Cafe Time is Life. You know I speak the truth.
I moved into my new place October of 2019 here in Tan Dinh ward, District 1, and I really couldn't be happier with the location. It's full of street life, services, good food, and great places to explore.
Fortunately, there are also a bunch of great cafes to while away the hours with a book or your laptop and remote work. If you're anything like me, you love to find a good new cafe, especially one that lets you linger for a little while and take your time soaking up the leisurely pace of life that permeates Southern Vietnam.
Lão Hạc Quán
299B Hoàng Sa, Tân Định, Quận 1
If you're looking for a retro (80's / 90's countryside-home vibe), this is absolute perfection. There are few things nicer than being inside when it rains, unless it's being on a balcony in a leafy, comfortable retro cafe overlooking the canal and loving NOT being in the rain, drinking a delicious cold drink and sinking deep into your own thoughts, or engaging in a stimulating conversation.
Note: Be warned, the steps going down into the cafe can be very slippery when wet - I can tell you from experience. Also, order your drink before going upstairs and you can pay when you leave. There's a Pho place that delivers to this cafe, the number is on a piece of cardboard upstairs.
Cà Phê Không Đắng
159 Hoàng Sa, Tân Định, Quận 1
Ca Phe Khong Dang is a quintessential Vietnamese sidewalk cafe, in the nicest possible setting. It overlooks a little bend in the canal and hums with the number of motorbikes passing by, while also providing a nice awning to keep away the rain. It's definitely not a cafe for getting a lot of work done on a laptop... but it's perfect for pulling up a group of low chairs for a group of friends or colleagues and whiling away an hour or two. It's clean, neat, and prices are reasonable. A word of warning - it does get quite crowded at lunchtimes, and there's not a ton of space for motorbike parking.
81Cafe
28 Nguyễn Hữu Cầu, P, Quận 1
You want more funky retro-Vietnam on a busy street? Have I got the place for you!
There's no better place near Tan Dinh market to grab a drink with a friend. The interior could maybe be described as 'reclaimed retro' - a dizzying array of old-timey traditional stuff repurposed into a surprisingly ecclectic and clean cafe. Although there's no AC, the inside stays relatively cool throughout the day. The drinks menu is very limited, but it's a great place to watch the market traffic go by, especially from the first floor balcony. The chairs aren't the most comfortable, but this is the very essence of Southern Vietnam, through and through.
Note: To access the upstairs, go through the garden at the rear-left of the cafe. You might be asked to order a drink before you go upstairs. Parking is kinda a hassle - the place is usually pretty full, but there's plenty of space inside.
Tram Coffee Shop
111 Nguyễn Phi Khanh, Tân Định, Quận 1
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: This cafe is NOT the famous Cafe Tram garden cafe in Phu Nhuan!
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| Strawberry Smoothie and a Black Coffee |
While cafes in Vietnam can come in any style you can think of - retro, modern, countryside, open-air, garden, etc - there are relatively few that try to emulate a comfortably shabby living room, an environment that we all need once in a while to approximate being at home. Sometimes you just want to sink into a cozy armchair, dim the lights, and lose a few hours, and Tram is the perfect spot to do it.
The drinks are all great and relatively cheap, and there's extra parking in the lot directly to the left of the cafe (looking at it from the street). Service is quick and attentive, but they also know enough to leave you alone unless you wave them over. All in all, a very comfy place to ignore the outside world.
Note: Smoking is allowed inside and out. Parking is free, but they may move your bike to the overflow lot while you're not looking. Don't panic - they'll remember you.
Agata Japan Cafe
19 Đặng Dung (down the alley), Tân Định, Quận 1
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| Matcha Smoothie |
Agata Cafe is tucked away down a tiny alley and every time I stop by, I'm always sorta surprised it's still open - I have never seen another person in the cafe with me, on any of my several visits over the last two years.
Good thing it's still going strong, though, because this place is a hidden gem for matcha lovers and Japanese cuisine junkies alike! The speakers are softly piping J-pop, the food is varied (along with a nice set menu of Japanese food), and, most importantly, the matcha is 100% the genuine article, both strong and bitter. There's a wide variety of matcha drinks and desserts to try, but my favorite is the matcha smoothie made with jelly and whipped cream. The parfait is also very good, with sweet red beans and crunchy cornflake bits.
Note: It's also got very cold AC and a selection of Japanese food products available in the cafe store or for order online.
Cokernut Cafe
14 Đường Trần Nhật Duật, Tân Định, Quận 1
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| Ca Phe Cot Dua Da Xay - coconut coffee |
This place is no more than a ground-level hole in the wall, but I have to be honest - I hesitate even recommending it because it is SO AWESOME but there is VERY limited seating! Ah, the agony of sitting on a wonderful secret!
But I'm not here to be selfish, and this tiny place is more than worth a visit. The atmosphere is modern but cozy, with a few small tables, stools at the bar, and a larger table for working in back, and the service is top-notch (and in English, most days). They specialize in cold brews, but the coconut coffee is also creamy and perfectly blended, and the teas are very refreshing and nicely sized. A dreamy place to gather for an intimate conversation with a friend or a lover. But leave your kids at home, there is absolutely no room for children running around here. Please. (Yes, I speak from experiencing someone bringing a toddler here. No, I don't understand why they did that, either.)
Cafe The Town
10/2 Đường Trần Nhật Duật, Tân Định, Quận 1
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| Sapodilla Smoothie |
I'll be the first to admit that this is a bit of an odd one for me to recommend. They have an annoying habit of playing Vietnamese EDM, club tracks, and occasionally rap at ear-splitting levels most mornings (come on, dudes, uf da, it's not even noon). But...
...I gotta include it for a couple very important reasons. First, it's cheap and has a fantastic cross-breeze, sitting on a corner as it does, which is a lifesaver on scorcherito days. Second, they have these low-slung, pretty comfortable folding chairs where you can belly up to a low wooden bar in the windows, and it is the perfect height for long periods working on your laptop or playing video games, as well as zoning out watching people go by. Nothing else would make me recommend it because of the loud (awful) music, but there you have it. All too often the chair/table heights in Vietnamese cafes are terribly mismatched for long-term typing/gaming sessions, but they've got it perfect here, and it's absolutely worth it, especially with a banh mi or two to monch on. Just don't forget your headphones to tune out the noise.
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| They are the perfect working spots |
Note: Open air (no AC), no English, and smoking is allowed. Also, the local bike delivery crews gather here a few times a day and can get pretty rowdy. ...but those perfect window-side bars!!
For review, here's a rundown of all my food posts for this ward, for handy reference:
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy my neighborhood cafes as much as I do!
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Hi! Thanks for speaking up! :) - Ben