Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City's craft-beer scene runs deeper than the tourist taps. These ten are where locals drink. The craft beer 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.
DISTRICT 1 · $$ · CRAFT BEER
Saigon's first craft brewery taproom. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for beer-knowledgeable drinkers and casual after-work pints. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
DISTRICT 1 · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Saigon's most awarded cocktail bar. 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 · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Eatery-and-cocktail-bar with a Mediterranean food menu and a cocktail programme equal to the kitchen. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing, the upstairs gets loud.
DISTRICT 1 · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Speakeasy reached through a Vietnamese-coffee shop. 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 · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Tiny eight-seat cocktail bar above a tailor shop on Thi Sach Street. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
DISTRICT 1 · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
26th-floor rooftop bar above the Hotel Bến Thà nh. 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 sunset drinks or a slow first date. 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 craft beer bars that any serious drinker in Ho Chi Minh City would tell you to put on the list.
Saigon's first craft brewery taproom. Order: Vietnamese coffee Old Fashioned. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for beer-knowledgeable drinkers and casual after-work pints. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded, book ahead or arrive early.
Saigon's most awarded cocktail bar. 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 craft beer bars worldwide, or compare craft beer bars city by city. Or find craft beer bars near you.