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99% of the time I’m a backpacker ballin’ on a budget. Browse my website and you’ll find plenty of “$30 a day in Singapore” or “How to travel the Maldives on a Budget” type of articles. But in another life (and sometimes still this one) I’m a bartender. I love a good craft cocktail and my husband is a bartender too. This means when we touch down in a new destination, we usually pin a few date-night-worthy cocktail experiences alongside all the street food stalls. Ho Chi Minh City had some exceptionally good craft cocktail bars and I felt it was only fair to pass along the information.
Read More: Your Complete Foodie Guide to HCMC, Vietnam.
Without further ado, here are six incredible cocktail bars in Ho Chi Minh City that are worth skipping the 30-cent beers served from streetside kegs for one evening. But honestly, that makes a great date night too.
Best Date Night Bars in Ho Chi Minh City
These cocktail bars are all located in and around District 3 and District 1 because those are the two districts I most recommend for travelers. District 1 is packed with all the tourist attractions but District 3 has all the charm of a local neighborhood and is THE perfect place to stay in HCMC.
Speaking of Where to Stay…
I know that’s not what you are here for, but I have to recommend it.
Hello Saigon Homestay
Not only are the hosts absolutely wonderful but you’ll be in close proximity to all my favorite foodie spots AND all the cocktail bars on this list. The rooms here are so comfy, originally we chose to stay because of the reasonable price for a double room but it turned out to be LUXURY.
1. Summer Experiment
Vibe: Whimsical concoctions with Vietnamese ingredients.
Summer Experiment was included on 2023’s 50 Best Bars List which is how it landed on our radar. While the bar can be difficult to find as it’s located up a crumbling building’s hidden staircase (although not a speakeasy), the bar is unanimously popular. The food here is okay in my opinion, but it’s really the drinks that shine. Think pomelo, melon, Vietnamese cacao nibs, coffee, and taro for ingredients. They have a 5-8 PM happy hour with cocktails for 100k dong or around $4.
This bar is actually run by the same owners as Layla (also featured on this list).
Address: Second Floor, 77-79 Lý Tự Trọng, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
2. The Alley Cocktail Bar & Kitchen
Vibe: Late-Night Classy Bartender Favorite
If I had to pick a favorite drink I consumed in Vietnam, it was here at The Alley. It was a mustard seed sour and I’ve never tried anything like it before or since. You’ll pay top dollar here but it truly feels like “date night” inside. The owner of this speakeasy-style bar pays tribute to the Mekong (his home) with unique Vietnamese concoctions. We went for a late-night drink and got a seat at the really beautiful bar top.
If you’re looking for quality and innovation…this is the place.
Address: 63/8 Pasteur, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
3. Layla Eatery + Bar
Vibe: Laid back version of Summer Experiment
I enjoyed the food here as well as the drinks! Layla is a very approachable cocktail bar owned by the same people as Summer Experiment. They also do a 100k happy hour list of cocktail specials and run different drinks (although in a similar style) to Summer Experiment.
If I was going to pick between the two I would go for SE.
Address: Second floor, 63 Đông Du, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, 700000
4. Drinking & Healing
Vibe: New York Style Fancy Speakeasy
Another Top 50 Bars winner of 2023. It’s expensive, yet exceptional. This bar sets itself apart on this list by producing the classics, but doing it really well. I usually gravitate towards bars using local ingredients (which Drinking & Healing does a little of) but it’s almost like stepping back home when you enter here.
Address: 25 Đ. Hồ Tùng Mậu, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
5. NHAU NHAU
Vibe: Upscale Vietnamese Street Food and Cocktails
This is the bar I didn’t make it to and I WILL next time I’m in Vietnam. NHAU NHAU is part upscale street food restaurant (located in a wet market) and part classy bar. I mean, how cool is it that it’s in a wet market???
Address: 89 Tôn Thất Đạm, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
6. Zodiac Bar
Vibe: Club-like Speakeasy With Great Drinks
We stumbled upon this bar totally by accident. We were just walking back full of street food from the nearby night market when I saw this trendy-looking exterior with seemingly no door. It was clearly a speakeasy and we wanted to give it a try. Cocktails were 8/10 but the prices were very high, even for the US. I wasn’t super fond of the super dark, loud, atmosphere that was drawing in large groups and people looking for bottle service but if that’s what you are seeking on your next date night in Vietnam….this could be for you.
Address: 8E Lương Hữu Khánh, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Before you Go…
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You can expect to spend anywhere from $4 per drink to $15 depending on the bar you choose in Ho Chi Minh City. These 6 craft cocktail bars in Ho Chi Minh City were my favorites (and a few I still have pinned to visit). Vietnam is one of my favorite countries in the world and easily my favorite in Southeast Asia. The food and drink scene really set it apart from the rest. My biggest recommendation for first-time visitors to Vietnam is to not be afraid to step away from the “tourist must-sees” and to hit the off-the-beaten-path destinations instead.
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