City Inspiration: Cocktails in Saigon

I lived in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) for about two years. In those two years I matured from street side beer drinker to sch-mancy cocktail drinker. Below I give you my run down of the best cocktail bars in Ho Chi Minh City....and one brewery.

Living it up at Eon Heli Bar 

Racha Room 

I fall asleep at night dreaming of the cocktails at Racha Room. The Racha Room is a Thai, street food inspired restaurant in central District 1. I HIGHLY recommend the Concubine, a sweet vodka and lycee concoction and the Sin Gin Sling, gin based (surprise!) with a  nice basil aftertaste . What makes their cocktails even better is that the Racha Room has happy hour Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 8pm.  

The Racha Room 12-14 Mac Thi Buoi, D1, HCMC

O.M.G.

Normally I would never advocate drinking at a bar named after a valley girl expression, but the view will soon have you forgetting about the name. O.M.G. is on the 9th floor of the Tan Hai Long Hotel, overlooking the always busy Benh Thanh round about. It's a great alternative to Skybar or EON Heli Bar (Bitexco) you still get a killer view and drink without the ear popping elevator ride. Or is that just me? I recommend the passion fruit mojito with less sugar (ít đường)

O.M.G.-Tan Hai Long Hotel, Nguyen An Ninh, D1 HCMC

Broma: Not a Bar

When O.M.G. gets too loud head to Broma for another rooftop with a more chill/laid-back vibe.  Broma has a solid cocktail menu and a serves an even better sangria. If your lucky enough to become besties with the staff you can host your own 90's dance party. If your going to add to the noise pollution 90's music is the way to go. 

 The view from Broma- 41 Nguyen Hue, D1, HCMC

The Deck

The Deck is the most expensive on the list especially if you factor in the Uber ride to get to District 2. It's definitely worth the ride as you'll be sitting right on the Saigon River, plan it accordingly and you can be sitting on the river at sunset, swoon. My experience with their menu is limited but not much experience is needed to conclude they were perfect. 

The Deck- 38 Nguyen U Di, D2, HCMC

Pasteur Street Brewing Company

I don't discriminate when it comes to alcoholic beverages, but beer is usually low on my list, except this beer. Pasteur is a craft brewery that literally makes the best beer I've ever had. I always recommend the flight as the beers on tap. My personal favorite is the passion fruit wheat ale and the jasmine IPA. The location on Pasteur can be difficult to find as it's hidden down a sketchy alley, but that's part of the charm. 

Pasteur Street Brewing Company- 144 Pasteur, D1, HCMC

Oh my beer

There may be critics of Asian beer, but I am not one. I happen to be a huge fan of every Asian beer I've tried and the cheap price makes it even easier to be a fan. Here's a run down of the beer's I've tried so far:

BeerLao: I'm completely biased and think Beerlao is the best beer in the world. Beerlao was my first Southeast Asian beer experience and I have Beerlao to thank for some hazy travel memories. It has a distinct flavor but if light beers aren't your thing they also make Beerlao dark. Head to your local Asian market in the States and you might be able to find some. If you can't figure it out where Beerlao is from then move along.


Leo: Leo beer is from Thailand and I thought it was quite nice. It's similar to all Asian beers in that it's a pretty light beer, but I found it had a slightly stronger flavor than Beerlao and Angkor.

Bia Saigon: Again, it tastes like most other Asian beers, light and easy to drink in this heat and humidity. Bia Saigon comes in two varieties red and green, no the beer isn't that color. For the life of me I was never able to tell the difference between the two, but I usually go for the red.

Angkor: Angkor beer is from Cambodia, named after Angkor Wat. You can get Angkor draft for about .50 cents and for .50 cents you can almost forgive the lack of flavor. I would compare it to a Keystone Light, it's got that nice watered down taste. Be careful when ordering at the bar in Cambodia, there is  Angkor and Anchor beer. Just like Bia Saigon, you probably won't be able to tell the difference but if you ask most people will have a preference.

Tiger: Tiger is eponymous with Southeast Asia and for a good reason; it's good and cheap. Tiger is one of my favorites, especially Tiger Crystal served with a giant ice cube. I know, sacrilege, but don't knock it till you try it.

If you decide to try one of these beers back in the states and think its horrible, don't blame me. Book a flight to Southeast Asia and grab a Beerlao in Laos, I promise it will taste a whole lot better.