Cafe Apartments

The Cafe Apartment is a multi-story commercial building on Nguyễn Huệ street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The nine-story structure, located on the Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street, contains dozens of independent businesses. Former residential units now operate as cafés, boutiques, and creative workshops. The building retains its mid-20th-century apartment block facade. Each business occupies a separate unit, with many featuring balconies that overlook the pedestrian street below.

Constructed in the 1960s, the building originally served as a residential complex for government officials and American military personnel. After 1975, apartments were allocated to state employees. The building’s character changed significantly after the pedestrianization of Nguyễn Huệ street in 2015. Entrepreneurs began converting the old apartments into commercial spaces. This organic transformation created a vertical hub of varied, independent retail and food establishments. The entrance to the upper floors is located next to a bookstore on the ground level.

Visitors can access the floors via a central staircase or an elevator. The elevator requires a small fee for use, a cost that some individual shops may reimburse with a purchase. The building itself does not have set opening hours, as each business maintains its own schedule. Tenants include a diverse mix of coffee shops, tea rooms, clothing stores, and art studios. Notable businesses that have operated here include % Arabica, Saigon Ơi, and Partea English Tea Room.

The Cafe Apartment stands opposite the Saigon River and is near landmarks like the Saigon Opera House and the People’s Committee building. Its exterior, with numerous individual shop signs on each balcony, has become a frequently photographed landmark. The structure presents a contrast to the modern skyscrapers in the surrounding financial district. It functions as a popular destination for both local residents and international tourists.