11 of my Favorite Cocktail Bars in Saigon

"There are misconceptions about Vietnam, People just think of water buffaloes, rice paddies and lanterns if you live in the big city, like Saigon, it's just like any other big city." 

Ever wondered where to find the best cocktails in Saigon? Join Niall Mackay as he takes you on a tour through the city's top cocktail bars, sharing insider tips and personal favorites. Whether you're a Saigon local or planning a visit, this episode is your ultimate guide to the best drinks and hidden gems in the city.

Niall delves into the juxtaposition that makes Saigon so alluring, where modern cocktail bars coexist with historic buildings and hidden alleyways. From the renowned 86 Proof and Layla to the enigmatic Lost and Found, each establishment offers a unique ambiance and expertly crafted cocktails. Niall's recommendations span a diverse array of venues, from the newly opened Junka to the cozy confines of Stirr, perfectly tucked away behind a bustling market.

"The opinion of Vietnam is so different to the reality here. In the eight years I've been here, I've seen it change dramatically." - Niall on Saigon's evolution.

Key Highlights:
1. An in-depth look at trendy hotspots like 86 Proof, Layla, Stirr, Lost and Found, and more, with insights into their distinct vibes and must-try cocktails.
2. The juxtaposition of old and new in Saigon's cocktail bar scene, with hidden gems tucked away in historic buildings and alleyways.
3. The rise of Vietnamese-owned and inspired cocktail bars, showcasing local flavors and ingredients.
4. The increasing variety of nightlife options in Saigon, catering to diverse tastes and experiences.
5. Niall's personal journey and newf

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Transcript

Niall: 0:31

There are misconceptions about Vietnam, People just think of water buffaloes, rice paddies and lanterns if you live in the big city, like Saigon, it's just like any other big city. there's buildings, there's transport, there's cars, there's bikes, there's food, there's cocktails, there's beer. There's all the same things as in any other city, but Saigon is really special, you're listening to this and you're thinking like this is absolutely pointless Why am I telling you this the reason is this is a massive difference that's changed in Saigon. Hey, thank you for listening to this episode of a Vietnam podcast. I'm your host, Niall Mackay. I've been living in Vietnam now for eight years. I first came here for a vacation and absolutely fell in love with the place. Came back, decided to stay for a year and that turned into eight and it's probably going to be ten now. I started this podcast in 2019 just as a hobby, and it's now my full-time job to make podcasts for other people. This podcast, a VM podcast, it was on a break for a couple of years, mostly because I was so busy making podcasts for other people. I couldn't put the same time and energy into it. but if I'm honest, I'd lost the passion for it. I'd lost the motivation. I was booking guests at the last minute. I wasn't trying anything new, and I felt like I was repeating myself all the time. So it took a long time to do because I mostly kept doing it because of you, because you were listening, you were watching, and I didn't want to stop it. But I had to do it in the end, and I'm glad I did help me recharge my batteries. We now work with over 40 podcasts across the world to help them make the best podcast possible. if you ever want to help with your podcast, then please reach out to me. But I decided this year, as I could see that people were still listening to the podcast, I decided, let's bring it back. had a little bit more time on my hands. And since I've started recording new episodes, I really have got that passion and excitement back to talk to people about Vietnam and about Saigon. And it's been amazing to see so many other podcasts over the years come about all about Vietnam as well. And there's obviously a massive interest out there about that as well. So the passion has come back so much, I've decided to do something that I had never done before until recently, and that's make episodes all by myself with no guests whatsoever, just me telling you about my life in Saigon, I realized that There are misconceptions about Vietnam, especially if you don't live here. People just think of water buffaloes, rice paddies and lanterns and pho And while some of that is true, if you live in the big city like me, like Saigon, it's just like any other big city. There's rivers, there's buildings, there's transport, there's cars, there's bikes, there's food, there's cocktails, there's beer. There's all the same things as in any other city, but Saigon is really special, and there is a reason why there are so many expats that have been here for a long time that absolutely love it, like me, that can't leave. I decided to do some solo episodes to share with you some of my favorite things to do in Saigon because I realized they do have some inside knowledge, some inside tips. And so I wanted to share them with you, whether you live here or not, and you maybe didn't know about them or you needed a reminder, or you completely disagree with what I'm saying, or you're thinking of coming out to Vietnam. You found this podcast, you wanted to learn more about Vietnam and hopefully help you with where you want to go. So I've already covered with you recently my favorite craft beer bars And my favorite places to go for happy hour Some of those that were on the happier list are going to be on this list as well I'm sorry about that. But today I want to share with you my favorite cocktail bars in Saigon. Now, I know that probably makes me sound no does it I was going to say it makes me sound like a pretentious wanker I feel like Cocktail culture has really started worldwide in the last few years. I know when I was growing up, like, a cocktail was a vodka and coke. Um, then if you were really fancy, you had a gin and tonic. Like, that was as highbrow as cocktails got. And then something happened in the last five years where we've all gone cocktail crazy. And it's pretty cool, like, I feel like an adult. I'm like, I'm an adult. I can drink a Negroni and I appreciate it and I like it. But so I do go out for cocktails quite often these days. Actually, probably more than beer, I would say. It's something really enjoyable to do, But it's nice to go out and appreciate, as we talked about before, the Whiskey Sour 86 proof or a good Negroni. So I'm going to share with you in no particular order where are my favorite places to go for a cocktail in Saigon but there are many, many more and I haven't been to all of them. I'm pretty bad. I've got my favorites and I'm probably going to keep going back to them again and again and again. So it's not an extensive list and there's probably loads that I have not covered. So if you have any ideas for me to go to, then please let me know if they have a happy hour, even better. And if you want me to talk about them on a future podcast, let me know as well. Send me a message. The link is in the show notes. So let's get started. So I have 11 locations to share with you today and they are in no particular order. If you want to go back and listen to the episode I did about the best happy hours in Saigon, then you'll hear me talk extensively about 86 proof. It's On Duong Thuy in Thao Dien, which is the expat neighborhood, but it's that term expat. Most people think of a Western person in my opinion, but it's actually probably more Korean expats there. Lots of Japanese, lots of Indian expats. And that area has really, really changed since COVID. And it's more and more of the Vietnamese population have opened up businesses there. There's more and more Vietnamese people coming in. And why not? Because we're in Vietnam. So it is traditionally was known as the French area or like, yeah, little France, I think it was called for a while. It's known as the expat neighborhood, but it's really, really not. And there's so much more to it than that, but there are a lot of cool bars and cool coffee spots, cool brunch places. And one of my favorite cocktail places to go to is 86 Proof. So go check it out. I mentioned it in the previous episode, really good happy hour, but go at any time. Really cool vibe, nice atmosphere and the cocktails are amazing. Number two, which I mentioned in the happy hour episode, but go at any time because it's a really cool atmosphere is Leila. What is really cool about this place? This is one of the reasons why I and I think lots of people love Saigon is the juxtaposition. I use that word a lot. You see in the buildings, you'll see this brand new building like the Texco Tower and then right next to it you'll see a tin hut. Now, again, I don't, I hate to say that because maybe the person in the tin hut might be impoverished, really poor. You know what I'm saying, this, the juxtaposition in Saigon is amazing. And the entrance to Layla sums that up. So, you walk in, You have to go up these like old stairs that have probably been there from the 60s. If you didn't know where you were going, you would think, where the hell am I? If you didn't know that Saigon was one of the safest places in the world, you might be a bit sketched out. You may, you might think I'm about to get my organs harvested, but Don't worry, just follow the stairs up, you walk along a long hallway, and then you're going to open a door into a really modern, really nice looking, uh, cocktail bar. Go in, get the Salty Caramel Espresso, get a table by the window that overlooks the street, do some people watching. Just go in and enjoy yourself, have a really good time. They've got an amazing cocktail menu, and the food's really good as well, so go check out Layla. Ahem. And number three, I think is owned by the same person. Somebody can tell me that, but it's Summer Experiment and that's pretty new on the scene as well. I've only been there a couple of times and I really need my wife next to me right now because Adri can remember way more about this place. I can't, my memory is so bad, but I do know it's a really cool place. So make sure you go check out Summer Experiment. This is the worst podcast ever that I'm telling you, recommending you to go to cocktail bar that I can't even remember much about it, but. I do remember it was really cool, and I do remember it was from the same people that did Layla, and if it's done by the people that did Layla, it means that it's good. So trust me, go check out Summer Experiment. Now, number four on my list, I have good memories of this place, I do remember it. It's called Stirr. Now, I know, Scottish accent, you might be like, what the hell did he just say? S T I R, Stirr. One of the things that I love about this place is, it's, it's Like a hidden cocktail bar. So just as I was talking about the juxtaposition of walking into Layla This place is right behind Bintan Market, so if you've been to Bintan Market, you'll know the little hem, the little laneway that I'm talking about that's filled with all the nail salons. You can sit there and just get your nails done, I guess. I've never had it done there, but there's just this little hem that just smells of nail polish. And you have to walk through there, and then if you want some good food, there's Bep Me In There, which we can talk about that in another episode. But then, if you go left Then left up these little stairs that you're probably thinking, why am I walking up here? I'm about to walk into somebody's house. There's a doorway and that is store. And then you walk in and it's like wooden panelings, leather seats, really small, low ceiling. The bartenders are all wearing like waistcoats. And if you walk, if you go all the way up to the window, you can actually then look out and look over the street, which is always fun to do in Saigon. And they make amazing drinks as well. And I should have put them on my list, but they have an amazing happy hour as well. So it's just a really cool place, really relaxed, really nice. It's really nice for a date night. If you're taking your wife out or your partner out for a date, then go out and check out store before you head out for dinner. Number five on my list. I mentioned this guy in the episode about craft beer because he's behind Brick and Barrel and I completely butchered his name and I'm still going to butcher his name. So I'm just going to call him by his first name, but it's Tyler and it's Lost and Found. They've just been nominated for the Vietnam, uh, Awards, sorry, they've just been nominated for the Saigon Awards for Best Cocktail Bar. Uh, I haven't seen the results of that yet, but that is how good Lost and Found is. And again, really, all of these places, what makes them so cool, what makes Saigon so cool is their location. They're just, again, don't know the name of the street, I need to learn street names, but it's just, just near downtown D1, and you go down, again, look in the notes, I will put the address in the notes, you go down this Kinda a hem kinda street, nondescript, bunch of old buildings, a couple of cafes, and if you were walking down there even during the day or at night, you're probably thinking, where the hell am I? Like, I can't. There's no way that this bar is here. You then have to go up some old stairs, which again, it's just this really cool vibe. Walk down a hallway. And then you'll find the door for Lost and Found. Really small bar, but really great staff and they make unbelievable drinks. Tyler is a cocktail master. He makes cocktails for bars and people all over the, all over the city. He gets hired to go and make cocktails. He really knows what he's doing. He's trained his team up well. So it's really small, really cozy. The staff are amazing. You can also go as a group because they have stairs that take you up to like a mezzanine floor. That was the last time I was there. We were with a big group. And it's just that really cool Saigon feel that you think that with the stairs up to the mezzanine floor You're kind of like I think in most other countries this probably wouldn't pass health and safety and it's probably not allowed But meh, it's fun and it's cool and it is a really good atmosphere So make sure you check out Lost and Found and ask for Tyler. He'll be the guy covered in tattoos if he's there Number six on my list, again mentioned it in the happy hour episode, it's owned by the same people behind 86proof, it's a few doors down, it's called Mami, that's Anzuan Tui in Taodian, they have a really good happy hour that goes till 8pm. But what is really cool about it, as I mentioned in the last episode, is before it opened it was an old Hot dog place called Valhalla and there's a tailor underneath and I'm pretty sure above it. It was just Storeroom for the tailor or somebody's storeroom anyway I remember seeing boxes in the window and then all of a sudden there was a cocktail bar there and just Really cool. The bottom bit is open to the street. So it's again really cool. One of the favorite, one of my favorite things, one of my wife and I's favorite things to do in Saigon is just people watch, hang out.

Speaker: 14:10

we decided to come to Mami Cocktails, that I've just probably talked about on the video. You're now seeing this bit that I've added in. I got the Oi Oi, which I'm gonna not pick it up right now, because I'll end up dropping it. It's got Lady Trieu Gin in it, citrus, cardamom, And some Lillet blanc in there as well. Adrie who's manning the camera. She got something with jalapenos in it'cause she's a spicy Mexican and loves spicy drinks. So it's got Jose Cuervo, Cucumber. You love cucumber. And jalapeno we're in this cool spot. Xuan Thuy. We get to watch all the crazy traffic go by and get to people watch, as I've probably talked about. And Biscuit gets to relax as well, because she loves it. So, cheers. Thanks, Mami,

Niall: 14:57

Number seven on the list is is I think the newest addition to the cocktail bars in Saigon, but the things change so quickly here in so many places open up. It's probably not by the time that this episode goes out, but it's called Junka. I've only been there once. And again, it's got a dance floor. It's like a nighttime place. We were having a bit of a boogie. It seems to be more of a night time place, when we were there anyway, we were there a bit later at night, had a dance floor, there was a big party in, there was a really good atmosphere, everyone was having a good time, the entrance is on the ground floor, Floor, you probably wouldn't even know it was there if you were walking by. It's on the first floor. Go in the entrance, upper a flight of stairs, and it opens up into this really big cocktail bar, massive wraparound bar. I only had one drink there, but um, as I said, it's just brand new. It's really nice. Make sure you go check it out. Number eight on my list was mentioned again in the happy hour episode. It's called The Company, which is on Fvi Chan in Bintan. Which is one of the, I think it was voted one of the coolest suburbs in the world, if I remember correctly. I really should do some resets before these podcasts, shouldn't I? But it takes too much time. Go check out the company just on Fan Viet Chan, which is like little Japan town as well. There's loads of good food there that you can check out too, but they have a really good happy hour till nine o'clock. It's a small bar downstairs. There's I think just six seats and then there's more seating upstairs, which I haven't been to yet. but it's, it's that small little cozy atmosphere, low roof that just makes it like a really nice cool place to hang out. It's got a nice vibe and the cocktails are amazing as well. So check out the company on Fan Viet Chan. No, number nine, 10 and 11. You could easily do a pub crawl with these three, or a cocktail crawl. They're all on MacD Boy, right next to Malt, which I talked about in previous episodes. And they're all very different, but all really good. So number nine is Firkin, number 10 is Lady Chew, and number 11 is Racha Room. So, number nine. Lady Chu. It's a type of gin that's made here in Vietnam, and it's become really popular, really big in a short amount of time. And so they sell a whole bunch of different drinks using the different Lady Chu, and I'm saying that again completely wrong. I'm so sorry, but they make loads of different drinks using the Lady Chu gin. There's different flavours of the gin as well, and so there's just so many different things that they can do more than just a gin and tonic. And there is a happy hour there as well. I didn't include them in my happy hour episode. I can't remember what it is, but it is probably 4 7 I'm going to guess. I'll put it in the notes so you can get that. So go have a gin and tonic or a gin drink at Lady Chew. And then go to Firkin, which is, as a Scotsman, one of my favourites. So they have a massive, massive whiskey list on there. Um, they have cheap ones that people like me can afford. They have expensive ones that people like you can maybe afford. But they've got a massive, massive list on there. Really long bar. This is everything I'm telling you. I know all of these sound similar. I know I'm terrible with adjectives and describing these bars. But, What the point I'm trying to make is what I mentioned in the beginning is people have an opinion of Saigon and of Vietnam and they think of water buffaloes and rice paddies. I've done previous interviews where people have talked about their families back home think that they live in like a thatch hut. The opinion of Vietnam is so different. An opinion of Saigon is so different to the reality here. In the eight years I've been here, I've seen it change dramatically. I know people who've been here for 10, 12 years. 10 or 12 years ago, uh, If you could get a Heineken, you were over the moon because it was the only type of beer that you could get. The couple of Western places that maybe sold pizzas and burgers were like pretty bad because they couldn't get the ingredients. you just had to eat Vietnamese food all the time, which that's fine. Vietnamese food is amazing, but people like myself, we're not from Vietnam. It's difficult to eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You might want a bit of variety, right? So 10 years ago, 12 years ago, eight years ago. There weren't many options. And when it comes to cocktail bars, again, it would have been like when I was a kid. If you got a vodka and coke or a gin and tonic, that would probably be, probably be almost the height of getting a cocktail. I know there was hotels like The Rex, which have been there forever. I think if you wanted to get a cocktail, which would be like a bloody tequila sunrise or something like that, you'd have to go to a hotel. You're going to pay over the odds. It's not made with any, you know, skill. That's what I'm trying to make the point with this episode is I've only listed off like 11 cocktail bars And there's probably about another hundred that I don't know about and we're if you're listening to this from back home Wherever home is if you're listening to this from the West and you're thinking like this is absolutely pointless Why am I telling you this the reason is this is a massive difference that's changed in Saigon And it's not all pho and it's not all iced coffee, which are amazing There are so many more things to do here. So if you are visiting again, you are going to want to do all those traditional things. But if it comes to the evening and you start to think, Hmm, I want to go out for a nice cocktail. Go out and check out these places. Like I mentioned, Lady Chiu is a gin that's made here in Vietnam. So if you do want to still make sure that you're doing something Vietnamese, go check out one of those places. A lot of these people are owned by Vietnamese people or Vietcube people, so you are still supporting the local economy. The staff are definitely Vietnamese. And as I mentioned, they're really skilled at what they do. Um, it's amazing to see what they can do. So go check out these places, go support them. I feel like as a tourist, if you come to Saigon, there really isn't that much, there's not a lot of obvious things to do in the evening. But yeah, I'll see But the reason I want to share this with you is if you do want to go and check out one of those places, then that's what I would recommend. And a lot of these places are in and around D1. District 2, we did an episode with Vince when we talked about how, how District 2 is becoming more of a tourist destination. It's, as I said, known as an expat area, but I think more and more tourists are venturing out there. It's only like 20, 30 minutes outside the city. And then also, as I mentioned, the company. on Fan Viet Chan in the Binh Tan region, that's like Binh Tan district. It's a really cool spot. It's one of, I definitely think it got voted one of the coolest neighborhoods in, in the whole world. Um, and the Fan Viet Chan street, there's so many good things to do there. There's a rabbit hole Irish sports bar. There's Muteki, which is really good for Japanese food. You've got Lubu. Um, and then obviously, as I mentioned the company as well, but there's so much more to it. So make sure you check out. uh, Fan Viet Chan area if you are a tourist. If you have any suggestions for something that I've not covered, if you want me to do a whole other episode on the other 100 places, then please send me a message. If you're a bar owner and you want to treat me to a whole selection of free drinks, I will, I will do that. Like I know it's gonna, it sounds really difficult. It's not something I would normally agree to, but for the podcast, I will agree to come out and try all of your cocktails and then do an episode about it. Like my, my morals are that low. I will do an episode for cocktails. Don't worry about it. But if you do have any feedback if you disagree with anything I said, You just want to tell me what a horrible job I did because I realized on this podcast As I mentioned, I don't normally do solo podcasts, but I realized that I might have talked a lot of shit a lot of nonsense I'm, sorry about that But if you did enjoy it, let me know and most of all the most important thing is if you did enjoy this episode Or you just wanted to share it with somebody Please share it with somebody else. It really helps the podcast, helps me grow, helps more people hear about it. And if you want to get future notifications for more episodes, make sure you do that thing where you turn on the notifications, follow, subscribe from wherever you are listening or watching from, and then you can get future episodes. And I've honestly lost count of how many episodes we've made now. It's well, well over a hundred, maybe 150. So there's a massive backlog. catalog that you can go back through. This podcast is all about sharing stories of Vietnam. So you can go back through and listen to ex pats who live here, you can listen to Vietnamese people who live here and overseas, and VHQ who are people who were born overseas but came back to Vietnam or are children of Vietnamese people. And we have many, many episodes where I interviewed children of Vietnamese boat people who fled Vietnam after the war or who were actually on a boat after the war, leaving Vietnam. I'm. So some of those stories are quite dark. I wouldn't say dark, but yeah, pretty dark actually, and very deep, but really, really interesting as well. So, and if there's anybody that you would like me to interview, then please get in touch as well, because, uh, one of the most difficult things is deciding, deciding who to interview and to find people as well. So if there's anyone that you think would be a good guest, then please let me know. So I hope you enjoyed this episode. I hope you can listen to some in the past, some in the future, and I hope you have a great day. Cheers.