Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City's dive bars are the rooms locals defend hardest. Cheap, loud, exactly right. The dive bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — District 1, District 3, Thao Dien, Cholon all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
DISTRICT 1 · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Saigon's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
DISTRICT 1 · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Eatery-and-cocktail-bar with a Mediterranean food menu and a cocktail programme equal to the kitchen. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
DISTRICT 1 · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Speakeasy reached through a Vietnamese-coffee shop. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
DISTRICT 1 · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Tiny eight-seat cocktail bar above a tailor shop on Thi Sach Street. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
DISTRICT 1 · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
26th-floor rooftop bar above the Hotel Bến Thà nh. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
DISTRICT 1 · $$ · CRAFT BEER
Saigon's first craft brewery taproom. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for beer-knowledgeable drinkers and casual after-work pints. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Ho Chi Minh City or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten dive bars that any serious drinker in Ho Chi Minh City would tell you to put on the list.
Saigon's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Eatery-and-cocktail-bar with a Mediterranean food menu and a cocktail programme equal to the kitchen. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Ho Chi Minh City? See our guide to the best dive bars worldwide, or compare dive bars city by city. Or find dive bars near you.