Cafe Tram: Atmosphere to Spare

Welcome to...

Address: 100 Trần Huy Liệu, phường 15, District Phu Nhuan, Hồ Chí Minh City

Hours: 7am-10pm
Website: N/A?

Parking: Motorbike Parking in the entry alley, Free

Drinks: Excellent and Consistent

Food: Snack, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert

Price Range: 40k-70k

Order This: Anything with the fresh bread, and watermelon juice. Coffee is fresh and delicious.

Ambience: A relaxing garden oasis in the middle of Phu Nhuan District - practically paradise

Speak English: Thiiiiiiiiis much

English Menu: No

Wifi Quality: Excellent, but you may have to skip the free wifi and ask for the one with a password, I usually have problems connecting to the free network.

Plug Availability: Excellent, even on the patios

Air Conditioning: Yes, several different rooms.

Outside Area: Yes, Covered

Bathroom Quality: Very Clean

Toilet Paper Available?: No

Overall Impressions:

It may not look it, but this shady and narrow entranceway disguises the entrance to one of the most peaceful and beautiful hangouts in Ho Chi Minh City.

This place is fantastic, and for a long time was my favorite cafe to go and relax. The waitstaff is not always right by your side, but the place is deceptively huge, and there is constant pruning and garden care chores to perform, so I give them a pass. It's a popular weekend spot for Vietnamese and foreigners in the know alike.

All in all, if you're going to really just go to a single cafe on your trip to Saigon (HA! as if possible), make it this one... you won't regret it.

Walking down the long entrance way, you immediately know that you're in for a different type of environment. Approaching the monstrous wooden double doors the smell of incense envelopes you, and on the other side awaits a cafe so well-designed that, even given it's large capacity, remains intimate and personal no matter where you choose to sit.

 TET TET TET TET TET! Those are literally shopping bags strung up over the top right.... but they're red!

There are at least 4 separate indoor rooms (maybe more, the place is a weird maze) and a beautiful upper patio, and it's hard not to lose yourself in the trees and plants around you. The air even smells better in here, which is no surprise, given the amount of attention paid to the flora. On the opposing side is a two-story waterfall, and the path through the central ground floor leads you on stepping stones over a pond filled with koi.

Food is consistently great. If you go for the Com Xao, it is flavored with beet juice, resulting in a tempting and delicious pink side dish for your veggies or meat (below is Com Xao Hai San - seafood).

Fried rice is pretty good - chewy and crispy in alternating points - but the food here is slightly more expensive than on the street. However, given the size and beauty of the operation, it's hard getting worked up about it. The environment is so astoundingly pretty that it's a small price to pay.

The tranquility this cafe oozes makes it one of my favorite places to take visitors - the contrast from outside to inside is enormous. It's a different world in there, and for those unused to HCMC's overwhelming traffic it's a welcome respite.

Bun Bo Kho (bo kho with rice vermicelli)

All in all, I'd avoid on the weekends, when it gets pretty crazy, complete with entire families and children. The rest of the week, however, it provides a cozy and rejuvenating destination for coffee, a bite, and a mental break.

Sample Musical Selection:

You could always stay outside and listen to the waterfall! Inside, you'll hear downright classics:

Chuck Berry, doo-wop, early Elton John... this place has got a genius working the playlist.

P.S. How fun is this video?!! I don't think I've ever seen it before. Such mod! Much wow!