Broken rice appears on nearly every street corner in Ho Chi Minh City. That makes choosing a plate a surprisingly stressful affair for the uninitiated. Quality fluctuates wildly between a dry chop on stale grains and a masterpiece of charred pork and fragrant fat. Most visitors have already heard of Com Tam Ba Ghien in […]

Most bar lists for Ho Chi Minh City point straight to Bui Vien Street, where the music and the touts make conversation impossible after 10pm. For those who prefer a drink without street-side speakers or aggressive PR reps, MELLOW Bar & Café stands as the obvious low-key answer, while eight other quiet bars around it […]

When you are in Ho Chi Minh City, start your day like a local. Forget the hotel buffet and dive into the vibrant street food scene for an authentic Saigon breakfast. From steaming bowls of phở to savory bánh mì chảo, these dishes offer a true taste of the city’s culinary heart. Locals often gather […]

There’s a specific kind of Thursday that only happens in one courtyard in District 1. The gate at 74 Hai Bà Trưng swings open onto what used to be Saigon’s old opium manufactory, built in 1881, and by early evening the terrace fills with the kind of low, easy noise that means people are staying […]

There is a particular kind of quiet that precedes a Saigon opening now, and it is not the quiet of indifference. It is the quiet of a city that has learned to wait. No banners, no influencer scrum at the door, no countdown clock on Instagram. Just a name, dropped once, and the assumption that […]

As the equatorial sun dips below the Saigon River, Ho Chi Minh City trades its daylight fever for something cooler, louder, and infinitely more seductive. The daytime swarm of motorbikes gives way to glowing neon, hand-carved ice clinking in heavy crystal, and the low thrum of bass drifting out of hidden alleys. To go out […]

Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon sits directly on the Saigon River at 8-15 Ton Duc Thang Street, in the heart of District 1, close enough to Nguyen Hue, Dong Khoi, and the Opera House to walk, but quiet enough to actually sleep. It’s a 336-room Marriott Bonvoy property built around river views, a rooftop pool and […]

The blocks around the Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel at 88 Dong Khoi make up the most walkable eating-and-drinking patch in Ho Chi Minh City. Within a 10–15 minute stroll you’ll find specialty coffee, proper Vietnamese cooking, French-style patisserie, some of District 1’s best cocktail bars, and a fast-growing wine scene — all without needing a Grab. […]