The Tent Whisky Bar Review: Ho Chi Minh Hidden Rooftop

I recently discovered a hidden gem of a whisky bar in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 through local social media buzz!

The owner, who has been successfully running a popular whisky spot in Hanoi, just opened this new location in Saigon. Naturally, I had to drop by for a few drams.

Welcome to The Tent Whisky Bar!

Operating Hours:
Daily: 7:00 PM - 2:00 AM

We ended up tasting six different whiskies tonight, and my absolute favorite was the Mortlach 15 Year.

The entrance on the ground floor is beautifully lush and green. Since the bar is located on the 7th floor, you'll need to tap a key card in the elevator to head on up.

There is something incredibly romantic about a rooftop whisky bar. As soon as we stepped inside, the ambiance blew us away, and we immediately grabbed seats at the bar.

The TENT -Whisky Bar- Ho Chi Minh

A Cozy Speakeasy Vibe in the Heart of District 1

They offer an extensive selection of whiskies, craft cocktails, and light bar bites. Their homemade nama chocolate is highly recommended!

An awesome policy here: they actually allow you to bring in outside food to pair with your drinks!

If you need the Wi-Fi, the password appears to be the bar's official opening date.

One of the best features is that every bottle has its price tag clearly displayed. You don't have to awkwardly ask the bartender how much each pour costs, which makes browsing very comfortable.

In addition to the indoor bar counter, they have a lovely outdoor rooftop terrace and a private room. The limited bar seating actually makes it feel like an exclusive, cozy hideout—perfect for focusing on the whisky.

To start, they served us some complimentary chocolate snacks, dried apricots, and their rich, velvety homemade nama chocolate.

Our first dram was the Mortlach 15 Year.

This Speyside single malt is an independent bottling that boasts a thick, sweet, and heavy profile from its sherry cask maturation. Out of all six glasses we tried tonight, this was the standout favorite.

Next up was the Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie.

Though it originates from Islay (famous for heavily peated malts), this one is unpeated and matured in a mix of casks. At 50% ABV, it has a crisp, clean, yet pleasantly robust bite.

Tasting this side-by-side with the Mortlach was a fantastic experience since their flavor profiles are completely opposite.

Our third pour was the Japanese favorite, Hakushu!

Incredibly smooth and approachable, this green-bottle malt makes for a phenomenal highball. It's clean enough to pair beautifully with food without overpowering your palate.

Fourth was the Benromach Cask Strength 2012 Batch 3.

This dram perfectly balances sherry and peat notes. Because it's a Cask Strength (CS) bottling, it's straight from the cask without water dilution, packing a punch at 59.6% ABV. Despite the high proof, it was sweet, slightly bitter, and went down incredibly smooth.

I preferred this over the Hakushu. If you visit, comparing this with the standard Benromach 15 would make for an excellent flight.

They also have highly coveted, high-aged bottles here. We spotted the legendary Bruichladdich Black Art 10.1 priced at 1,300,000 VND (approx. ~$48 per pour).

Since the whisky boom is still in its early stages in Vietnam compared to places like Japan or Korea, you can often find rare, high-aged bottles sitting on shelves here that are virtually impossible to source elsewhere!

We've grown quite fond of peated whiskies lately. Since my partner had never tried Lagavulin, we ordered both the 10-year and 16-year expressions to do a side-by-side comparative tasting.

Pricing:
Lagavulin 10: 350,000 VND (approx. ~$14)
Lagavulin 16: 500,000 VND (approx. ~$20)

Even though they are bottled at the same 43% ABV, the Lagavulin 16 is in a completely different league. The depth of the peat, the aroma, and the lingering finish are phenomenal. However, if you are new to peated malts, the 10-year is a wonderfully smooth and gentle introduction.

Sharing different drams and comparing tasting notes made for such a fun date night. We were celebrating our 6-month wedding anniversary, and this cozy rooftop speakeasy was the perfect setting.

After a blissful two hours of sipping, we headed out around 10:00 PM to the legendary Pho Pasteur nearby for a comforting bowl of late-night pho—the ultimate hangover cure!

I also snapped a photo of some other bottles the bartender was recommending to another guest nearby. Saving these for my next visit!

The hospitality here is top-notch. The owner and staff are incredibly friendly and offer great recommendations. Having run "The Azit" in Hanoi's Japanese quarter for over a year, their expertise really shines through.

Even the restroom is spotless and thoughtfully stocked with amenities like mouthwash and personal hygiene products.

If you are in Ho Chi Minh City and looking to explore rare single malts, enjoy a quiet date night, or simply find a cozy neighborhood speakeasy, make sure to add The Tent to your list!