Coffee Culture Shows Ho Chi Minh City’s Charm

Coffee has become an integral part of everyday life in Ho Chi Minh City. As a daily routine, people meet and chat over coffee, happy to be part of an open and dynamic city.

A young barista carefully brews coffee in earthenware pots, preserving a tradition passed down through generations. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP

A coffee shop downtown recreates the atmosphere of old Saigon. Photo: Hong Dat/VNA

A cloth-filter coffee stall established in 1954 on Phan Dinh Phung street has long been part of Ho Chi Minh City’s coffee culture. Photo: Hong Dat/VNA

In Ho Chi Minh City, meeting for coffee is a way to catch up with friends, discuss work or take a break from a busy day. Coffee is therefore not merely a drink but an important part of the social life in the country’s most vibrant city.

From narrow alleyways to bustling streets, coffee shops are everywhere. Locals may start the day with iced black coffee, enjoy a bac xiu (coffee with milk) or spend hours chatting or working over a cup of filtered coffee.

Brewed with a thick cloth filter and reheated in earthenware pots three or four times, cloth-filter coffee has a distinctive smoky aroma, a bitter taste and a lingering finish. Photo: Hong Dat/VNA

 

In a fast-paced metropolis like Ho Chi Minh City, long-established cloth-filtered coffee stalls keep their charm. Coffee is brewed through traditional cloth filters, creating a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. For many, visiting these stalls is not just about enjoying coffee but about reconnecting with a familiar daily routine that has endured for years.

A coffee shop at the Truong Dinh-Bui Thi Xuan intersection evokes the nostalgia of old Saigon. Photo: Hong Dat/VNA 

Antique decorations in a coffee shop evoke an appreciation for traditional cultural values. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP

Sidewalk stalls and outdoor coffee spots, with low stools set along streets or in parks, are also part of the city’s life that show its openness and easygoing spirit. People gather to chat on busy streets, and enjoy the rhythm of urban life.

Modern cafés with impressive designs are also growing popular among young people and foreign visitors. Whether at a traditional stall or a contemporary café, people enjoy coffee to connect with others or simply take a moment for themselves.

Shaded by lush green trees, outdoor cafés offer an ideal setting for people to immerse themselves in the local culture. Photo: Nguyen Luan/VNP

 

 

In Ho Chi Minh City, the coffee culture is more than about brewing methods or drinking habits. It lives in everyday encounters and simple moments of connection in a vibrant and welcoming city.

Story: Nguyen Luan Photos: Nguyen Luan &VNA