Saigon Street Food: 11 Incredible Places to Eat & Drink

Vietnam has one of the best cuisines in the world, with its abundance of fresh vegetables, a healthy approach to street food, and some of the richest, most delicious coffee you'll ever have. Dishes like Bánh Mì and Bún Thịt Nướng (Vietnamese grilled pork vermicelli) remain some of my all-time favorites, and that's coming from a Thai, where we have some of the best food in the world!

If you're looking to explore the vibrant street food scene in Ho Chi Minh City, you're in the right place. In this foodie guide, I'll take you on a street food tour around the city and we will discover where to get your coffee fix, where the best place to get Bánh Mì, and so much more. So without further ado, here are all my favorite restaurants and cafés in Ho Chi Minh City!

Looking for a complete travel guide to Ho Chi Minh City?Explore Ho Chi Minh: 13 Best Things to Do and Places to Visit

Table of Contents

Ho Chi Minh City Places to Eat Map
11 Incredible Places to Eat and Drink in Ho Chi Minh City
Further Reading for Backpacking in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City Places to Eat Map

11 Incredible Places to Eat and Drink in Ho Chi Minh City

1. Kiều Bảo Barbecue Rice Noodles

Out of all the restaurants I tried here, Kiều Bảo Barbecue Rice Noodles is hands down my favorite. The local crowd I saw gathering in front of this place every evening really caught my attention, so one day I decided to give it a try.

It’s now the restaurant I frequent the most in Ho Chi Minh City 😂. Their barbecue rice noodles are so incredibly good that I couldn't stop having them for dinner three days straight. Yup, it’s that good! I ordered the "To Day Do", which comes with rice noodles, pieces of grilled pork, a big piece of grilled minced pork, a spring roll, and an unlimited tray of vegetables you can add on as you like.

One of the best things about this restaurant is its sweet fish sauce, which is readily available at every table in a big bucket, so you can season your noodles however you like. And the best part? All of this only costs 30,000 VND (about 1.18 USD)! Yup, with unlimited fish sauce and vegetables, it's an absolute steal!

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If you're looking for a truly local place to try authentic Vietnamese food, this is the best spot. Trust me, you're going to love it. The restaurant is open daily from 11 AM to 9 PM.

2. Enjoy Vietnamese Coffee at Cà phê Linh

Of course, you have to try the famous Vietnamese coffee, and the best place to do that while you're in Saigon is at Cà phê Linh, a lovely open-air cafe inside an old wooden building not too far from Ben Thanh Market. The cafe itself is charming, with wooden walls and vintage decor reminiscent of old Asian houses from the '80s. They serve a variety of coffee, including traditional Vietnamese coffee, that you can try.

Vietnamese coffee is extremely thick and sweet, which I love, and you can try a bunch of flavors here from salted to coconut, which are becoming more and more popular among the youth in Vietnam nowadays. You can find a seat on the second floor's balcony and enjoy the coffee as you explore Saigon's city center.

The café is open from 7 AM to 2 AM every day, and it turns into a bar in the evening. So if you are looking for a place to hang out, Cà phê Linh is definitely a great place to be.

3. Eat Bahn Mi at Madam Win Bánh Mì

For the best place to try the French-inspired Vietnamese sandwich of Bahn Mi, you can't go wrong with Madam Win Bánh Mì, one of the most popular Bahn Mi shops in the city, thanks to its generous portions and a variety of options you can choose from.

It’s more of a stand-up shop without seating, so you'll need to order to-go. There are often long lines, but trust me, it’s worth the wait, especially if you want to kick off your Vietnamese culinary journey on a high note.

The price of the Bánh Mì starts at around 65,000 VND (2.55 USD), which is considered a bit expensive, but the portion size makes it worth every penny. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth here. The place is open daily from 5:30 AM to 12 AM.

4. Try Pho at Pho Hung

Of course, when you are in Vietnam, you gotta try Pho, a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup that has become a beloved dish worldwide and probably put Vietnamese cuisine on the map of every traveler out there, and there is no better place to try it here than at Pho Hung.

This popular Phở restaurant, located on the fringe of the Pham Ngu Lao tourist district, is one of the best places to try this famous dish. Their Phở menu offers various beef noodle soup options, so you can order it to your heart's content. Want an egg in it? They can add some. How about beef balls? Why not? The only limit to your Phở dish is your creativity.

Their dishes are on the expensive side, with a small bowl starting at 70,000 VND (2.74 USD), but they serve generous portions along with plenty of vegetables and spices to season your Phở to your liking. A small bowl was enough for me! If you're craving Phở, be sure to check out Phở Hùng. The restaurant is open daily from 6 AM to 3 AM.

5. Try Real Street Food at Anh Mâp Restaurant

One of the beauties of exploring a city like Ho Chi Minh City is that if you take the time to wander its vibrant streets and alleyways, you might stumble upon a small, family-run restaurant serving delicious local dishes at local prices. And that's exactly what Anh Mâp Restaurant is.

I stumbled upon this restaurant by chance as I was exploring the crisscrossing alleyways of Phan Ngu Lao District, and this little restaurant, run by a local family, caught my attention, so I decided to give it a go. They serve a variety of local dishes, but my favorite has got to be their Bun Nem Nuong, or rice noodle with BBQ pork, and of course, sweet fish sauce.

The dish costs 40,000 VND (around 1.56 USD) and comes in a bowl filled with rice noodles and fried vegetable spring rolls, cut into pieces, with a side of homemade fish sauce. It was awesome. If you're looking for a lovely little family-run restaurant, be sure to check out Anh Mâp Restaurant. The restaurant is open from 10:30 AM to 9 PM every day except Sundays.

6. Discover Small Street Food Stall Restaurant

Another awesome discovery I made while exploring the city's small alleyways is this unnamed street food stall, located not too far from the main road in the Pham Ngu Lao District. The place is so small and unintentionally hidden that you might walk right past it without noticing. It certainly took me a few tries to actually find it 😂.

They serve a handful of simple local dishes like Pho and grilled beef with noodles, as well as Vietnamese coffee and juices, all at very affordable prices. A bottle of Saigon beer here costs only 15,000 VND (0.5 USD), for example. I ordered Pho with Beef, and it was awesome, especially their tasty soup.

What I love about this place is the little tables they have in front of the restaurant, next to the small alleyway. You can enjoy a bottle of Saigon beer while watching the world go by, all without being overwhelmed by the traffic noise from the main street. If you're looking for a truly local spot to try some Vietnamese food, this is a great place to be.

7. Try the delicious Egg Coffee at Tiệm Cafe Gốc 169

One of the highlights of visiting Vietnam is trying their Vietnamese coffee, and one of the coolest, weirdest variations of this is Egg Coffee. Yup, they put egg in their coffee and somehow make it delicious! That's Vietnamese superpower right there! One of the best places for this is Tiệm Cafe Gốc 169, a café with small benches where you can enjoy your coffee and watch the world go by.

Although when you read "Egg Coffee", you might think it's a drink, the locals here see it more as a dessert due to its thick, creamy salted egg cream and the sweetness of condensed milk. I definitely have to agree with them as it's definitely a great treat to have after a meal.

Egg Coffee usually comes in a very thick and sweet form, but the version here is a little milder and less thick, making it much easier for tourists to try their first Egg Coffee. Also, the street-side little benches make it even more immersive. You won't find a café like this anywhere else except in Vietnam. The place is open daily from 6 AM to 12 AM, so it's great for a night out as well.

8. Check Out Tonkin Garden Egg Coffee & Eatery

Tonkin Garden Egg Coffee & Eatery was one of the first cafés I visited when I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, after a decade-long hiatus from the city. I had been craving Vietnamese coffee for the longest time, and finding this awesome little café with a Westernized take on traditional coffee really shows how much the city has developed compared to what it was like last decade.

Combining the experience of Western cafés with their meticulous coffee bean selection, sourced directly from the mountain tribes in the north, served in a small glass attached with a card that provides details on the beans, where they came from and how they were sourced, was a great touch.

They also let me try their new spicy coffee that they are testing, which was awesome, although most foreigners might have a hard time enjoying it. But I loved it. The space is also very cozy, and I love it so much that I often go there almost every morning to have my coffee and do some work on my laptop.

If you are looking for a lovely and cozy cafe to hang out, away from the bustle and hustle of Ho Chi Minh City, this is where you want to be. The cafe is open daily from 7:30 AM to 10 PM.

9. Drink Vietnamese Coffee at Little HaNoi Egg Coffee (Yersin)

Another awesome cafe you might want to check out as you explore the city is Little HaNoi Egg Coffee (Yersin), a famous cafe best known for its delicious creamy egg coffee with a cozy atmosphere full of wooden furniture and vintage decor.

This is the real Egg Coffee, right here in all its glory, with an extremely thick and creamy texture that will blow you away. This is definitely more of a dessert than the Egg Coffee at Tiệm Cafe Gốc 169, which might not be everyone's cup of tea. But if you want to try it, this is the place to do so.

They also serve a variety of dishes, both local and Western, like grilled pork noodles and egg benedicts, as well as baked goods and pastries in case you're hungry. It is definitely an awesome place to stop by as you explore the city. The café opens daily from 7 AM to 9:30 PM.

10. Enjoy Drinks with a View at Meraki cafe

One of the best things I recommend you do in Ho Chi Minh City is to visit Cafe Apartment, a former residential building that has been converted into a popular tourist attraction, filled with hip cafés, bars, and restaurants with balconies offering great views of the square from above. One of the best places to do that is Meraki Cafe.

Located on the fifth floor, this little café is great for those looking to enjoy a cup of coffee or drinks with a great view of Nguyen Hue Square from above. They have a lovely balcony with a bar where you can enjoy your drinks as you watch the world go by. The square is especially lively after sundown too.

They are also less crowded than other cafes on the lower floors, yet they offer the best view of them all. So, if you're looking for a place to hang out around Nguyen Hue Square, be sure to check out Meraki Café inside the Apartment Cafe. The cafe opens daily from 8 AM to 11:30 PM.

11. Try the popular local chain cafes (Bonus)

Last but not least, while you're here, you might want to check out some of the awesome local coffee chain cafés like Highlands Coffee and Katinat, which are taking the country by storm with their Westernized approach to cafés.

With cozy atmospheres, a variety of coffee options, souvenirs to take home, and more, they're very much like Starbucks but with a Vietnamese twist. They are also often conveniently located in tourist areas, making them perfect if you're looking for a quick cup of coffee, access to a toilet, or reliable Wi-Fi.

They usually have both Vietnamese and Western coffee, as well as coffee beans and traditional Vietnamese French presses in case you want to buy some to take home. They also accept credit cards, which is not always easy to find in Saigon, so be sure to check out these cafés while you're here!

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: 12go is a great place to look for bus and train schedule and buy tickets online in Southeast Asia that would otherwise not have been available in English online.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for trips and tours to join.

Tickets & Deals: Klook is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions.

Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.