to try many casual Vietnamese dishes – spring rolls, black pepper crab, noodle soup – in a clean and friendly environment then this is an excellent option. Located opposite the Reunification Palace on Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Street, Quan An Ngon Restaurant is centrally located in District 1.
72 locals recommend
Quán Ngon 138
138 Nam Kỳ Khởi NghĩaRising in levels like a manor from a medieval fairytale, Quan An Ngon is one of the most popular restaurants in Ho Chi Minh, housed in a renovated Vietnamese mansion with a tree lined garden and staff waiting to greet guests wearing traditional silk outfits (complete with wooden shoes). Inside Quan An Ngon Restaurant, the expanse of teak, ornate Chinese inspired lattices and surrounding balcony have all the hallmarks of a classic kung-fu movie. Visitors are often delighted with the classically styled interior. If you are looking to try many casual Vietnamese dishes – spring rolls, black pepper crab, noodle soup – in a clean and friendly environment then this is an excellent option. Located opposite the Reunification Palace on Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Street, Quan An Ngon Restaurant is centrally located in District 1.
With a prime position above Le Thanh Ton, one of Saigon’s premier shopping streets, this irrepressibly cute tearoom with grandmother’s-parlor décor and tasty cakes and cappuccinos is a huge hit, especially with Japanese tourists.
79 locals recommend
La Fenetre Soleil
44 Lý Tự TrọngWith a prime position above Le Thanh Ton, one of Saigon’s premier shopping streets, this irrepressibly cute tearoom with grandmother’s-parlor décor and tasty cakes and cappuccinos is a huge hit, especially with Japanese tourists.
At this open-air barbecue-and-beer garden, patrons grill strips of tangy marinated beef—bo tung xeo—on tabletop braziers and share pitchers of foamy local beer. The kitchen also dishes up specialties like deep-fried scorpion, bonded chicken feet, and fried pig’s stomach. If it’s available, order the “fresh shrimp”: your waiter will bring a plastic bag full of live shrimp, which you’ll have to immobilize before grilling by slicing their spinal nerve with a handy toothpick. Not for the squeamish, but the taste is phenomenal.
Lương Sơn Quán
31 Lý Tự TrọngAt this open-air barbecue-and-beer garden, patrons grill strips of tangy marinated beef—bo tung xeo—on tabletop braziers and share pitchers of foamy local beer. The kitchen also dishes up specialties like deep-fried scorpion, bonded chicken feet, and fried pig’s stomach. If it’s available, order the “fresh shrimp”: your waiter will bring a plastic bag full of live shrimp, which you’ll have to immobilize before grilling by slicing their spinal nerve with a handy toothpick. Not for the squeamish, but the taste is phenomenal.
In Vietnam, restaurants with incandescent lighting generally serve dull food, while fluorescent-lit joints with toilet-paper dispensers for napkins turn out the tastiest cooking. (This shall be known as the Inverse Relation of Atmosphere to Authenticity.) However, said rule does not apply to the Temple Club, whose interiors and food are both fabulous. An Indochine/Art Deco fantasia of polished lacquer, palisander, and opium-den screens, this is the city’s prettiest restaurant, bar none. (Co-owner Luc Lejeune, a Provence native, runs Noor, a leading Saigon design firm.) Don’t miss the mi quang soup, a Danang-style broth with thick yellow noodles, peanuts, shrimp, and crunchy rice crackers. The cocktails are equally impressive; try a caipirinha.
10 locals recommend
Temple Club
29-31 Tôn Thất ThiệpIn Vietnam, restaurants with incandescent lighting generally serve dull food, while fluorescent-lit joints with toilet-paper dispensers for napkins turn out the tastiest cooking. (This shall be known as the Inverse Relation of Atmosphere to Authenticity.) However, said rule does not apply to the Temple Club, whose interiors and food are both fabulous. An Indochine/Art Deco fantasia of polished lacquer, palisander, and opium-den screens, this is the city’s prettiest restaurant, bar none. (Co-owner Luc Lejeune, a Provence native, runs Noor, a leading Saigon design firm.) Don’t miss the mi quang soup, a Danang-style broth with thick yellow noodles, peanuts, shrimp, and crunchy rice crackers. The cocktails are equally impressive; try a caipirinha.
This rough-and-tumble joint with metal tables and plastic chairs serves the very best crab in town. Order cha gio cua (crab spring rolls), mien xao cua be (cassava noodles sautéed with mushrooms and crabmeat), whole roasted crab, and when available, deep-fried soft-shell crab with tamarind or sweet chili sauce.
Note: This restaurant used to be down the block at No. 94, then moved, taking the “94” name with it. Confusingly, a similar restaurant has taken the old No. 94 address—but it’s No. 84 you want.
10 locals recommend
Quán 94 chả giò cua biển
94 Đ. Đinh Tiên HoàngThis rough-and-tumble joint with metal tables and plastic chairs serves the very best crab in town. Order cha gio cua (crab spring rolls), mien xao cua be (cassava noodles sautéed with mushrooms and crabmeat), whole roasted crab, and when available, deep-fried soft-shell crab with tamarind or sweet chili sauce.
Note: This restaurant used to be down the block at No. 94, then moved, taking the “94” name with it. Confusingly, a similar restaurant has taken the old No. 94 address—but it’s No. 84 you want.
La Cuisine is unashamedly classic French cuisine, serving many traditional dishes such as steak tartare, foie gras with Provence figs, and pan seared duck with Béarnaise sauce. Plating and execution is stylish and modern, just like the white-washed, bare brick walls, and chunky wooden tables. The owner and head chef is French and has worked all over the world before settling in Ho Chi Minh to open La Cuisine. Look out for the set lunch menu which offers two or three courses for significantly reduced rates for a taste of something fancy at a great value price.
30 locals recommend
Nhà Hàng Bánh Xèo Ăn là ghiền
11A Tú XươngLa Cuisine is unashamedly classic French cuisine, serving many traditional dishes such as steak tartare, foie gras with Provence figs, and pan seared duck with Béarnaise sauce. Plating and execution is stylish and modern, just like the white-washed, bare brick walls, and chunky wooden tables. The owner and head chef is French and has worked all over the world before settling in Ho Chi Minh to open La Cuisine. Look out for the set lunch menu which offers two or three courses for significantly reduced rates for a taste of something fancy at a great value price.
This Japanese owned and operated pizza and pasta restaurant serves some of the best pizzas east of Napoli. 4Ps Pizza Saigon is an institution with Ho Chi Minh’s expat community serving stone-baked pizzas with inventive toppings that run from flower petals to teriyaki chicken. Despite the hard to find location down an alleyway behind The Sushi Bar on Le Thanh Ton Street, it gets packed on weekends and reservations are highly recommended.
363 locals recommend
Pizza 4P's Le Thanh Ton
15 WardThis Japanese owned and operated pizza and pasta restaurant serves some of the best pizzas east of Napoli. 4Ps Pizza Saigon is an institution with Ho Chi Minh’s expat community serving stone-baked pizzas with inventive toppings that run from flower petals to teriyaki chicken. Despite the hard to find location down an alleyway behind The Sushi Bar on Le Thanh Ton Street, it gets packed on weekends and reservations are highly recommended.
Serving traditional Vietnamese food, this restaurant is set in the loft of an old French-colonial house, all staff here are from disadvantaged families or are former street children and receive on-the-job training, education and a place to stay.
12 locals recommend
Quán Ăn Hương Lài
38 Lý Tự TrọngServing traditional Vietnamese food, this restaurant is set in the loft of an old French-colonial house, all staff here are from disadvantaged families or are former street children and receive on-the-job training, education and a place to stay.
Offering contemporary Vietnamese cuisine, Hoa Tuc is located in District One and also offers cookery classes. Décor is Parisian inspired and alfresco dining is available.
27 locals recommend
Hoa Tuc Saigon
74/7 Hai Bà TrưngOffering contemporary Vietnamese cuisine, Hoa Tuc is located in District One and also offers cookery classes. Décor is Parisian inspired and alfresco dining is available.
The Deck is the only restaurant of its kind to sit on the banks of the Saigon River. 15 minutes away from downtown Saigon, it can be reached by land or by boat (the restaurant can organise for a boat to come and pick up guests from the city centre). Visitors can dine on the elegant and cosy outdoor wooden deck. Over the years, the elegant restaurant has been praised and awarded as one of Asia’s finest restaurants. Executive Chefs Cao Lam Gia and Adrian Scott have designed a menu featuring contemporary pan-Asian fusion cuisine with an emphasis placed on simplicity. The best local and imported produce is sourced, including meat from New Zealand, seafood flown in from Phu Quoc Island and vegetables from Da Lat. Due to its unique location, The Deck is perfect for romantic dinners or for a lavish brunch with family and friends.
144 locals recommend
The Place Saigon
113 Tôn Thất ĐạmThe Deck is the only restaurant of its kind to sit on the banks of the Saigon River. 15 minutes away from downtown Saigon, it can be reached by land or by boat (the restaurant can organise for a boat to come and pick up guests from the city centre). Visitors can dine on the elegant and cosy outdoor wooden deck. Over the years, the elegant restaurant has been praised and awarded as one of Asia’s finest restaurants. Executive Chefs Cao Lam Gia and Adrian Scott have designed a menu featuring contemporary pan-Asian fusion cuisine with an emphasis placed on simplicity. The best local and imported produce is sourced, including meat from New Zealand, seafood flown in from Phu Quoc Island and vegetables from Da Lat. Due to its unique location, The Deck is perfect for romantic dinners or for a lavish brunch with family and friends.
The original Quan Bui was located on the outskirt of District 1, but due to its popularity among locals and adventurous tourists, the owners decided to open a new spot right in centre of the city. The menu has been expanded and the interior has been upgraded compared to the original small eatery. What has not changed is the authenticity of the traditional food served. The number of Vietnamese people that regularly dine at Quan Bui proves this. The interiors recall the old-world style, with French mosaic tiles, old-fashioned hotpots and wooden furniture. For someone that wants to experience the dynamics and customs of local dining away from the street, Quan Bui is the place to go.
56 locals recommend
Quan Bui
19 Ngô Văn NămThe original Quan Bui was located on the outskirt of District 1, but due to its popularity among locals and adventurous tourists, the owners decided to open a new spot right in centre of the city. The menu has been expanded and the interior has been upgraded compared to the original small eatery. What has not changed is the authenticity of the traditional food served. The number of Vietnamese people that regularly dine at Quan Bui proves this. The interiors recall the old-world style, with French mosaic tiles, old-fashioned hotpots and wooden furniture. For someone that wants to experience the dynamics and customs of local dining away from the street, Quan Bui is the place to go.
A restaurant on the roof top of an old building, similar like our apartment building. Great Vietnamese food and atmosphere with reasonable price.
265 locals recommend
Secret Garden Restaurant
158 PasteurA restaurant on the roof top of an old building, similar like our apartment building. Great Vietnamese food and atmosphere with reasonable price.
Everything Else
A few minutes walking from our apartment. This is the tallest building in town so far (68-storey until the Landmark is done). Things you can find here:
- There's a cafeteria Elle right on the ground floor and on the yard overlooking the busy streets. Good food and drink, a little expensive.
- FV Clinic: international clinic with high quality. Open in working hours.
- Shopping mall of 5-storey retail podium with many local and international brands.
- Seven screen multiplex cinema.
- Food court.
- At 49th floor, there is an observation deck, Saigon Skydeck, open to the public daily and offering 360 degree panoramic views of Ho Chi Minh City. Stunning view!
- From 50th to 52nd floor, there are further F&B and entertainment offerings, including a fine dining restaurant and bar/nightclub. Also stunning view!
487 locals recommend
Bitexco Financial Tower
2 Hải TriềuA few minutes walking from our apartment. This is the tallest building in town so far (68-storey until the Landmark is done). Things you can find here:
- There's a cafeteria Elle right on the ground floor and on the yard overlooking the busy streets. Good food and drink, a little expensive.
- FV Clinic: international clinic with high quality. Open in working hours.
- Shopping mall of 5-storey retail podium with many local and international brands.
- Seven screen multiplex cinema.
- Food court.
- At 49th floor, there is an observation deck, Saigon Skydeck, open to the public daily and offering 360 degree panoramic views of Ho Chi Minh City. Stunning view!
- From 50th to 52nd floor, there are further F&B and entertainment offerings, including a fine dining restaurant and bar/nightclub. Also stunning view!
Must see! Very colourful and fun snapshot of Vietnamese culture. You'll find it fascinating to see how the puppets are operated under water.
45 locals recommend
Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater
55B Nguyễn Thị Minh KhaiMust see! Very colourful and fun snapshot of Vietnamese culture. You'll find it fascinating to see how the puppets are operated under water.
Nguyễn Huệ
Pedestrian street! Many activities in the evening.
Sightseeing
Dragon Wharf or Ho Chi Minh Museum is the original commercial port of Saigon. It is located on the Saigon River. Construction began in 1862 and more than one year later, in 1863, the house was completed.
On June 5, 1911, Ho Chi Minh (at the time named Nguyen Tat Thanh) departed from the Dragon Wharf on the French ship Admiral Latouche Treville for a 30-year journey around the world. Therefore, in 1979, the old headquarters building of the commercial port has been rebuilt into a memorial park in Ho Chi Minh City.
282 locals recommend
Museum of Ho Chi Minh City
01 Nguyễn Tất ThànhDragon Wharf or Ho Chi Minh Museum is the original commercial port of Saigon. It is located on the Saigon River. Construction began in 1862 and more than one year later, in 1863, the house was completed.
On June 5, 1911, Ho Chi Minh (at the time named Nguyen Tat Thanh) departed from the Dragon Wharf on the French ship Admiral Latouche Treville for a 30-year journey around the world. Therefore, in 1979, the old headquarters building of the commercial port has been rebuilt into a memorial park in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ben Thanh market is a large marketplace in the city center. The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and an important symbol of the city, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, áo dài (Vietnamese traditional costume) and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.
1702 locals recommend
Ben Thanh Market
Đường Lê LợiBen Thanh market is a large marketplace in the city center. The market is one of the earliest surviving structures in Saigon and an important symbol of the city, popular with tourists seeking local handicrafts, textiles, áo dài (Vietnamese traditional costume) and souvenirs, as well as local cuisine.
The iconic Reunification Palace made its name in global history when in 1975 a tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate – thus signifying the end of the Vietnam War. This image is one of the most famous pictures depicting the Reunification Palace which has seen a rich and varied history and once served as the base of the US-backed Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem during the Vietnam War, until his assassination in 1963.
The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975 with two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds. Originally the site of the Nordom Palace also known as the Governor’s Palace its first role was as a home and workplace for the then French Governor of Cochinchina. The Reunification Palace is a landmark not to be missed by any tourist visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens, the palace hides secret rooms, antique furniture and a command bunker within its eerie corridors. The Reunification Palace is still in use to host occasions including APEC summits and national events of significant importance.
1157 locals recommend
Independence Palace
135 Nam Kỳ Khởi NghĩaThe iconic Reunification Palace made its name in global history when in 1975 a tank belonging to the North Vietnamese Army crashed through its main gate – thus signifying the end of the Vietnam War. This image is one of the most famous pictures depicting the Reunification Palace which has seen a rich and varied history and once served as the base of the US-backed Vietnamese General Ngo Dinh Diem during the Vietnam War, until his assassination in 1963.
The palace is like a time capsule frozen in 1975 with two of the original tanks used in the capture of the palace parked in the grounds. Originally the site of the Nordom Palace also known as the Governor’s Palace its first role was as a home and workplace for the then French Governor of Cochinchina. The Reunification Palace is a landmark not to be missed by any tourist visiting Ho Chi Minh City. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens, the palace hides secret rooms, antique furniture and a command bunker within its eerie corridors. The Reunification Palace is still in use to host occasions including APEC summits and national events of significant importance.
The Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Gustave Eiffel – the renowned engineer who also designed the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower – and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century.
832 locals recommend
Saigon Central Post Office
02 Công xã ParisThe Central Post Office in Ho Chi Minh is a beautifully preserved remnant of French colonial times and perhaps the grandest post office in all of Southeast Asia. Located next door to Notre Dame Cathedral, the two cultural sites can be visited together and offers visitors a chance to imagine life in Vietnam during the times of the Indochinese Empire. The building was designed by Gustave Eiffel – the renowned engineer who also designed the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower – and features arched windows and wooden shutters, just as it would have in its heyday in the late 19th Century.
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959.
In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. Measuring almost 60 metres in height, the cathedral’s distinctive neo-Romanesque features include the all-red brick façade (which were imported from Marseille), stained glass windows, two bell towers containing six bronze bells that still ring to this day, and a peaceful garden setting in the middle of downtown Ho Chi Minh City District 1.
1155 locals recommend
Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral
01 Công xã ParisSaigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built in the late 1880s by French colonists, is one of the few remaining strongholds of Catholicism in the largely Buddhist Vietnam. Located in Paris Square, the name Notre Dame was given after the installation of the statue ‘Peaceful Notre Dame’ in 1959.
In 1962, the Vatican conferred the Cathedral status as a basilica and gave it the official name of Saigon Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. Measuring almost 60 metres in height, the cathedral’s distinctive neo-Romanesque features include the all-red brick façade (which were imported from Marseille), stained glass windows, two bell towers containing six bronze bells that still ring to this day, and a peaceful garden setting in the middle of downtown Ho Chi Minh City District 1.
Drinks & Nightlife
Stunning view of downtown Saigon, Chill Skybar is one of the most popular nightspots in the city. This rooftop bar and clubs sits on the 25th floor of the New World Building and attracts a lively crowd who are dressed to impress and keen to party. There is a strictly enforced dress code at Chill Skybar so make a little effort if you plan to enjoy a cocktail up here and definitely don’t wear Birkenstocks or flip-flops.
877 locals recommend
Chill Skybar
76A Lê LaiStunning view of downtown Saigon, Chill Skybar is one of the most popular nightspots in the city. This rooftop bar and clubs sits on the 25th floor of the New World Building and attracts a lively crowd who are dressed to impress and keen to party. There is a strictly enforced dress code at Chill Skybar so make a little effort if you plan to enjoy a cocktail up here and definitely don’t wear Birkenstocks or flip-flops.
Fox Beer Club
11 Hàm NghiDJ, live music, great beers!
Run by Bien Nguyen, a 30-year-old Australian Viet Kieu, this high-priced upstart is both a see-and-be-seen nightspot (serving well-made cocktails at the street-level bar) and a high-end restaurant with ambitious, mostly assured nouvelle Vietnamese cooking. The menu changes regularly, but you can’t miss with any dish made with local fish or seafood.
8 locals recommend
Xu's Bar
58 Đường Huỳnh Thúc KhángRun by Bien Nguyen, a 30-year-old Australian Viet Kieu, this high-priced upstart is both a see-and-be-seen nightspot (serving well-made cocktails at the street-level bar) and a high-end restaurant with ambitious, mostly assured nouvelle Vietnamese cooking. The menu changes regularly, but you can’t miss with any dish made with local fish or seafood.
Lush Nightclub in Ho Chi Minh is a sleek and fashionable nightspot where the young and beautiful party the night away to different styles of music, depending on the evening. On Fridays and Sundays Lush is taken over by some of the best hip hop DJs in the city while Saturday night is the real highlight of the week with International funky house ensuring Lush is packed by a crowd of locals and foreigners. There is an amazing ladies night on Tuesday when the fairer sex drink free until midnight and on Thursdays there is a buy one get one free deal on beers and mixed drinks that lasts until closing.
283 locals recommend
Lush
2 Lý Tự TrọngLush Nightclub in Ho Chi Minh is a sleek and fashionable nightspot where the young and beautiful party the night away to different styles of music, depending on the evening. On Fridays and Sundays Lush is taken over by some of the best hip hop DJs in the city while Saturday night is the real highlight of the week with International funky house ensuring Lush is packed by a crowd of locals and foreigners. There is an amazing ladies night on Tuesday when the fairer sex drink free until midnight and on Thursdays there is a buy one get one free deal on beers and mixed drinks that lasts until closing.
The Observatory, the current most happening place in Saigon with young and trendy expats, is rather low-class itself. If you look like a hipster, that’s probably where you will end up on most weekends. Both a bar and a nightclub, the Observatory is located next to the port and offer a nice view on the river. It may have one of the best music programs in town. They will have foreign guest DJs regularly, usually playing minimal, deep house or world music.
Observatory Club
5 Nguyễn Tất Thành, 12 Quận 4The Observatory, the current most happening place in Saigon with young and trendy expats, is rather low-class itself. If you look like a hipster, that’s probably where you will end up on most weekends. Both a bar and a nightclub, the Observatory is located next to the port and offer a nice view on the river. It may have one of the best music programs in town. They will have foreign guest DJs regularly, usually playing minimal, deep house or world music.
Broma Not A Bar
41 Nguyễn HuệdeciBel Lounge
79 Đường Mai Thị LựuThirty-something single male expats will will prefer Xu Bar, Blanchy’s Tash, Lush, Chill Skybar or Glow Skybar. These bars and nightclubs are getting a lot of Vietnamese and Western girls and it seems to make everyone happy. The music is generally more mainstream than in the clubs listed above.
130 locals recommend
Glow Skybar
93 Nguyễn DuThirty-something single male expats will will prefer Xu Bar, Blanchy’s Tash, Lush, Chill Skybar or Glow Skybar. These bars and nightclubs are getting a lot of Vietnamese and Western girls and it seems to make everyone happy. The music is generally more mainstream than in the clubs listed above.
Thirty-something single male expats will will prefer Xu Bar, Blanchy’s Tash, Lush, Chill Skybar or Glow Skybar. These bars and nightclubs are getting a lot of Vietnamese and Western girls and it seems to make everyone happy. The music is generally more mainstream than in the clubs listed above.
48 locals recommend
Blanchy's Lounge
95 Hai Bà TrưngThirty-something single male expats will will prefer Xu Bar, Blanchy’s Tash, Lush, Chill Skybar or Glow Skybar. These bars and nightclubs are getting a lot of Vietnamese and Western girls and it seems to make everyone happy. The music is generally more mainstream than in the clubs listed above.
Beer bars and beer gardens are another craze in Vietnam. You would need more than one liver to try all of them. Vuvuzela Beer bars (several locations) are probably the most famous and popular in the city.
43 locals recommend
Vuvuzela Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm
11 Nguyễn Bỉnh KhiêmBeer bars and beer gardens are another craze in Vietnam. You would need more than one liver to try all of them. Vuvuzela Beer bars (several locations) are probably the most famous and popular in the city.
Arts & Culture
Classical to contemporary Vietnamese & foreign artworks on display in an elegant colonial building.
482 locals recommend
Hồ Chí Minh City Museum of Fine Arts
97A Phó Đức ChínhClassical to contemporary Vietnamese & foreign artworks on display in an elegant colonial building.
The Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon Opera House (Vietnamese: Nhà hát lớn Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh; French: Opėra de Saigon), is an opera house in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is an example of French Colonial architecture in Vietnam.
Built in 1897 by French architect Eugène Ferret as the Opėra de Saigon, the 800 seat building was used as the home of the Lower House assembly of South Vietnam after 1956. It was not until 1975 that it was again used as a theatre, and restored in 1995.
We highly recommend you to book the show called A O Show (Ahhh! Ohhh! Show). has its meaning derived from the word ‘village’ and ‘city’ in Vietnamese. The show has performed since Feb 2013 at the magnificent Saigon Opera House, and tours Europe regularly for several months every year from 2015 to 2017. It depicts the charming beauty and richness in culture of Vietnamese lives in the countryside versus the country’s racing urbanization, in a 60-minute length. The show is a mix of bamboo cirque, acrobatic acts, contemporary dance and theatrical visual art. Mesmerizing live music, which echoes Southern work songs, scenic lighting design, and unique bamboo creatures make this performance a must-see during anyone’s visit to Ho Chi Minh City. You can book ticket here: https://ticketbox.vn/aoshow/en
687 locals recommend
Municipal Theatre 's Ho Chi Minh city
07 Công Trường Lam SơnThe Municipal Theatre of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon Opera House (Vietnamese: Nhà hát lớn Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh; French: Opėra de Saigon), is an opera house in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is an example of French Colonial architecture in Vietnam.
Built in 1897 by French architect Eugène Ferret as the Opėra de Saigon, the 800 seat building was used as the home of the Lower House assembly of South Vietnam after 1956. It was not until 1975 that it was again used as a theatre, and restored in 1995.
We highly recommend you to book the show called A O Show (Ahhh! Ohhh! Show). has its meaning derived from the word ‘village’ and ‘city’ in Vietnamese. The show has performed since Feb 2013 at the magnificent Saigon Opera House, and tours Europe regularly for several months every year from 2015 to 2017. It depicts the charming beauty and richness in culture of Vietnamese lives in the countryside versus the country’s racing urbanization, in a 60-minute length. The show is a mix of bamboo cirque, acrobatic acts, contemporary dance and theatrical visual art. Mesmerizing live music, which echoes Southern work songs, scenic lighting design, and unique bamboo creatures make this performance a must-see during anyone’s visit to Ho Chi Minh City. You can book ticket here: https://ticketbox.vn/aoshow/en
The War Remnants Museum once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’ first opened to the public in 1975.
It’s a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War with many graphic photographs and American military equipment on display, including a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft and a 6,800kg conventional bomb.
All these weapons were used by America against the Vietnamese at some point during the infamous war that lasted from 1945-1975.
1053 locals recommend
War Remnants Museum
28 Võ Văn TầnThe War Remnants Museum once known as the ‘Museum of American War Crimes’ first opened to the public in 1975.
It’s a shocking reminder of the long and brutal Vietnam War with many graphic photographs and American military equipment on display, including a helicopter with rocket launchers, a tank, a fighter plane, a single-seater attack aircraft and a 6,800kg conventional bomb.
All these weapons were used by America against the Vietnamese at some point during the infamous war that lasted from 1945-1975.
Emperor Jade Pagoda, also known as Tortoise Pagoda, is one of the five most important shrines in Ho Chi Minh City.
Built at the turn of the 20th Century by a community of Cantonese who migrated from Guangzhou province in Southwest China, this pagoda is a fine representation of Mahayanist branch of Buddhism that is practiced widely in Vietnam.
256 locals recommend
Ngọc Hoàng Pagoda
73 Đường Mai Thị LựuEmperor Jade Pagoda, also known as Tortoise Pagoda, is one of the five most important shrines in Ho Chi Minh City.
Built at the turn of the 20th Century by a community of Cantonese who migrated from Guangzhou province in Southwest China, this pagoda is a fine representation of Mahayanist branch of Buddhism that is practiced widely in Vietnam.
This museum rather unique as compared to other museums in town. The artifacts and relics dated back to prehistoric age, some 500,000 years ago. Giving us the historical impression of prehistoric Vietnam... very categorically moving through the historical era from Han, Ming and Soong dynasties to the era of independence by Vietnamese people... very informative and educational.
The walk-about in the museum may take up to 1 hour. Reading the description for each of the items written in English language.
Photography inside the exhibit hall is prohibited.
Entrance fee is VD 15,000 per adult. Please take note of opening hours ie 9 am to 12 pm and 1.30 pm - 5 pm only.
268 locals recommend
Museum of Vietnamese History
2 Nguyễn Bỉnh KhiêmThis museum rather unique as compared to other museums in town. The artifacts and relics dated back to prehistoric age, some 500,000 years ago. Giving us the historical impression of prehistoric Vietnam... very categorically moving through the historical era from Han, Ming and Soong dynasties to the era of independence by Vietnamese people... very informative and educational.
The walk-about in the museum may take up to 1 hour. Reading the description for each of the items written in English language.
Photography inside the exhibit hall is prohibited.
Entrance fee is VD 15,000 per adult. Please take note of opening hours ie 9 am to 12 pm and 1.30 pm - 5 pm only.
Entertainment & Activities
A boat tour round Ho Chi Minh City on the Saigon River offers the chance to see the varied lifestyles surrounding this busy metropolis. The Saigon River flows from Cambodia through South Vietnam before merging into the South China Sea close to the Mekong Delta. In Ho Chi Minh City the river is also joined by the Dong Nai River and the Ben Cat River. Along the riverbanks are villages, underground passages dating back to the Vietnam War, city skyscrapers and ancient houses.
The Saigon River is still very much a working river and is the only way in which you’ll be able to experience sites such as the Cu Chi tunnels, hidden canals and the Mekong Delta. There are a number of tour operators offering cruises which can be booked as private charters or as part of a tour group, some offer Saigon River dinner cruise and fire dancing on board, others are daytrips further afield to see some of the historical and cultural hotspots only accessible by boat on the Saigon River.
27 locals recommend
Saigon River
10B Đ. Tôn Đức ThắngA boat tour round Ho Chi Minh City on the Saigon River offers the chance to see the varied lifestyles surrounding this busy metropolis. The Saigon River flows from Cambodia through South Vietnam before merging into the South China Sea close to the Mekong Delta. In Ho Chi Minh City the river is also joined by the Dong Nai River and the Ben Cat River. Along the riverbanks are villages, underground passages dating back to the Vietnam War, city skyscrapers and ancient houses.
The Saigon River is still very much a working river and is the only way in which you’ll be able to experience sites such as the Cu Chi tunnels, hidden canals and the Mekong Delta. There are a number of tour operators offering cruises which can be booked as private charters or as part of a tour group, some offer Saigon River dinner cruise and fire dancing on board, others are daytrips further afield to see some of the historical and cultural hotspots only accessible by boat on the Saigon River.
Shopping
Binh Tay Market, constructed by the French in the 1880s, is located in the centre of Vietnam’s largest Chinatown district. Unlike Ben Thanh Market in District 1, this market mainly serves the local population with its extensive range of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood from regions across Vietnam.
Also known as Cholon Chinatown Market, Binh Tay Market occupies a two-storey building along Thap Moui Street. Travellers can also find an assortment of handicrafts, lacquerware, and textiles that are sold in bulk, though goods are not varied compared to other (more touristy) markets in downtown Hanoi. Along with the interesting historical and cultural aspect of Cholon, Binh Tay Market is great for experiencing the local lifestyle and sampling unique Vietnamese-Chinese delicacies.
32 locals recommend
Bình Tây Market
57A Tháp MườiBinh Tay Market, constructed by the French in the 1880s, is located in the centre of Vietnam’s largest Chinatown district. Unlike Ben Thanh Market in District 1, this market mainly serves the local population with its extensive range of fresh fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood from regions across Vietnam.
Also known as Cholon Chinatown Market, Binh Tay Market occupies a two-storey building along Thap Moui Street. Travellers can also find an assortment of handicrafts, lacquerware, and textiles that are sold in bulk, though goods are not varied compared to other (more touristy) markets in downtown Hanoi. Along with the interesting historical and cultural aspect of Cholon, Binh Tay Market is great for experiencing the local lifestyle and sampling unique Vietnamese-Chinese delicacies.
Saigon Centre
65 Đ. Lê LợiRetail shops.