In Ho Chi Minh City's back alleys, another eight distinctive cafés have opened. kenh14, in a field report, introduces the notable shops of spring 2026 all at once, including "Goc Ca Phe," where you can enjoy coffee until 2 a.m. right under the Ba Son Bridge, "Byleamatchaandbread," which crosses Japanese matcha with freshly baked bread, and "Weekend Cafe," hidden deep in an apartment complex.
List of the 8 new cafés
All eight chosen by kenh14 just opened in early 2026. Rather than chain stores along main streets, many are the type lurking in back alleys or inside apartment complexes.
Matcha x bread fusion "Byleamatchaandbread"
A shop standing in the residential area of the Thao Dien area (District 2). Based on Japan's matcha culture, it proposes pairings with bread baked every morning. It has a rich variety of matcha lattes, and the customization to add a strong-tea shot is also gaining popularity.
- Address: 14 Tran Ngoc Dien, An Khanh, Thu Duc
- Hours: 8:00 – 20:00
- Features: A specialist in matcha x freshly baked bread
An oasis under the bridge "Goc Ca Phe"
Its biggest feature is the location right under the huge pier of the Ba Son Bridge. In an open space with high ceilings, the wind blows through. Since it's open until 2 a.m., it also meets night-café demand. With a layout suited to reading and quiet conversation, use by nomad workers is increasing too.
- Address: 2 Ly Tu Trong, Phuong Sai Gon, Quan 1
- Hours: 6:30 – 2:00 the next day
- Features: Right under the Ba Son Bridge, late-night hours
An apartment-complex hideaway "Weekend Cafe"
It's within an apartment complex's grounds, past two turns down an alley off Cong Quynh Street. A small space based on green and wood grain, designed for spending a relaxed weekend. Since seats are limited, weekday mornings are the target.
- Address: 189B/A30 Cong Quynh, Cau Ong Lanh, Quan 1
- Hours: 8:00 – 22:00
- Features: Inside an apartment complex, limited seating
Comparison table of all 8 shops
| Shop name | Area | Concept | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| IM:MI Coffee Roasters | Quan 1 (Nguyen Trai Street) | House roasting, minimal space | 8:00 – 23:00 |
| Every Half Hoi An | Hoi An (Nguyen Tat Thanh Street) | Traditional architecture x modern design | 8:00 – 16:00 |
| Tiem Ca Phe Ngot Ngao | Tan Dinh, Quan 1 | Fruit drinks, social-media-worthy | 9:00 – 22:30 |
| Goc Ca Phe | Quan 1 (under the Ba Son Bridge) | Open space under the pier, late-night hours | 6:30 – 2:00 the next day |
| SUU Sip&Stay | Tan Dinh, Quan 1 | Art space x creative drinks | 7:30 – 22:00 |
| Byleamatchaandbread | An Khanh, Thu Duc | Japanese tea x freshly baked bread | 8:00 – 20:00 |
| Toophee Coffee | Xuan Hoa (Vo Thi Sau Street) | Sea-green x wood, work-oriented | 8:00 – 21:00 |
| Weekend Cafe | Cau Ong Lanh, Quan 1 | A hideaway inside an apartment complex | 8:00 – 22:00 |
Local reactions
It's been said for a long time that Ho Chi Minh City's café scene is saturated, but these eight each have a clear differentiating point.
Reviews on social media
In kenh14's Facebook comment section, a post about Goc Ca Phe saying "I never thought of drinking coffee under a bridge. It's cool and you can see the night view too" (paraphrased) gathered over 300 "likes."
Toward Byleamatchaandbread, voices such as "places where you can drink authentic Japanese-style matcha in Ho Chi Minh City have finally increased. It's worth going all the way to District 2" (paraphrased) stand out.
For Weekend Cafe, there are many reactions enjoying the hideaway feel, such as "the location is too hard to find. The Google Maps pin was off and I got lost for 20 minutes. But there's a sense of achievement when you find it" (paraphrased).
The view of café-industry insiders
ホーチミンのカフェ業界では「路地裏立地で家賃を抑え、SNSの口コミだけで集客する」モデルが2025年後半から加速している。大通り出店の月額家賃が5,000万VND（約30万円）を超えるエリアでは、路地裏なら1,500万VND（約9万円）前後に抑えられるケースもある。
A practical guide for Japanese travelers
If you're planning a café tour on a Ho Chi Minh City trip, picking 2 to 3 of these eight shops and building a route is efficient.
Recommended way to tour
Since four shops are concentrated in the Quan 1 area, you can tour on foot from Ben Thanh Market as a starting point: Goc Ca Phe → SUU Sip&Stay → Tiem Ca Phe Ngot Ngao. Byleamatchaandbread is in District 2, so about 15 minutes of travel by Grab bike is needed.
A tour of Ho Chi Minh City's café apartmentsIf you check this together, experiencing 10 or more cafés in one day is possible.
Points to note
- Back-alley cafés can have low Google Maps accuracy. Searching the shop name in Vietnamese tends to bring up an accurate pin
- The late-night Goc Ca Phe is in an area where the wait for a Grab car gets long after 10 p.m. You'll want to secure your ride back before visiting
- Every shop is crowded on weekend afternoons. If you want to take photos, weekday mornings are best
Ho Chi Minh City's café trends and the impact on the industry
Ho Chi Minh City's café density is among the top in Southeast Asia, with over 10,000 operating in the city. To survive among them, each shop is pressed to achieve both "a cup you can drink only here" and "a photo you can take only here."
What these eight shops share is a strategy that turns the handicap of location (back alley, under a bridge, inside an apartment complex) to their advantage.Da Nang’s third-wave coffeeIn contrast to how differentiated itself with "seaside openness," Ho Chi Minh City's new generation turns "being hard to find" itself into branding.
Cafe Giang's egg coffeeIt's also interesting that, in contrast to how Hanoi's long-established shops like compete on "history," Ho Chi Minh City's back-alley cafés sell "the fun of discovery."
Practical info summary
| Shop name | Address | Hours | Nearest landmark | Price range (per cup) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IM:MI Coffee Roasters | 269/2 Nguyen Trai, Quan 1 | 8:00 – 23:00 | 10 minutes' walk from Ben Thanh Market | 45,000 – 75,000 VND |
| Every Half Hoi An | 28 Nguyen Tat Thanh, Hoi An | 8:00 – 16:00 | Hoi An Ancient Town | 50,000 – 80,000 VND |
| Tiem Ca Phe Ngot Ngao | 25/8 Ba Le Chan, Tan Dinh, Quan 1 | 9:00 – 22:30 | 5 minutes' walk from Tan Dinh Church | 40,000 – 65,000 VND |
| Goc Ca Phe | 2 Ly Tu Trong, Quan 1 | 6:30 – 2:00 the next day | Right under the Ba Son Bridge | 40,000 – 70,000 VND |
| SUU Sip&Stay | 06 Phan Ngu, Tan Dinh, Quan 1 | 7:30 – 22:00 | 3 minutes' walk from Tan Dinh Church | 50,000 – 85,000 VND |
| Byleamatchaandbread | 14 Tran Ngoc Dien, Thu Duc | 8:00 – 20:00 | Central Thao Dien | 55,000 – 90,000 VND |
| Toophee Coffee | 146/1 Vo Thi Sau, Xuan Hoa | 8:00 – 21:00 | 15 minutes' walk from Independence Palace | 40,000 – 65,000 VND |
| Weekend Cafe | 189B/A30 Cong Quynh, Quan 1 | 8:00 – 22:00 | 5 minutes' walk from Bui Vien Street | 45,000 – 70,000 VND |
Summary
Ho Chi Minh City in spring 2026 sees a continuing rush of new back-alley café openings. This season's feature is that distinctive shops are gathering in locations that would conventionally be avoided: under the Ba Son Bridge, deep in an apartment complex, a corner of a residential area. Since most fall within a 15-minute Grab radius, with half a day you can tour 4 to 5 shops. On your next Ho Chi Minh City trip, do seek out a cup in a back alley rather than a main-street chain store.
