Introduction
This independent and handpicked guide to Saigon's best eating was last updated in August 2017. We've tried every place on this list - most of them several times.
Saigon is Vietnam’s culinary capital. It offers the best of the country’s delicious regional cuisine, a vibrant street food scene, and some amazing international eating options too. If you love your food, this is one of Asia's great cities. The coffee and cafe scene is pretty special too.
There is nowhere better to immerse yourself in the exquisite, fresh flavours of Vietnamese cuisine. Cosmopolitan Saigon attracts residents from all over Vietnam - the north, the south and centre. So regional cuisines are amply represented.
If you need a break from Vietnamese cuisine, check out the impressive collection of international restaurants in town. There’s delicious contemporary international cuisine as well as French, Chinese, Thai, Japanese and more.
You may also want to consider heading out to the expat enclave in District 2 - around 15 minutes by cab from downtown, across the Saigon river. It’s becoming an important hub of international cuisine. Some of the city’s best dining is here. It’s also more relaxed than the intensity of District 1.
As a visitor to Saigon, you’ll see plenty of street-side eateries. Some have premises that overflow onto the street. Others are no more than a pushcart and some stools on a street corner. You don’t have to be too game to try a few of these while you’re in town. Go with the local crowds and you’ll be OK.
We have our own little base in Saigon too - The Old Compass Cafe - right in the heart of town on Pasteur St. Pop by and say hi.
