Last year, 2025, celebrated the old as much as the new. La Villa turned fifteen. Sushi Rei and Le Corto hit ten. Proof that in a city this restless, quality still outlasts buzz. The difference between a new opening and one that matters comes down to substance: genuine quality, clear vision, or filling an actual gap rather than chasing trends. Here’s our class of 2025, the new openings we think might matter in the years to come.
This new wave had their eyes on the same longevity. Thao Dien kept piling on bars and restaurants, but District 1 woke up – new spots filling the pandemic-shuttered spaces that had sat empty for years.
Further out, Tan Binh, Binh Thanh and District 3 became scattered with new spots to eat and drink beyond the usual epicenters of downtown District 1 and expat-heavy Thao Dien.
The difference between a new opening and a new opening that matters comes down to substance, and taking care of the little things. Saigon got plenty of both in 2025. These are the ones that, for us at The Dot Magazine, cut through the noise – the restaurants and bars that brought genuine quality, clear vision, or something the city was actually missing. Whichever district they opened in.
And, in the celebratory spirit of this piece, places a little over a year old still get a pass. We’re nice like that.
Fortune Ivy
The space used to be a hair salon called Ivy Corner. Warren, an established Shanghai restaurateur, suggested to chef and co-founder, Mendy, they should keep the name, so now it’s Fortune Ivy on Pham Viet Chanh. One of the most hyped openings of the year, it justified the buzz.
Mendy runs it with an unconventional team: a bar manager turned chef (now also pursuing DJ work), a chef turned bartender, a commis who moonlights as market security, and a pastry chef who cooks elaborate fine-dining meals in friends’ apartments on his days off.
The crowd is genuinely mixed – Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Western – with neighborhood regulars and old friends frequently running into each other. There’s some Bar Biang Biang signatures and Dirty Dumplings carried over from her previous pop-ups, alongside new specials: guo tie, Shanghai fried noodles, and rice cakes – childhood favorites done street-food style.
Why: Hand-pulled Biang Biang noodles in a former hair salon where the staff moonlights as DJs and security guards.
Where: 19R4 Nguyen Huu Canh Street, Binh Thanh
How: Instagram
RAW + Atelier
Jimmy Nguyen won the Mathieu Teisseire Flavour Masters Vietnam 2024 trophy at Drinking & Healing.
The former pharmacist-turned-mixologist behind Drinking & Healing has traded his ‘Healers’ whites for something harder to define: an atelier where imperfection is the point.
RAW + Atelier doesn’t fit easy categories. Two floors. Three menus. Three moods.
“Nearly every bartender I’ve spoken with, every bar I’ve visited, each played a role in shaping this,” Jimmy says. He means it. This place reads like accumulated references: the intimacy of Tokyo listening bars meets the confidence to let Vietnamese ingredients speak.
At the center is the spirit of wabi-sabi, the Japanese philosophy embracing imperfection and impermanence.Each cocktail exists uniquely in its moment, shaped by temperature, atmosphere, where you’re sitting, how the evening feels.
The opening menu, ‘Off The Script,’ delivered exactly that: Fizzy Manhattan, Shaken Old Fashioned, drinks that sound like provocation but taste like Jimmy spent years earning the right to break these particular rules.
Jimmy maps the ideal journey: Espresso Martini downstairs while the bar fills. Dirty Martini Sour on the balcony as the city settles into evening light. Then retreat to Room No.5’s low-lit intimacy with a Vintage Manhattan and neat whisky.
Why: A three-in-one concept cocktail bar infused with the spirit of wabi-sabi.
Where: 97B Ly Tu Trong, District 1
How: Instagram
Lupin Bistrot & Vins
Good French bistros are surprisingly rare in Saigon despite the city’s French colonial history. Lupin fills that gap with contemporary bistrot cooking that respects tradition while adding creative touches.
Dishes like Artichauts à la Grecque pair tender artichokes with creamy stracciatella, buckwheat, semi-dried tomatoes, and salted lemon vinaigrette. But let’s stop pretending. Everyone’s here for the restaurant’s show-stopping signature rôtissoire chicken.
Created by the El Willy Fun F&B Group and French wine merchant Gilles Faëlens the wine program focuses on the South of France – bottles imported exclusively for Lupin, each selected to complement the kitchen’s approach to French classics. They work with small French suppliers and embrace time-honored recipes to deliver an authentic bistrot experience.
Why: A bistro that checks all the boxes.
Where: 17 Nguyen Cu, Thao Dien, District 2
POT AU PHO 2.0
The story goes like this: refugee gets adopted by a former US Army chaplain and moves to Chicago with barely a word of English. He discovers fried chicken, goes to Yale, works in finance, winds up in Hong Kong after stints across the States and the UK. He’d never been back to Vietnam. A friend from the city’s small Vietnamese community is returning home. Peter passes him a hundred dollars and tells him to go to Cau Dat, just outside town, and try to find her. He does. She’s still there running the mi quang shop out of the family home Peter grew up around.
Some time later, happily reunited but disillusioned by corporate life, he takes a Cordon Bleu course in Bangkok and returns to Hong Kong to open a private kitchen – an unlicensed restaurant operating out of his apartment. The queue down the block for his pho alerts the authorities. It shuts down. He goes on to open Chom Chom, another Vietnamese venture in the city, before returning ‘home’ (whatever that means) to open Anan Saigon. The restaurant claims the city’s first MICHELIN star.
The celebrated designer Sean Dix dreamed up Chom Chom, and Peter’s bar above Anan called Nhau Nhau. The duo have reunited here, taking over the house next door and turning it into Pot Au Pho 2.0. The name nods to pot-au-feu, the French beef stew some food historians credit as pho’s colonial ancestor. The concept was first tested on the floor above Nhau Nhau – meant to reflect that first private kitchen with counter seating and a cheap Ikea blind. Only instead of heating the broth in a coffee maker like he had to back then, he’d graduated to real kitchen equipment.
At Pot Au Pho 2.0 they’ve fully fleshed the idea out. Green tiled walls with soup spoon motifs, a horseshoe counter and open kitchen, a dedicated bar that conspiratorially has its back to the door. Everything’s leveled up – the molecular pho spheres, the black chicken pho, and their new sommelier and bartender Fin keeps the drinks coming as quickly as the courses.
Why: Peter Cuong Franklin’s next act of memory and modernism.
Where: 91 Ton That Dam, District 1
Sabi Sky Omakase
Eighteen seats curve along the counter with Saigon spreading out below – Saigon’s Marina IFC Tower, Deutsches House, MPlaza, the Vietcombank Tower, the whole downtown grid. Lanh built his reputation importing premium fish before opening Maguro Studio and Yakiuo Ishikawa.
Here with his partners, he’s taken the concept vertical with the same quality standards. The signature is kuro-shari: black sushi rice colored by aged black vinegar and Binchotan charcoal. It’s visually striking – deep red tuna against black rice – and supposedly has detoxifying benefits.
The menu features extensive dry-aging to enhance umami and texture in the Bluefin. After 10PM the space shifts: the omakase counter becomes a lounge, cocktails and Japanese whisky come out, and the view takes center stage. A smart move for a neighborhood that wants options after dinner.
Why: Omakase goes sky-high.
Where: 72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Xuan Hoa ward, District 3
Thirty 59
Tucked away in Thảo Điền – a place they’ve simply called ‘HOME’ – Thirty 59 occupies multiple levels that shift with the day’s rhythm. The garden works on breezy summer nights, the indoor area when it rains, the second floor for intimacy, the balcony for that in-between feeling, the rooftop when you want to feel close to the clouds.
Their menu embodies “shared flavor, shared story” – Vietnamese familiarity filtered through Spanish-style sharing. Think cá trứng with crispy pancetta, or Cure & Pickles cold cut boards featuring Lomo and duck prosciutto with tomato bread.
The operating principle is “Ye Lo Que Hay” – it is what it is. This combination of intentional curation and spontaneous energy sets Thirty 59 apart from Saigon’s wine bar boom. They’re not chasing trends – they’re creating a space where different types feel genuinely at home. And it’s drawn a dizzying array of guest chefs and events so far. Thao Dien’s spirit distilled into one venue.
Why: It is what it is at the anti-wine-bar-wine-bar Thirty 59.
Where: 30 Street 59, Thao Dien
Upstairs Tasting Room
Hiep Truong grew up on his family’s pepper and tobacco farm in Hue, at the foot of Chứa Chan mountain. That agricultural childhood – days spent wandering the fields, close to the rhythms of Central Vietnamese farming – shapes everything at Upstairs Tasting Room.
He worked quietly alongside Duy at Little Bear, helping him towards his MICHELIN Young Chef of the Year award. Now Hiep’s taken center stage at his own project in Thao Dien, literally upstairs from his former colleague.
The format is tasting menu only, concise enough to appreciate the precision of his cooking. Each course draws from Central Vietnamese culinary traditions – the region’s royal heritage and agricultural abundance both evident on the plate.
Custom wooden service plates are carved to reflect Vietnam’s highlands, rice fields, and delta. It’s a literal map of the country’s geography informing what you eat. The question mark in the restaurant’s name (replacing the final “S”) signals Hiep’s approach: exploration within tradition, flexibility anchored by identity.
It’s fine dining grounded in place and memory, built by a chef who understands Vietnamese cooking from the soil up.
Why: Vietnamese fine dining grounded in place and memory.
Where: 36 Nguyen Ha Buan, Thao Dien, District 2
Belly Button
Chun and Jen built their reputation at The Pi, their bar inspired by the mathematical constant. Now they’ve opened Belly Button, and it works as well as pi is incalculable.
Open 9:30AM-10PM (closed Mondays), it’s less cocktail-focused than The Pi, leaning more towards brunch-meets-wine-bar in a low-rise Dakao side street. You can grab wine from the upstairs fridges yourself while waiting for generous plates – Eggs Benedict, Fish Velouté.
If wine at breakfast feels early, the coffee’s solid. The Weekend Bloody Mary free-flow shows they understand their audience. It’s a stylishly straightforward neighborhood hangout: good food, good drinks, relaxed atmosphere.
Why: Time for a spot of navel gazing at the new project from The Pi.
Where: 39 Nguyen Van Thu, Dakao, District 1
How: Instagram
Tales by Chapter
Quang Dung earned MICHELIN Selected status for two Hanoi venues (Chapter Dining and Habakuk Fine Coffee & Bistro), so expectations were high for his first Ho Chi Minh City project.
He’s continuing the sustainable approach that attracted MICHELIN’s attention in the north at Chapter Dining.
The restaurant’s opening chapter is ZERO – a 14-course plant-based tasting menu that celebrates every part of the plant. It’s ambitious and represents another period of study into sustainability. Dung and Harley launched it with confidence, and the city is watching closely.
Why: Vietnam’s first zero-waste, plant-based fine dining where Chef Quang Dung turns vegetable scraps into fermentation art and 14-course menus.
Where: 10 Nguyen Thanh Y, Da Kao Ward, District 1
Cela
Most vegetarian restaurants feel the need to explain themselves. Cela just puts vegetables on a plate and lets them do the talking. This is the Saigon branch of the Hanoi original, but Head Chef Quoc Hung isn’t replicating the same menu.
He’s exploring Japanese-fusion with a lightness that stands apart from the more traditional, rule-bound approach Vietnamese vegetarian dining often takes. “Vietnamese people are used to eating vegetarian food in a certain way, with lots of rules,” Hung explains.
His approach is to make vegetables approachable and fun – an experience rather than an obligation. No lectures, no apologies, just well-executed plant-based food.
Why: Japanese-inspired vegetarian fusion that doesn’t lecture.
Where: 10 Nguyen Thanh Y, Tan Dinh Ward
Oculus Bar
Pham Hong Toan disappeared for a while on a journey of self-discovery. When he returned, he opened a bar designed like a human eye. The glass facade curves like a cornea, an automatic door dilates like a pupil, and a circular bar sits at the center like a lens. Behind the bar, backlit spirits create a glowing retina that’s revealed theatrically when curtains part.
The concept is ‘Classics In Disguise’ – forgotten cocktails reimagined with precision. Anh Khoa, formerly of Project Arrow, handles food with the same approach of taking familiar ideas and seeing them through a different lens. The visual metaphor could easily become gimmicky, but Toan’s technique keeps the drinks grounded and legitimately good.
Why: Two young Vietnamese talents team up on this exceptional insight-inspired cocktails and cuisine concept.
Where: 54 Vo Van Tan, District 3
Le Foyer Bar
While we’re on the topic, and squeaking in with a holiday season opening at the very end of 2025 is Toan’s Le Foyer Bar.
His theatrical, precise brand of cocktail making, with more than a hint of Japanese style perfectly fits the space, a classic counter bar, darkly lit, and moody. Nothing to distract you from the show behind the bar and the amiable conversations at your side.
Why: Toan’s theatrical cocktail precision in a darkly lit counter bar where nothing distracts from the show.
Where: 297/22 Le Van Sy, District 3
BA BAR
The project comes from the TC Group – Trang (Strategic Partner at The Lab), actress Bang Di (founder of Indigo Saigon and the Rize Battle Contest), operations director Justin Chiem (Urban Kitchen Bar, Glow Sky Bar, Play Night Club), stage director Le Nghia, and art designer Tony Ong.
The name plays on “Áo bà ba” (traditional southern garb), nodding to heritage while pushing the bar scene forward. Trang describes it as East-West fusion: “tradition and modernity” meeting somewhere between Tokyo neon and Vietnamese soul. Inside you’ll find dynamic visuals, red neon walls, and cocktails that translate traditional Vietnamese soup into liquid form. Everything’s designed for sharing, embracing the communal drinking culture that makes bia hoi what it is.
Rounding out a stellar year, the team opened Motly – maybe our favorite bar name of 2025, meaning both ‘one glass’ in Vietnamese and referencing the motley assortment of guests coming through. And here, they’ve given Bia hoi a thoughtful makeover.
Why: Two hip Thao Dien neighborhood hangouts by the same team.
Where: 15 Nguyễn Cừ, Thao Dien, District 2 | 65A Nguyen Cu, Thao Dien, District 2
Yakiuo Ishikawa Saigon
Lanh Phan built his reputation importing premium fish for Saigon’s best Japanese restaurants before opening Maguro Studio with chef Lam in 2022.
At Yakiuo Ishikawa, he’s taken a more visible role during the opening period – delivering oversized fish plates to the grill, presenting bottles of Dassai, and working the grill with precision to ensure perfect doneness. It’s theatrical but backed by quality fish. Worth the stretch of the izakaya definition.
Why: Fish-focused yakiniku where Lanh delivers oversized plates to the grill himself – theatrical but backed by quality.
Where: 38 Thai Van Lung, District 1
ÔMM Mixology
The location at 63 Ho Tung Mau might catch you off guard – first floor, sandwiched between a GS25 and Muscle Bar Saigon. But Shuzo Nagumo, the Japanese mixologist behind six Tokyo bars and an Asia’s 50 Best Bars alumni, has built something worth seeking out.
Named after a Tien Cookie melody, ÔMM positions itself as a cocktail bar meets art exhibition. For their opening, they brought in 2-Michelin-starred chef Syrco Bakker for a crossover between contemporary mixology and culinary art. The focus is on storytelling through flavor, with serious local talent interpreting drinks that aim to be more than just alcohol in a glass.
Nagumo’s technique-driven approach combined with the artistic space design signals ÔMM wants to be Saigon’s answer to Tokyo’s more conceptual cocktail bars.
Why: A new downtown bar where you can savor some tastebud tantalization.
Where: 1st Floor, 63 Ho Tung Mau, District 1
The Palm – Restaurant & Bar
Le Bach Duong grew up around her mother’s restaurant and hotel before moving to the U.S. Returning to Vietnam meant bringing something to Saigon’s rooftop scene. Her 10th-floor space atop a District 3 boutique hotel offers Turtle Lake views and a poolside setting that feels removed from street-level activity.
The menu features international favorites designed for sharing over sunset views. Signature Beef Wellington arrives rich and tender, while Foie Gras nods to French elegance. It’s sophisticated dining that maintains Saigon’s warmth.
Why: Elevated dining with Turtle Lake views and tableside drama
Where: 10th floor, 10A Pham Ngoc Thach, District 3
Livannah – Sips & Bites
Sakal Pheuong runs Le Corto (a District 1 institution) and P’Ti in Thao Dien. When his partner’s furniture store needed a front concept, he set aside fine-dining aspirations and created Livannah with his 20-year-old son working the kitchen.
They serve inexpensive bites, many from the grill, alongside Vietnamese street classics like bánh xèo and hột vịt lộn at accessible prices. It’s Sakal doing something different and enjoying it.
Why: Le Corto’s Sakal ditches fine dining for bánh xèo and grilled bites already in two locations.
Where: 12 Nguyen U Di, Thao Dien, District 2 | 5E Nguyen Sieu, District 1
Himitsu House
First impressions suggest luxury and mystery – and that’s partly true. But this isn’t about bottle service or dress codes. Himitsu deals in Japanese omotenashi hospitality, serious ingredients, and zero compromise on execution.
The team came from different corners of the industry, united by one conviction: Saigon needs a proper cocktail bar where the focus stays on what’s in your glass, not who’s spinning records. No DJs, no distractions, just people who know how to make drinks and treat guests right.
After 10PM it becomes one of the city’s better after-party spots – intimate, capped at 30 guests with a quirky mezzanine and wrap-around counter, staying mercifully chill.
Expect xlassic cocktails done with care, a team that takes it seriously, and a vibe that makes you want to stay for one more.
Why: Classic cocktails, omotenashi and zero compromise.
Where: 154bis Tran Quang Khai, Tan Đinh ward, District 1
Somme Wine Bar
The team originally named their rooftop wine bar after ‘sommelier’ and discovered later that “somme” in French means “a short nap.” It turned out to be a fitting coincidence for what became Saigon’s most civilized rooftop refuge.
Perched atop The Nexx building in District 3, just 300 meters from Turtle Lake, Somme offers something increasingly rare in Saigon – actual breathing room. Large glass panels reflect the bustling streets below while you sink into deliberately oversized furniture designed for serious lounging. It’s close enough to feel the city’s pulse, distant enough to forget your inbox.
Why: Somme is a wine-soaked urban retreat in Saigon’s District 3.
Where: Floor 11, The Nexx Building, 32 Pham Ngoc Thach, District 3
Bon Asian Soul Kitchen
An Nguyen (OBJoff, Libé) and Alex Halbers (Marcel food group co-founder) started Bon as a healthy bowl delivery concept. Then they pivoted to comfort food with Asian influences.
Phở Beef Short-Rib: beef slow-cooked like Boeuf Bourguignon, braised in housemade chicken pho broth for five hours. Bò Kho Bolo takes Vietnamese beef stew flavors and pairs them with housemade pappardelle. Fusion with intention.
“We’re in Asia, and people’s cravings are different here,” they say. The approach isn’t mastering traditional techniques – it’s deliberate fusion that respects both origins and local palates.
The space has an open kitchen, counter seating for kitchen theater, window tables for groups. Cozy, upbeat. Board games available. Wine bottles. Sunday sessions that turn into lingering evenings.
Cozy, upbeat, open kitchen, real family feel. Asian soul food done with heart.
Why: Bold flavors with an Asian twist as comfort food gets remixed.
Where: 20 Tong Huu Dinh, Thao Dien
How: Facebook | Instagram
BahThai
Saigon’s Thai food scene has improved considerably in recent years, and BahThai adds street-smart energy to the mix. Located on Ly Tu Trong with the Thai flag prominently displayed out front, the downstairs bar serves ‘Thaiquila’ cocktails and wines including skin-contact options like Fistful of Flowers Pinot Gris.
The menu is focused: Som Tam with Thai anchovy sauce and rice noodles, Sticky Fried Rice with truffle and Chinese sausage, and a substantial Beef Short Rib Massaman Curry. It’s Thai food done with personality and enough creative touches to keep it interesting.
Why: Mum-approved Thai food with a street edge.
Where: 213 Ly tu Trong, ben Thanh ward, District 1
No Honey, No Monkey
Finding them takes a bit of effort – the street frontage doesn’t give much away. Once inside, the space is leafy and surprisingly calm for District 2. The menu is well-considered: Olive You Long Time Mary offers their take on a Bloody Mary, while You Can Now Sleep is an Espresso Martini made with decaf coffee.
Weekends bring pop-ups: BBQs, oyster shucking, fashion stalls, kids’ activities, live entertainment. They’re building an ecosystem with roastery sister brand “Not So Decent” set to launch soon. Street-front seating for watching District 2 chaos, second floor for groups or laptop work. Jay, Annie, and Grace run the operation with neighborhood hangout energy.
Why: Local hangout energy, playful pop-ups, and decaf Espresso Martinis, if you swing that way.
Where: 30 Street No. 10, Thao Dien Ward, District 2
NÔM Dining
There’s been a lot of hype around Chris Fong’s NÔM Dining, admittedly most of it coming from Chris Fong.
To start, we hear (we haven’t been yet) he’s created a three-region tasting menu that moves through Vietnam’s culinary landscape from north to south. The Hồng Hà menu covers Northern Vietnam, Kim Long takes Central Vietnam, and Lục Tỉnh handles the South. It’s Chris’ version of Vietnamese food refracted through his Singaporean-Chinese background and fine dining training. The concept leans on cultural heritage and historical narrative, and the menu talks about fragments of history and shared memory.
Some of the same ideas underpinned Oryz, where Fong carved out his niche by hunting down Vietnamese-Chinese fusion dishes that existed in specific neighborhoods but hadn’t made it into Saigon’s fine dining conversation. The rotating menus like Cho Lon focused on these overlooked stories and dishes that emerged from migration and cultural exchange rather than formal culinary tradition.
He earned the MICHELIN listing months after opening by doing the research work: tracking down the original vendors, understanding the techniques, then translating them into fine dining without losing what made them distinct.
Back at NÔM, the project is set to expand beyond just the dining room. Upstairs, they’re opening 堤岸樓 — Lầu Đề Ngạn, a 38-seat cocktail salon.
Between that, a tea ritual space, and a fermentation-focused tasting chamber called SÂM, the whole operation across two buildings will be a 1,000-square-meter cultural culinary and beverage hub. It’s an ambitious setup that asks guests to commit not just to dinner but to Fong’s entire vision of Vietnamese-Chinese culinary heritage as a multi-format experience.
Why: Chris Fong’s three-region Vietnam tasting menu inside a 1,000sqm cultural beverage hub with a Cho Lon cocktail salon soon upstairs.
Where: 53 Tran Nhat Duat, District 1
Omakase Tiger Thao Dien
The team behind Sushi Tiger – Shozo, Nikichi, and the group that runs Kaku Izakaya, Hachibei, and Fujiro – has opened a second location for their Omakase Tiger concept. This one’s different from the original’s standing-room rooftop lair, and its Japan Town forebear, with its pumping Latin beats and standing sushi energy.
This time they’ve taken over a traditional Nhà Rường Huế down a Thao Dien alley and converted it into a 12-seat omakase counter. The wooden house stays structurally intact – carved beams, open architecture, the formal layout that once housed Huế’s scholarly families – but now it frames Chef Hiro and team working through nigiri and seasonal courses.
The format is standard omakase: you sit, you watch the chef, you eat what’s placed in front of you. The chefs runs the counter with the right balance of precision and personality – quiet focus punctuated by the occasional shout when something lands correctly. The Huế setting adds atmosphere but doesn’t interfere with the mechanics of good sushi service.
Sets are very affordable which undercuts most omakase pricing in Saigon while keeping the full experience intact. Twelve seats means booking matters, but also means the chefs can actually pay attention to each guest rather than running a production line.
It’s one of the most compelling omakase experiences in the city – the kind of dinner where the setting, the technique, and the pacing align into something that feels both carefully constructed and surprisingly natural.
Why: 12-seat omakase in an ancient royal house where Chef Hiro is prone to yelling with joy.
Where: 48A Tran Ngoc Dien, Thao Dien
One River
One of the more thoughtfully conceived Mekong concepts in Saigon. The menu follows the river from north to south – Laos through Cambodia into Vietnam – translating that geography into dishes that represent all three culinary traditions without collapsing them into generic ‘pan-Asian’ fusion.
The concept comes from a specific impulse: the team wanted to travel the Mekong, to see Luang Prabang and Tonle Sap, to understand how one river connects three distinct food cultures. Instead of making the trip and writing about it, they built a restaurant that does the traveling for you. Each section of the menu corresponds to a stretch of river – the gentle northern currents through Laos where the soil is soft and heavy, the turbulent middle section crashing over stones and waterfalls into Cambodia’s Tonle Sap, and finally the nine branches of the Mekong Delta where the water slows and spreads into Vietnam’s waterways.
That structure keeps the menu coherent. You’re not jumping randomly between countries; you’re moving downstream. The Laos section includes Tum Mak Hung Lao, the papaya salad built on padek sauce and sun-dried shrimp – the fermented funk that defines Lao cooking. Cambodia gets Prahok nướng, grilled fermented fish paste with minced pork, lemongrass, and chili, served the way it would be in Cambodian homes. Vietnam closes with Bánh hỏi heo quay Vĩnh Long, woven rice vermicelli with crispy roasted pork from the Delta, where the river finally empties out.
And so the river isn’t just a theme – it’s the organizing principle that explains why these three food cultures overlap in some ways and diverge completely in others.
Why: Three countries, one river and sun-kissed everything.
Where: 31B Ly Tu Trong Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
El Toro
An origami bull watches over this Thao Dien steakhouse. Rafael moves between tables and the wine wall, building pairings – Champagne with swimmer crab salad, Pinot Noir with lamb tartare, Albariño with octopus and prawns, Mendoza Malbec to cut through the beef.
El Toro opened into a market already crowded with steakhouses claiming dry-aging programs, imported genetics, and custom grills. What sets it apart isn’t just the Galiciana (Vietnam’s first, they say) or the Argentinian Black Angus from Las Pampas. It’s the absence of rush. Tables don’t turn fast. Staff don’t hover. You’re allowed to just sit.
In the open kitchen, Executive Chef Jaiden and Head Chef Thomas work around the wood-fired grill with practiced ease. Thao Dien has plenty of places to eat expensive beef. This one actually lets you enjoy it.
Why: Spanish-Basque soul meets Argentinian beef.
Where: 54 Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien
Oaksip Whiskey & Cocktails Bar
Oaksip Whiskey & Cocktails Bar is a refined Japanese-style cocktail bar tucked in the Pasteur Brewing Company alley, making it ideal for pre- or post-dinner drinks.
This is a salaryman’s side project, which explains the Japanese focus and the execution standards. The bar runs spirit-forward – Japanese whiskies that don’t show up at most Saigon bars, unusual gins, the kind of selection that requires someone actually paying attention to what they’re stocking rather than defaulting to the standard commercial lineup. They also carry exclusive nama chocolate if that’s your thing, that can be paired with fine whiskies.
The Vietnamese bartenders running the operation are notably skilled. Several have entered competitions like Diageo World Class, which matters less for the competition itself and more for what it signals about technical ability and ambition. These aren’t bartenders going through the motions – they’re taking the Japanese cocktail approach seriously, which means precision in measurement, temperature control, dilution, all the mechanical details that separate a good drink from a forgettable one.
The menu leans on classics done Japanese style, which in practice means cleaner execution, better ice, more attention to balance. They’re not reinventing the Old Fashioned or the Martini – they’re just making them correctly, consistently, which turns out to be harder than it sounds.
Why: Spirit-forward Japanese precision from Vietnamese bartenders who’ve entered Diageo World Class – nama chocolate optional.
Where: 144/2 Pasteur, District 1
Chị Mơ
Chef Huynh Chi Khang already runs Chico’s Pizza and Roast & Smoke in Thao Dien. His third concept tackles pho.
“Traditional Vietnamese was one of those cuisines I wouldn’t think of cooking at a restaurant because of its sophistication,” Khang says. “The more I grew as a chef, the more I opened myself to the vibrant diversity of global culinary traditions, and at the same time, my own heritage.”
He spent months in Hanoi and Van Cu village, pho’s birthplace. At Chị Mơ, bones roast for 24 hours to achieve consommé-like clarity. Three broth profiles: Bắc Trong (clear Northern-style), Bắc Đậm (rich Northern-style), Nam (Southern-style). Sous-vide techniques, modern equipment, traditional methods.
The restaurant occupies a 1940s Vietnamese village home with a garden. Beyond pho, the menu includes banh mi with house-made pâté and cơm rang dưa bò using sun-dried mustard greens from Khang’s garden – the dish he made for Iberico’s paella competition, Spanish rice technique applied to Vietnamese ingredients. Cocktails reference Vietnamese desserts: Tào Phớ, Café Trứng.
Khang’s approach elevates street food without abandoning what makes it work. National comfort food, executed with precision, served in a space designed for lingering.
Sit on the kitchen-facing veranda. Order the Bắc Đậm. Finish with the Tào Phớ cocktail.
Why: Pho elevated without the politics.
Where: 23C Le Van Mien, Thao Dien
How: Instagram
A Good Bar
While everyone chased aesthetic hideaways in District 2, A Good Bar opened in the middle of District 1 (replacing the beloved Mizuwari on the incredibly-located corner of Hai Ba Trung and Le Thanh Ton).
The space works for dinner, drinks, or the kind of night that starts at 7pm and ends when you stop noticing the time. The lights dim as the evening progresses. The music shifts from House to Disco to Pop, volume calibrated so you can still hear the person across the table. City noise disappears once you’re inside.
The menu applies Vietnamese five-flavor thinking (sour, sweet, salty, spicy, bitter) to Western dishes. Flank Steak, Chicken Schnitzel, Truffle Fries, Cold Cuts. Asian plates get fine dining presentation. Full dinners available. Tiramisu when you’re not leaving yet.
Staff uniforms: “Enjoy your f*cking dinner,” “Take me drunk, I’m home,” “You look like I need a drink.” Most weekends, someone grabs the mic or starts dancing.
The Cosmo Negroni combines gin, mezcal smoke, Campari bitterness, finished with hojicha and cacao. Gemma di Luna for something bright and sparkling. 1800 Tequila Coconut – smooth, tropical, dangerous.
The bar recommends Shrimp Mayo with E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Blanc. The French white cuts through the creamy mayo, fruity notes echoing pineapple and shrimp sweetness.
A Good Bar isn’t a cocktail bar or a club. It’s wherever you need it to be that night. And in this post-balloon abyss for clubs and bars, it’s places like A Good Bar encouraging us all to drink again.
Why: District 1’s one-stop shop where dinner slides into drinks and dancing til you forget what time it is.
Where: 39 Ly Tu Trong, Ben Nghe Ward
Pubblico: Pizza Al Taglio & Focaccia
The concept is straightforward: authentic Italian pizza by the slice, done the Roman way. Think neighborhood trattoria but faster and built for Saigon’s pace.
The menu balances tradition with creative touches: FUNGO pizza features mushroom cream, mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh parsley. NDUJA brings heat with spicy BBQ eggplant, smoked sundried tomato, and basil. The focaccia is equally strong – the Prosciutto Cotto version stacks cooked ham, stracciatella, truffle crema, spinach, and pickled onion on fluffy golden bread. Beyond food, they serve tiramisu lattes, spritzes, and Italian desserts.
It’s a complete Roman streetfood experience adapted for the city.
Why: Roman pizza democracy with 24-hour fermented sourdough and a no-pineapple policy (for now).
Where: 63 Dong Du, District 1
Bunz
Chef Adrian (behind Sol and Taco del Sol) started making smash burgers because his American friends kept talking about missing burgers from home. The breakthrough came from feeding people, not eating – sending out free samples to his circle confirmed he was onto something.
The technique is key: patties pressed thin enough to create a crispy exterior that delivers concentrated flavor. The 28-seat space operates on free seating, though Adrian has his preferred spot by the window where he orders a regular smash with extra grilled bacon, truffle fries, and fresh homemade lemonade. Mission accomplished: homesick Americans satisfied.
Why: Patties smashed first (there might be questions later) by legendary local chef Adrian Chong Yen who started this whole thing to cure homesick Americans.
Where: 7, 17 street, An Phu
Cee’s Eatery
Staying with Bunz’ Adrian Chong Yen’, Cee’s Eatery sits above one of the Hải Sản Hoàng Gia seafood stalls that seem to have colonized every corner of the city. C’s was originally his gangster-themed steakhouse, with dry-aged beef, dark wood paneling and Al Capone pictures on the walls that was a block or two away.
The space feels lighter and less committed to a theme. Chef Christian Corachea runs the kitchen and the menu reflects that – less about aging beef for weeks and more about what fire does to fresh ingredients.
The barramundi is seared over open flame and served with confit tomatoes that have gone sweet and collapsed, fresh herbs, and burned lime for a bit of acidity. The did whole spring chicken for the holidays, marinated in herb butter, roasted until the skin goes golden, and served over sage-sausage stuffing with gravy. There are pizzas now too.
And for dessert there’s tiramisu. Coffee-soaked, creamy, the kind that makes you slow down and pay attention to it, or to dreamily dunking in a spoon while the touristy cross-roads dances with bikes and explorers below.
Why: Adrian’s post-gangster-steakhouse chapter – lighter, fire-focused, with tiramisu worth slowing down for.
Where: 70 Truong Dinh, District 1
Tà Tà Kitchen
Long, Phuong, and Thanh survived the pandemic’s impact on restaurants and decided to try again. They rebuilt in Tan Binh – deliberately choosing a location away from Thao Dien’s expat scene and District 1’s tourist areas.
Their approach is grounded: “Staying grounded, staying local, and staying true.” Chef Long trained in Vietnam, and his cooking reflects that. The menu is focused rather than overwhelming. His grilled seasonal mushroom skewers arrive well-marinated and flame-kissed, finished with crispy shallots and dark soy glaze. It’s honest cooking executed in a neighborhood that doesn’t guarantee easy success.
Why: Slow sips and good bites in Tan Binh.
Where: 1073/96a Cach Mang Thang Tam, Tan Binh
Bar Haus
Owner Conor Nguyen and his team – Peter Nguyen (formerly Trieu Institute, Ủ Bar) and Minh Hiển (ex-Trieu) – built a neighborhood bar around the Bauhaus art movement. Walter Gropius’s 1919 manifesto, adapted: “Let us will, invent, create together the new drinks of the future, which will embrace ingredients, culture and flavors in one unity.” It’s printed on the menu.
Small, unpretentious District 1 bar that doesn’t charge District 1 prices. Homey vibe, soothing music early, occasionally weird in the best way.
“We wanted something fun, casual, a true neighborhood bar with zero pretentiousness,” Conor says.
Sit at the bar. Play Monopoly. Order Mi Goreng with house hot sauce and onsen egg. The same hot sauce goes into La Bomba, their spicy margarita. Staff are always hungry, so free snacks happen. Late-night hangover cure available when the lights go down.
Bauhaus-inspired cocktails, neighborhood warmth, Mi Goreng with a kick.
Why: Bauhaus-inspired cocktails, neighborhood warmth, Mi Goreng with a kick.
Where: 95/32 Le Thi Rieng, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
How: Instagram
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