Drinking & Healing

Drinking & Healing is a speakeasy-style cocktail bar on the second floor of a colonial-era building on Hồ Tùng Mậu Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. The bar occupies a space in a building reported to be over 150 years old. It operates with a concept of bartenders as ‘healers’ who create drinks for guests. The interior design features exposed brickwork, high ceilings, and industrial lighting. An L-shaped bar serves as a central point in the room.

The menu focuses on classic cocktails, bespoke creations, and drinks utilizing local Vietnamese ingredients. Bartenders prepare barrel-aged cocktails, such as a Vieux Carré, which combines rye whisky, cognac, and vermouth. Another signature drink, the Dalat, uses strawberry-infused bourbon. The bar also serves a selection of premium spirits, including numerous gin variations, whisky, and rum. A concise food menu offers items like gourmet burgers to accompany the drinks.

Drinking & Healing opened in September 2018. The venue provides seating at the bar, sofa settings, and various tables. Small balconies offer views of the nearby Bitexco Financial Tower. The establishment hosts guest bartenders and masterclasses for the local bar community. In 2019, it received a nomination as Bar of the Year at the Vietnam Cocktail Festival’s Bar Awards. The bar’s music programming often includes old-school hip-hop.