(Image Source: Nhau Nhau)
There's plenty of reasons to visit Vietnam's largest city Ho Chi Minh. Beautiful French-inspired architecture, mouthwatering pho and banh mi, and a rich coffee culture aside, the city formerly known as Saigon is also home to a burgeoning cocktail scene that you won't want to miss out on.
Local mixologists are increasingly experimenting with Vietnamese flavours and homegrown spirits like Son Tinh Ruou and Song Cai Gin, changing the game by creating uniquely inspired cocktails that are as dynamic as this fast-growing city.
Bookmark the following Vietnamese bars and pay them a visit the next time you're in this bustling southern Vietnamese city!
1. NHAU NHAU
NHAU NHAU, meaning "drink drink" in Vietnamese, is a tribute to Saigon's traditional "nhau" drinking culture. The trendy cocktail bar was started by
chef Peter Cuong Franklin, who was also the brainchild behind ANAN ("eat, eat"), a restaurant located below NHAU NHAU that was awarded The Best Restaurant in Vietnam 2021. Decked out in Sixties vinyls and retro-cool adornments, this swanky cocktail bar boasts a mouth-watering food menu of modern-style Vietnamese street food, with dishes like Buffalo Carpaccio, One-Bite Pho and Banh Xeo Tacos.
The Cotton Candy Old Fashioned, Pho Cocktails, and Coconut Worm Shot. (Image Source: Nhau Nhau Facebook)
As for the cocktails? Expect creative concoctions featuring homegrown Vietnamese spirits like rice wines and bia hoi. Fan favourites include the Cotton Candy Old Fashioned, with snap-worthy funfair froth, and their Pho Cocktail, made from spices used in the traditional beef-based broth. If you're feeling adventurous, try their coconut worm shot!
Where to find them:
Address:
89 Tôn Thất Đạm, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 000000, Vietnam
2. BOO SG
(Image Source: BOO SG)
Tucked away near the Old Market on Ton That Dam street, BOO SG is a mellow, jazz-filled speakeasy. Come after 8pm, and each night the curtains are drawn to reveal an impressive spirits shelf behind the bartenders, transforming the bar into a stage of sorts. Sit and watch their mixologists at work and choose from their unique beverage menu, which is split into two components: Fancy and Classic.
Choose between a Classic or Fancy cocktail at BOO SG. (Image Source: BOO SG Facebook)
The "Classic" menu offers all your classic cocktails like your Old Fashioneds, Jungle Birds, and Highballs. Meanwhile, the "Fancy" menu offers a spin on these classic cocktails - think an Old Fashioned with Shitake and Coconut, a Junglebird with pineapple swapped out for passionfruit, and a Highball with hisbiscus and sugar cane cordial.
Where to find them:
Address:
119 Tôn Thất Đạm, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam
3. STIR
(Image Source: Stir Saigon)
STIR is only Vietnamese bar that broke into Asia's 50 Best Bars 2022, ranked at 84th, and also houses mixologists who have previously bagged prestigious awards like "World Class Vietnam 2019 Champion" and "World Cocktail Battle 2019 Champion". Given it's accolades, you can expect some top-notch craft cocktails at this cozy and intimate speakeasy.
(Image source: Stir Saigon)
If you pay a visit to Stir Saigon, look out for localised cocktails like Đậu Hũ Nước Dừa, a concoction of soft tofu and brown sugar and Nước Mía Highball, inspired by the street stall sugar cane juice nước mía.
Where to find them:
Address:
1st Floor, 136 Lê Thánh Tôn, ward, street, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
3. Yugen Bar
(Image Source: Yugen Bar)
With interiors inspired by Japanese architecture, Yugen Bar offers a quiet, cozy atmosphere to wind down over a tipple. Yugen Bar is an exploration of the concept of perfectionism, or rather, the unattainability of it. And in this spirit, the bar departs from many of its local counterparts that often try to incorporate a Vietnamese spin to their cocktails, in that the mixologists here place singular emphasis on creating expertly crafted, impeccably balanced classic cocktails.
Homemade raisin butter at Yugen Bar. (Image source: Yugen Bar)
Founder Dat Nguyen has a straightforwardly simple recommendation for those visiting Yugen Bar: a martini.
Where to find them:
Address:
95 Lê Thị Riêng, Phường Phạm Ngũ Lão, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
5. The Iron Bank Cocktail Vault
(Image Source: The Iron Bank Cocktail Vault)
The Iron Bank is your medieval-inspired cocktail vault. Enjoy boozy libations in a carefree tavern-style environment, complete with on-theme arches, textured walls and wooden elements. Time your visits to Sunday nights, where a band plays live music worthy of unwinding to.
The Iron Bank boasts a monthly rotating menu of original craft cocktail creations. (Image Source: The Iron Bank Cocktail Vault)
With a monthly rotating cocktail menu, the bartenders here don't pull punches with their creative and flavourful concoctions. Some interesting past cocktails include the Gingelico, a spin on the Gin Sour made with black sesame milk foam; a dragonfruit based cocktail inspired by the popular Tet festival, and the Roxy La Mer, featuring pineapples and rose petals.
Where to find them:
Address:
47 Tôn Thất Đạm, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
Contact:
+84 90 313 52 50 | @theironbankcocktailvault (FB)
@lotusroot518
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