There’s no shortage of local cafes to try in Saigon with everything from dingy street vendors to a couple’s brunch paradise. This week, I’d like to focus on cafes that can double up as work spaces. Places that are ideal spots to set up shop from a few hours or even the whole day so you can look cool while telling everyone you’re working on your latest novel.

Since these cafes are not common in the Vietnamese world, they often cater towards the modern youth or expats. This means the majority of these cafes are within striking distance from District 1. They’re on the more expensive side of things but well worth it to get out of the house and to get that productivity cap on.

This is a fairly short article since I don’t have much to say about them.  This is more of a list of café workspaces with a few quick comments on atmosphere and price. I’m going to stay away from reviewing their drinks too much since my coffee palate is limited along the lines of “mmmmm tasty” or “mmmmm too bitter”.

 

The Workshop Coffee

27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

Without a doubt one of the more famous coffee shops in Saigon. It has wonderful western food, coffee, and complements it all with a modern aesthetic. Most importantly, Workshop prioritizes functionality with surge protectors on their extremely large wooden tables. The coffee here is fairly expensive, going around 100k VND ($4.50) a cup but it’s worth the price, especially with their huge selection of coffee brewing methods. With the large windows and airy feel, it’s an easy place to set up shop for most of the day.

Practical but elegant

 

L’Usine

19 Lê Thánh Tôn, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Ho Chi Minh, Hồ Chí Minh 700000, Vietnam

L’Usine combines the rustic Saigon feel with a dash of a modern vibe. Their coffee is excellent but doesn’t quite measure up to the variety and taste of Workshop. They make up for this with a large food menu as well as alcohol (and frequent happy hours).

More of an old school touch

 

Mekong Merchant

23 Đường Thảo Điền, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

This expat haven located in the heart of District 2 has wonderful food selection as well as other summer drinks like smoothies and milkshakes. It’s nice in that there’s a lovely outdoor seating area and an indoor one. Makes for a great change of pace from sitting indoors all the time.

 

Saigon Coffee Roastery

151/5 Đồng Khởi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

This little hole in the wall has absolutely fantastic coffee. It’s slightly cheaper than Workshop and similar cafes, but that’s not huge praise. They don’t serve food so it’s not as great for a long-term stay. It is smaller and less busy than most of the previously listed cafes, so head here if you’re looking for a quieter atmosphere.

Fanciest tea brewer I’ve seen. It holds the tea leaves in the upper chamber to with the boiling water to be brewed. When it brews long enough, you release the water into the lower portion so it doesn’t overbrew. I must of waited too long because the barista came along and did this for me.

 

Lekima

1st floor, 6 Thi Sách, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam

This cute little spot would also make for a great romantic date but I enjoy working here as well. It’s particularly nice thanks to the large windows bringing in all that natural light. Add in a large garden to give this café a particularly relaxing and open feel. Their coffee is only okay, but they make up for it with their large selection of wonderful teas.

Greenery is a rarity in Saigon

 

Juice Box

69 Trương Định, Phường 6, Quận 3, Vui lòng chọn, Vietnam

I’m surprised as to how much I’m drawn to this place. It’s small and the décor is standard, but there’s a nice little charm with all the wood furniture. Plus the drinks here only cost around 40k VND ($1.75) and are absolutely fantastic for that lower price.

 

 

Bonus: Reddoor Café

151/3 Đồng Khởi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh

I mentioned this in my previous post but it’s also my favorite café to work in. I can’t recommend the place enough. They even expanded to a new location in District 1 but I haven’t found the time to visit it yet.

 

Stray Observations

• High quantity sales of dice are illegal in an effort to curb gambling.
• It’s very common for locals to ask your age to address you appropriately. This is a common cultural thing despite how odd it is for westerners.
• Salary can also be  talked about more openly here.
• The direct translation for ‘broccoli’ is ‘green flower vegetable’. I couldn’t think of a less accurate description.
• If you see a pile of trash on the side of the street, it’s because there’s no designated bins in most of Saigon. Garbage is heaped into a pile and at night, the collectors come with their carts and throw it all away. Apart from sanitation issues, its especially sucky because many of the bags get ripped, run over or otherwise leak and make it very hard for those collectors.

 

Until next time.