Ho Chi Minh City

163 Cyclo Bar

Two doors down from the Duna Hotel. Thumping music until 02:00 with friendly staff. Sex workers catering to Western men here. If you're not interested, just gently let it be known.

Acoustic Cafe

Though only 1 km from the heavily touristed centre, this club is completely outside the tourist orbit, and offers an interesting view of local life. The all-Vietnamese house band performs every night, mostly American music, and it's always jammed with student-aged groupies. For some reason, they address the crowd in English between songs, even though half the crowd doesn't understand. On weekends, at least, you need to arrive by 19:30 to have any hope of getting a seat. If your hobby is rock ballad or hard rock, you should go on Friday night.

Alibi

Very cosy atmosphere, with sofas lining the walls and beautiful decor. Good food & drinks selection, nice music, and a mix of both locals & expats. Friendly staff, and the management's always there to make you feel welcome and make sure you get what you are asking for.

Allez Boo

For those who have been here before, you'll find the original bar is now Highlands Coffee and an all new Allez Boo has opened on the opposite corner. It's shiny and brand-new, but retains the same feel as the original. There's a bar with air-con on the 2nd floor with DJ-type music, and an airy rooftop patio. Quite similar to its sibling establishment, Go2 Bar.

Apocalypse Now

Legendary and still packed on weekends, although aside from a few movie references it's not all that much to look at. Stays open late. Now opened their 2nd floor for DJ, dancing, drinks with less crowded atmosphere.

Cover charge of 150,000 dong

Cà Phê Okinawa

Okinawa Coffee Saigon, nơi tạo những ly cà phê thơm ngon – độc đáo – khác biệt và giàu năng lượng… 785 HOÀNG SA, PHƯỜNG 9, QUẬN 3, TP. HỒ CHÍ MINH. https://okinawacoffeesg.blogspot.com/

Closed · opens 6 am·Outdoor seating · Wi-Fi

Cà Phê Royal Tea House

Local tea and coffee shop that serves various types of organic loose leaf teas grown from the Da Lat region. Boba tea/Bubble tea/Milk tea are also served using the house-brand of tea and coffee.

Go2 Bar

The main backpacker bar while Allez Boo was closed, still a great meeting place. It's impossible to miss the four floors of neon lights on the outside. Large patio on the sidewalk at street level, a cosier bar on the second floor with occasional live music or big-screen sports, plus a rooftop patio (with retractable roof) with individual BBQs up a steep set of stairs on the 5th floor.

Open now · open 24 hours

Highlands Coffee

Highlands Coffee is a Vietnamese chain that is ubiquitous in Ho Chi Minh City. They offer a variety of coffee drinks reasonably priced (25,000-60,000 dong, depending on your order) with consistent quality.

Le Pub

Always busy after 18:00, famous for its strong drinks, daily dollar-specials (e.g., Tuesday USD1 for vodka mixers all night) and friendly staff. It has the same owner as Le Pub in Hanoi. The Pub Quiz (almost every Tuesday) is very popular with expats, especially the English teachers. Get there early or it's too packed to find a place to sit down. Indoors and outdoor tables available.

Polo

Mixture of expats and locals, starts getting busy quite early. Music from the 1980s to the present. Noisy and smokey.

Rawberry

Raw vegan dessert shop. Custom vegan birthday cakes. Vegan milk shakes and coffee drinks.

Closed · opens 9 am·Fully vegetarian · Takeaway · Wi-Fi

Rex Hotel Rooftop

They serve a buffet dinner at the dinner hour, which gradually gives way to drinks and music. Acts change over time, but have included a Filipino band playing FM classics and a Vietnamese group playing Latin and flamenco. It's a pleasant place to get above the city noise and enjoy some fresh air. Cocktails around 140,000 dong.

Saigon Pho

This little hole in the wall is only a stone's throw from Allez Boo, but much more expat orientated. Open until late.

Saigon Saigon

A pleasant, breezy bar with a great view of the city. Great live band (Cuban) playing inside every night. Cool, quiet ambience on the terrace. Attracts an expense-account crowd due to the prices.

Cocktails mostly cost over 100,000 dong

Seventeen Saloon

American Wild West-themed bar, live music every night and other entertainment. Drinks are expensive.

Trung Nguyen

The Vietnamese version of Starbucks, but with much better coffee. They have locations all over the city, but are not well represented in the heart of the tourist district. Prices start around 40,000 dong for a basic cuppa, although there are plenty of variations including the infamous weasel coffee (cà phê chồn), made from coffee beans collected from civet excrement; however, a quick Google search about the conditions in which the civets are kept may further dissuade some from sampling.

Velvet

Nice ambiance & music. Latest chic bar in town. Gets very busy, and at weekends you will need a booking.

ZanZBar

Casual-upscale, the clients tend to come for the great choice of wines-by-the-glass (huge walk-in wine cellar), or for the cocktails (premium brands) and good selection of imported beers. Can remain open after midnight, depending on the number of customers.

Not for the budget crowd

Banana Pub

Park View. Pool table, darts, friendly staff, beautiful people, loads of food. Stays open late depending on the crowd. Worth a trip from Q1 to experience the expat scene.

Bobby Brewery Coffee

Nice place with good beverages. Used to show movies on 2nd and 3rd floor. Now reopened as La Cantina.

Cafe Napoly

The decor is Roman ruins-lite (they meant "Napoli"), but the menu is typical for an upscale Vietnamese cafe: coffee, fruit drinks, ice cream, and a simple menu including eggs and rice dishes. Piped music is nice, not too loud by day (though louder at night), prices are decent. Outdoor terrace in the front, air-con section on the ground floor, and evening lounge-bar on the upper floor. Next door to the louder, more trendy and possibly pretentious Cafe Nam Sao.

Carmen

The house band has changed some personnel but is still good, specializing in flamenco, salsa and Latin pop, and with an eclectic mix of other popular songs thrown in. Cocktails 110,000 dong, shots 80-85,000 dong, but with no entrance charge. It's popular and fills up on weekends.

Catwalk

All-in-one place with a massage parlour, disco, KTV, and a mini-casino. Price is on the expensive side, but it is a sight to behold.

Chao Ba Ca Phe

Granny's Coffee

This place has a really authentic and wonderful cafe sua da served by the famous "grandma" for about 8,000 dong. A little tricky to find.

Chill Sky Bar

Sky Bar

Rooftop bar at AB Tower in District 1 along September 23 park. This is the place to see and to be seen. Drinks are expensive at 200,000 dong and up. If you are around the September 23 park at night you will see the lights and hear the music blasting from the top of the AB tower. Look for the spotlights shooting into the sky.

Givral Café

In the French tradition, with fresh pastries, collared waiters and elaborate portions of ice cream. Well-located, but over 20,000 dong for the simplest cup.

Hideaway Café

As its name implies, this place is hidden away and a good place to read, or have a quiet conversation or meal. Decent Western menu, although slightly pricey.

Ice Blue

Centrally located English pub, complete with darts board and warm beer. Friendly, but shuts at midnight.

Khong Ten

literally 'No Name'

Large cabaret featuring some of the biggest Vietnamese celebrity singers in Vietnam. The headliner is often familiar to the locals from television. Most overseas visitors may not like the musical style as it is mostly the mellow-to-melancholy, soft-jazzy, love-ballady style favoured by the middle and older generation of Vietnamese. But it's pure Vietnam, and very popular with both HCMC residents and Vietnamese expats on trips home.

Admission 150,000 dong