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Coffee Culture Hue - Hue's best cafes

By Mark Bowyer | 19 Mar 2023

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View Cafe - Hue - little wooden stools win the day
Photo: Mark Bowyer
Hue Coffee Roastery, Hue
Photo: Mark Bowyer
Hue Coffee Roastery, Hue
Photo: Mark Bowyer
Hue Coffee Roastery, Hue
Photo: Mark Bowyer
TA Cafe and Gallery, Hue
Photo: Mark Bowyer
TA Cafe and Gallery, Hue
Photo: Mark Bowyer
Cafe 87 - by the Citadel Hue
Photo: Mark Bowyer

Coffee Culture Hue - Hue's best cafes

By Mark Bowyer 19 Mar 2023

This Hue coffee foray will take you into wonderful spaces in different parts of the city. Coffee ain't bad - but these are uniquely Hue cafes. Our recommendations are as much about location and atmosphere as coffee. We love how these places show us different parts of life in this historically rich city. You can also stay clear of single-use plastic in these places if you choose to - something not possible in Vietnam's chain coffee joints.

Note: The information provided in this review was correct at time of publishing but may change. For final clarification please check with the relevant service

Hue Coffee Roastery

This is one of the coolest coffee spaces in Vietnam by our humble reckoning. Set in the Hue Citadel precinct in a classic 1950s or early 60s modernist house looking over the Dong Ba Canal and historic Dieu De Pagoda. It's not far from the citadel's eastern gate The interior has lots of cool original features - tiles, windows, stairs. This is a great area to explore too. Lovely staff too. We love Old World Hue and this place has that in spades. The owner also has a place in Saigon’s District 2.

Address: 131 Huynh Thuc Khanh St, Hue - near the north eastern outer wall of the citadel.

Photo: Mark Bowyer Hue Coffee Roastery, Hue

Cafe 87, west wall Hue Citadel

Love this space and the views across the western wall of Hue Citadel. Like Hue Roastery (and many places we love across Vietnam), this is a cafe in a 1950s / 1960s classic piece of homegrown architecture with loads of original features. Head upstairs for a mellow space with a green aspect. You'll be able to see the scars of the Tet Offensive Battle of Hue on the Citadel wall opposite. They seemed pretty competent with coffee during our visit.

Address: 87 Le Huan Hue

Photo: Mark Bowyer Cafe 87 - by the Citadel Hue

View Cafe

Close by the tourist precinct View Cafe fills with locals each morning getting their caffeine fix. They seem to only do espresso and Vietnamese coffees. They have a proper espresso machine but lattes and capps were off the programme during our visits. View is good for people watching and it's close by Hue's tourist area.

Address: Cnr Pho Duc Chinh and Ben Nghe, Hue

Photo: Mark Bowyer View Cafe - Hue

TA Cafe and Bakery, Hue

Right in the heart of the tourist precinct, TA Cafe and Bakery serves great coffee and a selection of bakery goodies. There’s a gallery downstairs. The balcony’s a good spot to chill and get some work or reading done.

Address: 44 Pham Ngu Lao, Hue

Photo: Mark Bowyer TA Cafe and Gallery, Hue

Gac Trinh

Trinh Cong Son is a musical legend in Vietnam - multiply the Beatles, Bob Dylan and others a few times over and you have a sense of his impact here. This cafe is located in his 1960s wartime home. It happens to be a delightful small apartment complex not far from Phu Cam Church. Gets big marks for charm and historical significance. Local coffee options only.

Address: 203 Nguyen Trung To, Hue (upstairs)

Photo: Mark Bowyer The boss - Cafe Gac Trinh, Hue

Mark Bowyer is the founder and publisher of Rusty Compass. read more
Twitter: @rustycompass

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