9 coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City

Although Ho Chi Minh City (abbreviated HCMC, also known as Saigon) is not the capital of Vietnam, it is nonetheless the most populous city of the country, with a population of around 9.3 million. The capital city Hanoi has a population of around 8.4 million, whereas the entire country’s population has reached 100 million.

Following the partition of French Indochina, Saigon became the capital of South Vietnam until the fall of Saigon in 1975, whereas Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam. After the fall of Saigon and the reunification in 1976, the communist government renamed the city in honour of Hồ Chí Minh. Even today, however, the name Saigon (Sài Gòn) remains in daily speech both in Vietnam and abroad.

During my recent trip to Vietnam and French Indochina (more posts to follow in due course), I stayed in Ho Chi Minh City for a total of 3 days. During that time, I visited the following 9 coffee shops, as well as the city’s most important landmarks. They’re all located in District 1.

L’Usine

L’Usine was the first coffee shop I visited, only a couple of hours after I arrived in the city. There are actually 5 locations, but I visited the one at 19, Le Thanh Ton.

It is centrally located, within walking distance from the City Hall, the Ho Chi Minh Statue and several other landmarks, such as the Opera House, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. As well as coffee, I had avocado and poached egg on toast, followed by several desserts shared with my friends.

Workshop

The following morning, I had my first coffee of the day at Workshop. This coffee shop is slightly tricky to find, as it is located on the 2nd floor of a building – at 27 Ngô Đức Kế. Although I really liked the atmosphere, I was a bit disappointed with the rather limited breakfast options.

Workshop is within walking distance from the Opera House, the City Hall and the Ho Chi Minh Statue. It is also very close to the river.

The Vintage Emporium

After having coffee at Workshop, I headed to the Vintage Emporium, where I had a hearty brunch. There are 2 locations – I went to the one in Da Kao, which is actually their first one and has been there since 2014. The other one is located in Thao Dien, on the other side of the river (in District 2).

Not far from the Vintage Emporium (the first location), there is the Jade Emperor Pagoda. This is a Taoist pagoda located at 73 Mai Thị Lựu Street, well worth a visit.

Maison Marou

After I visited the Jade Emperor Pagoda, I visited the War Remnants Museum (also well worth a visit). It contains exhibits and photographs relating to the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War. I then walked towards the Notre-Dame Basilica, officially Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of The Immaculate Conception. It is the largest church in Ho Chi Minh City. It was being restored at the time of my visit, so I did not manage to get in. On the side of the Cathedral, there’s the Central Post Office.

Opposite the Cathedral, there’s Maison Marou, a café, patisserie and chocolaterie. There are multiple locations, both in Ho Chi Minh City and in Hanoi.

Beanthere Cafe

The following day, I visited the Mekong Delta. I returned to Ho Chi Minh City a day later, in the afternoon. I stayed in the same accommodation (an apartment I found on Airbnb) as before, located in District 1, but a bit further away from the other coffee shops I visited and the landmarks mentioned. Very close to the apartment, there was Beanthere Cafe, a rather hidden coffee shop. There is a second location in Da Kao, within walking distance from the Jade Emperor Pagoda.

O’Palm

The next morning, I had coffee at O’Palm. Unfortunately, although I liked the atmosphere, I was a bit disappointed with the rather limited breakfast options.

It is very close to the War Remnants Museum, so you could potentially combine a coffee with a visit to the museum.

% Arabica

The Café Apartments is a 9-storey building at 42 Đường Nguyễn Huệ. As the name suggests, the entire building is home to many coffee shops, including % Arabica, where I had coffee. % Arabica is a coffee shop chain with branches in many countries around the world. This is their only location not only in Ho Chi Minh City, but also in the entire Vietnam.

Afterwards, I walked on Đường Nguyễn Huệ (Nguyễn Huệ Boulevard), which stretches from the Ho Chi Minh City Hall (officially called the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Head Office) to the waterfront. There is a pedestrian street in the middle of the boulevard. This is where the Ho Chi Minh statue stands tall, right in front of the City Hall.

Soo Kafe

On my last day in Ho Chi Minh City, I had coffee at Soo Kafe. I absolutely loved the décor, but the coffee was also good. Like Workshop, it is easy to miss as it is on the top floor of a building, at 35 Phan Chu Trinh.

It is close to the Opera House, the City Hall and the Ho Chi Minh statue, but also within walking distance from the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. There is also a second location in Da Kao.

Trung Nguyên Legend

On my last day in Vietnam, I also wanted to buy some coffee to take home with me. Trung Nguyên Legend was recommended to me and it was not difficult to locate. Although I could have bought it from a supermarket, I decided to visit one of the many Trung Nguyên Legend cafes in Ho Chi Minh City. I chose the Thế Giới Cà Phê Trung Nguyên Legend, at 80 Đ. Đồng Khởi.

It is located very close to the Opera House, which I will hopefully visit the next time I go to Vietnam.

Further reading

To better prepare for my trip to Vietnam and French Indochina, I used the Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand.

If you enjoyed this post, check out ‘10 (+1) places to eat in Ubud, Bali’.

Health information

Before my trip, I had the Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccines. Whilst in Vietnam, I exercised caution and avoided drinking tap water, eating raw vegetables and buying food from street vendors (especially at the beginning). As a result, I was fortunate enough not to experience any gastrointestinal symptoms.

Alex

(the Traveling Psychiatrist)