Ho Chi Minh City Cafe Hotspots 2026: Discover Local Favorites
Uncover Ho Chi Minh City's most authentic and buzzing local cafes for 2026. We revisit hidden gems beloved by locals for years, offering unique Vietnamese vibes.
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Uncover Ho Chi Minh City's most authentic and buzzing local cafes for 2026. We revisit hidden gems beloved by locals for years, offering unique Vietnamese vibes.
Ho Chi Minh City Must-Sees: Local Hotspot Cafes
The reason I'm writing this post is...
Lately, there have been some trending cafes and pubs in Ho Chi Minh City,
and as I saw them popping up,
they looked familiar somehow.
So I looked into it, and LOL!
Turns out, about four years ago,
my local colleagues took me to these exact spots, calling them 'the' hotspots.
For cafes, it was my colleagues,
and for pubs, the company president took me for a drink after work.
In other words, these places have been famous among locals (including expats living there)
for a long time already,
but they seem to be trending again now
(of course, the pandemic probably played a role too, but still!)
So, since I was in Ho Chi Minh City this time, I decided to revisit them all
and compile them into a list of must-visit spots in Ho Chi Minh City.
(It got a bit too long, so I've separated the pubs into another post...)
Cà phê Linh
First up on our Ho Chi Minh City must-visit list!
This cafe has a profoundly Vietnamese vibe.
Personally, I absolutely love the atmosphere here.
Ta-da!
This is the kind of vibe it has! So charming, right?
It just has so much character.
I'd passed by it a few times and always wanted to check it out,
and now, finally, was my chance!
A wider shot.
Oops, all I have are blurry photos... Ugh!
First things first, let's step inside.
It seems like it's been around since 1975,
and they do a fantastic job of preserving that old-school charm!
The first floor is relatively quiet.
That's because the second floor is where all the action is, haha!
The moment I went up to the second floor... completely full!
Of course, the outdoor terrace was packed,
though if you looked closely, you could find one or two spots inside.
But just then, a terrace seat opened up,
so I quickly snagged it!
First, time to order!
First, coffee and...
I saw on Koitv that sunflower seeds are a popular snack there,
so I decided to order some of those too!
The sunflower seeds were 20,000 VND (about ~$1).
I originally thought about having lunch here,
but there wasn't really a suitable meal option.
Sunflower Seeds
At first, I was terrible at cracking them and kept crushing the seeds inside,
but I quickly got the hang of it!
They're surprisingly nutty and delicious.
And it's a great way to pass the time.
Cracking and eating them is quite fun, actually, haha!
Vietnamese coffee is usually quite sweet,
but this one wasn't sweet at all.
It's not that the terrace offers a particularly great view or anything special.
There's nothing much to it.
It's more about that unique ambiance, you know?
That feeling is why everyone seeks out the terrace seats.
Feeling a bit hungry, I suppose,
I decided to order some vietnamese fried beef, which seemed like it could tide me over.
It's spicy Vietnamese jerky...
And it's absolutely perfect with beer...
So, I ended up ordering a beer too, haha!
I had planned to stick to coffee, worrying that drinking beer in the daytime might make me lightheaded and sleepy,
but I couldn't resist.
There's just something about having a local beer here.
(You'll understand what I mean once you sit down, haha.)
And that feeling...
that jerky just poured fuel on the fire, haha!
It felt like I had a whole feast laid out just for myself...
Oh, one great thing: prepayment!
Honestly, in Korea,
prepayment can sometimes feel a bit impersonal,
but when you're traveling solo abroad, prepayment is incredibly convenient.
Since I'm alone, when I go to the restroom,
I have to take all my belongings with me.
If it were post-payment, I'd feel self-conscious,
and the staff would have to keep an eye on me.
So, prepayment is just incredibly easy, haha!
Here, it's prepayment. Definitely a plus!
This is a photo I took at night while passing by.
It seems to become even more of a hotspot at night.
📍 1 Trương Định, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
1 Trương Định, Phường Bến Thành, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Cà phê Linh
Opening Hours: 6:00 AM ~ 12:00 AM
Location: 1 Trương Định, Phường Bến Thành, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
The Workshop Coffee
Another must-visit hot spot cafe in Ho Chi Minh City,
the second one on our list!
is The Workshop Coffee.
If the cafe introduced above had a strong local Vietnamese vibe (?), making it a hotspot beloved by Westerners and foreigners,
then this place is a hotspot favored by locals.
(This is actually where my local friends took me, saying it was a hotspot, haha!
Although, due to its comfortable environment for working on laptops,
there are quite a few foreign customers.)
It's right here, haha!
You won't see much from the outside,
you have to know to go up.
There is a small sign like this at the entrance.
The entrance is here.
As I was taking photos for this post,
the person in the photo there said,
"Looking for Workshop Coffee? This is it!"
haha!
As you go up the stairs,
there's a small sign indicating you're on the right track.
Arrived at the entrance.
Even before stepping inside, you can feel the high ceilings.
Shall we head inside?
The ambiance inside.
In the center, you'll find the baristas and coffee machines,
with tables arranged around them.
And it was already full.
The table seats were all taken,
leaving only the central bar seats.
With no other option...
I sat down for a moment,
and then I discovered the second floor!
So, I decided to head up to the second floor.
But first, I placed my order on the first floor.
From the coffee beans to the brewing method,
you can choose everything.
While I'm not exactly a coffee expert,
ever since I started brewing it at home
(I usually do pour-overs, but I've also bought a Moka pot and Aeropress out of curiosity)
I started recognizing a few familiar terms.
There's also a section that looks like a meeting room inside,
and that was full too.
Not just locals, but quite a few Westerners as well.
It felt less like they were simply tourists and more like they actually lived here
(since they were working on their laptops).
Coffee ordered, now let's head up to the second floor!
Compared to the first floor, the second floor felt relatively quieter, thankfully! Haha.
There are also large tables here,
perfect for group studies or meetings, perhaps?
My cozy corner seat.
From here, I could look down at the floor below.
A panoramic view of the first floor.
My ordered coffee arrived!
I just went with all the recommendations for my order,
and the taste was quite good.
(Though it wasn't anything exceptionally special,
it was still enjoyable).
The portion wasn't huge,
so I could have had a few more cups,
but it was time to move on to the next destination.
📍 27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
The Workshop Coffee
Opening Hours: 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Phone: +84 28 3824 6801
Location: 27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Honestly, when I first visited,
I did wonder why this place was... such a hotspot, haha.
Perhaps it's because it's a cafe with a somewhat Western vibe (?),
and that's why it became popular with the locals.
Since it's not a particularly new style in Korea,
I think I wasn't too impressed by it myself, haha.
Besides the must-visit spots in Ho Chi Minh City,
I also have a 'hidden gems' series! haha.
Cà phê Linh is a very Vietnamese-style cafe that has been operating since 1975, preserving its old-world charm. The first floor is relatively quiet, while the second-floor terrace seats are so popular that they are often full.
The sunflower seeds sold at Cà phê Linh cost 20,000 VND. They are savory and delicious, a great snack to enjoy when you want something to munch on.
Cà phê Linh adopts a pre-paid payment system. This is mentioned as a convenient advantage when traveling alone abroad.
The Workshop Coffee is a cafe with a Western feel, a popular hotspot among locals. Thanks to its comfortable environment, ideal for working on laptops, it attracts many Western customers who seem to reside in Ho Chi Minh, as well as locals.
The Workshop Coffee operates from 8 AM to 9 PM. Please keep this in mind when planning your visit.
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