Most of what I write on this site gets written in a café. A Kindle, a paperback, my Moleskine and a black coffee. Over the years I’ve narrowed it down to a handful of places that feel like the best cafés in Saigon for reading and writing.
Ho Chi Minh City has thousands of cafés. These are the five I keep going back to.
The short list
- Best for reading: La Viet Coffee, District 3
- Best early morning: Aramour Coffee Roasters, Saigon Pearl
- Best shade and space: Every Half Roastery, Thảo Điền
- Best people-watching: VTT Coffee, Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè canal
- Best long afternoon: About Life Coffee Brewers, District 3
1. VTT Coffee, on the Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè canal
Neighborhood: Bình Thạnh, 46B Trường Sa · Best for: people-watching, journaling · Nearby: Phở Phượng (Michelin Bib Gourmand), across the canal
VTT is my local: a covered patio a few steps above Trường Sa, looking straight at the Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè canal. Bình Thạnh is a working neighborhood of alleys and family shophouses, and it doesn’t put on a show for anyone. District 1 is right across the water.
The entertainment comes free. Professional photographers work the canal bank with newlyweds and fresh graduates, and you can watch it all from your table. When I’m done writing, I walk across the bridge to Phở Phượng on Hoàng Sa, a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick, for a bowl.
2. Every Half Roastery, Thảo Điền
Neighborhood: Thảo Điền (old District 2), 01 Đường Số 10 · Best for: shade, space, specialty coffee · Nearby: Golden Lotus Healing World, for the onsen bathhouse
Thảo Điền is the leafy side of the river. Villas behind bougainvillea, yoga studios, brunch lines on a Sunday. It can feel like another city entirely, and Every Half fits right in with a big, shaded garden courtyard.
There’s room to spread out with a book even when the place is full. It’s a proper roastery, too, so order a tasting flight if they have one on and taste two origins side by side.
3. Aramour Coffee Roasters, Saigon Pearl
Neighborhood: Saigon Pearl, Bình Thạnh, near Sunwah Pearl · Best for: early mornings, dogs, people-watching
Same district as VTT, different planet. In the shadow of the Sunwah Pearl towers, Bình Thạnh turns into high-rises and a neighborhood that’s up and moving before the heat. Get to Aramour early and you’ll see dog walkers, joggers and the neighborhood starting its day.
Inside it’s calm and bright. I usually sit outside.
4. La Viet Coffee, District 3
Neighborhood: District 3 (Quận 3), 16 Bà Huyện Thanh Quan · Best for: reading, slow weekends · Nearby: Tartine, next door, for brunch
District 3 is Saigon with the volume turned down. Tree-lined streets, old French villas, and a pace a beat slower than District 1 next door. La Viet brings a little bit of Đà Lạt down from the highlands, with a shaded patio out front and plenty of room inside.
Everyone here is reading. Nobody is rushing you out. On weekends, Tartine next door does a good brunch.
5. About Life Coffee Brewers, District 3
Neighborhood: District 3, 151B Hai Bà Trưng · Best for: a long, quiet afternoon · Nearby: Pizza 4P’s, upstairs
A bit of Tokyo in Saigon. Concrete, greenery, a courtyard where the light comes down through the leaves and the motorbikes feel very far away. It’s easy to lose an afternoon here.
When you get hungry, Pizza 4P’s is right upstairs.
Tips for visiting the best cafés in Saigon
- Go before 9am. Cooler, quieter, better light.
- Drink the free iced tea. Most cafés bring trà đá or water with your coffee. It’s standard.
- Order like a local. Cà phê đen is black, cà phê sữa đá is iced with condensed milk.
- Bring a layer. When the afternoon rain hits, everyone moves inside, and the AC is cold.
- Grab between districts. Thảo Điền to District 3 runs about 30 minutes, traffic permitting.
Frequently asked questions
La Viet Coffee on Bà Huyện Thanh Quan in District 3. It has plenty of indoor seating, a small shaded patio and a crowd that comes to read and take it slow.
Every Half Roastery in Thảo Điền (Thao Dien) has a big shaded garden courtyard with room to spread out, even on weekends.
Aramour Coffee Roasters at Saigon Pearl in Bình Thạnh. Get there before the heat for dog walkers, joggers and great people-watching.
VTT Coffee sits on Trường Sa in Bình Thạnh, a few steps above the Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè canal, with a covered patio facing the water.
District 3 for leafy streets and old villas, Thảo Điền for garden cafés and roasteries, and Bình Thạnh for local, canal-side spots.
For what happens at these tables once the coffee goes cold, read Blue Dress. Got a spot I should try? Tell me on the contact page.
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