4 Standout Modern Cocktail Bars in Saigon
The bar at Nhau Nhau. Photo credit Merle Rosenstein
In a city with two seasons — hot and hotter — cocktails offer a welcome reprieve. As the sun drops and the air shifts from scorching to merely sweltering, Saigon’s bars come alive with inventive drinks, talented bartenders, and a cocktail culture increasingly shaped by local ingredients and ideas.
“For a long time, the cocktail scene leaned heavily on international influence, which is natural,” says Jay Moir, co-founder and managing partner of bars Layla Eatery & Bar, WKND Saigon, and Summer Experiment.
But in recent years, he says, “there’s been a clear shift toward localization, using Vietnamese ingredients, telling local stories, and building something that isn’t just a copy of Tokyo, London, or New York.”
Saigon’s modern cocktail bars are helping to shape the city’s drinking culture, blending Vietnamese ingredients with global techniques and a sense of place that feels unmistakably local. Below are four notable bars in Saigon’s District 1. Each offers a distinct lens on the city, and together, they demonstrate how Saigon’s bartenders are creating a scene that is entirely their own.
Nhau Nhau: Vietnamese Spirits, Reimagined
Nhau Nhau — named for the Vietnamese tradition of eating and drinking with friends — brings that convivial spirit to a refurbished shophouse with a cocktail program rooted in local ingredients. The bar leans into 1960s décor with pea-green-tiled walls, a light oak bar, and high-top tables. Vinyl records by trumpeter Art Farmer, circa 1960, and other Vietnamese artists hang on the wall.
Owner Peter Cuong Franklin, who studied at Yale and trained at Le Cordon Bleu before returning to Saigon, combines an international perspective with a love of local ingredients (think sake from Hue, rice spirits from central and northern Vietnam, and herbs from the Dalat highlands).
Bartender Finn Le makes a gin and tonic featuring Lady Triệu Gin, which showcases bold citrus, floral, pepper, and ginger notes. The bar also features a refreshing pho gin, a collaboration with Lady Triệu, that’s infused with star anise, cinnamon, coriander seeds, and cloves. Order Vietnamese bar snacks like bánh xèo tacos or grilled rice paper pizzas.
89 Tôn Thất Đạm, Second floor, Bến Nghé Ward, District 1, Saigon
Summer Experiment: A Garden-to-Glass Experience
The entrance to Summer Experiment. Photo credit Merle Rosenstein
Summer Experiment leans into what co-founder Jay Moir calls “garden craft,” a farm-to-bar approach rooted in housemade and locally sourced ingredients, while the lush design and terrace reinforce the concept. The bar was the first in Saigon to land on the extended list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, earning regional recognition for its inventive approach.
The illustrated drinks menu highlights fresh produce, reworked classics, and more experimental techniques, from shareable cocktails served in watering cans to signatures like Milk Batch Baby, crafted by a bartender affectionately nicknamed Chicken. Inspired by liquid nitrogen ice cream, the drink layers gin, yuzu, and green tea in a boozy frozen cocktail. A compact food menu includes fresh-shucked oysters, truffle fries, and lamb pita pockets.
77–79 Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Thành Ward, District 1, Saigon
Stir: Cocktails That Embody Vietnamese Culture
The Da Lat Dreamer cocktail at Stir. Photo credit Merle Rosenstein
At Stir, Indochine design (think dark wood paneling, divided-light windows, and a gold 1920s chandelier) meets one of the city’s most celebrated cocktail programs. The appeal extends beyond design: since opening in 2021, the bar has appeared on Asia’s 50 Best Bars extended list multiple times.
The bar’s signature Vietnam Geography Cocktails menu maps seven regions of Vietnam through local ingredients, and drinks like the Da Lat Dreamer and the Tamarind Highball capture this approach. With strawberries, wild honey, passion fruit, and flowers, the Da Lat Dreamer draws on the country’s central highlands, while the sweet, tangy, smoky Tamarind Highball is a nod to Saigon’s street-drinking culture. Together, they show how Stir channels place into the glass. Try a round with an order of pork liver pâté.
136 Lê Thánh Tôn, Bến Thành Ward, District 1, Saigon
Drinking & Healing: Cocktails With a Restorative Twist
Window tables at Drinking & Healing. Photo credit Merle Rosenstein
Drinking & Healing occupies the second floor of a French colonial building that’s more than 150 years old. With exposed brick walls, wood-and-metal furnishings, and soft lighting, the space creates a welcome refuge from the city outside. Drinking & Healing has earned a Bar of the Year nomination at the Vietnam Cocktail Festival’s 2019 Bar Awards and a ranking among Asia’s Top 100 Bars.
In keeping with its concept, cocktails are served as “prescriptions,” while bartenders are known as “healers.” Alongside classics organized by base spirit, the menu includes signatures like the Thủ Lù, made with Greenall’s Gin, fermented golden berry, lemon juice, and tonic. Pair it with Parmigiano fries or a cheese and charcuterie plate.
25 Hồ Tùng Mậu Street, Nguyễn Thái Bình Ward, District 1, Saigon