"Da Lat" is famous among Vietnam's coffee-producing regions as a producing region for Arabica.A cool climate, day-night temperature swings, and red-earth soil suit coffee production well, and here you can encounter coffee you can taste nowhere else.
Farm-run roasters and distinctive cafés where you can enjoy stunning views — not seen in Vietnam's urban areas — are another feature unique to Da Lat.
In this chapter, along with basic information on Da Lat, we introduce a curated selection — shops where you can enjoy the views, spots to taste authentic Da Lat coffee, and more.
You're sure to find a favorite that matches your travel style.
Basic information on Da Lat and its relationship with coffee
Da Lat is a highland city famous as one of Vietnam's leading tourist destinations.
Beyond its appeal as a tourist spot, it has a face as a coffee-producing region, and you can encounter authentic cafés and roasters.
Basic information on Da Lat and the character of the city
Da Lat is a highland city in south-central Vietnam, developed by the French at the end of the 19th century. During the French colonial era it grew as a summer retreat, and streetscapes evoking that legacy remain today.
The elevation is about 1,500 meters. Temperatures are relatively low year-round, and mornings and evenings can feel chilly. It has a calm, easy-to-spend climate different from Vietnam's other cities.
Da Lat is also famous as a producing region for flowers, exported not only within Vietnam but to Japan and elsewhere around the world. Farming is thriving too, and you'll often see Da Lat-grown vegetables in Vietnamese supermarkets.
There are no direct flights from Japan to Da Lat, so transferring in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City is standard.Night buses also run from Ho Chi Minh City, allowing travel to match your style.
| Travel from within the country | Main airlines | Flight time |
|---|---|---|
| Hanoi–Da Lat | VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways | About 1 hour 50 minutes |
| Ho Chi Minh City–Da Lat | VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways | About 50 minutes |
Why Da Lat is called a coffee-producing region
Coffee cultivation around Da Lat spread thanks to the French developing the area in the 19th century. The highland's cool climate, day-night temperature swings, and red-earth soil are considered suited to coffee cultivation.
The mainstream of Vietnamese coffee is Robusta, but Da Lat is suited to Arabica cultivation, and the coffee is characterized by a clean acidity and soft sweetness.
Thanks to that high quality, in recent years farm-run roasters and cafés handling specialty coffee have increased, and you can learn about everything from the cultivation to the story behind a coffee brand.
A tour of long-established Vietnamese coffee shops, their history and appeal
Farm-run authentic cafés you'll want to visit in Da Lat
La Viet Coffee | Da Lat's signature popular roaster
La Viet Coffee is a popular coffee shop with locations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City too.
The interior makes use of an actual coffee factory for a rugged space. Roasters line up in rows, and you can watch coffee being finished up close. There's also a backyard tour, and it's appealing that you can casually learn about the Arabica grown in Da Lat and the processing steps.
The cutely packaged coffee beans and drip packs, popular among Japanese people too, are sure to be welcomed as souvenirs.
The Married Beans | A café where you can taste specialty coffee
"The Married Beans – Showroom," near the Da Lat market, is a small but authentic place to taste coffee.There used to be a café with an adjoining farm on the outskirts of Da Lat, but it is now closed.
Featuring a warm wooden interior, it's recommended when you want to soothe your travel fatigue with a coffee in hand.
Stylish, refined, and popular cafés in Da Lat
An Cafe | A soothing café surrounded by nature
An CaFe Global is a café where, despite being in central Da Lat, a green-wrapped space spreads out.
Many plants are arranged in the space, and playful furniture like swing-style seats that make you want to sit down catches the eye.
There are also vegan menu options, and it's a nice point that there's choice on the food side. It's a café where you can catch your breath amid nature partway through a stroll.
One More Cafe | A photogenic hideaway café
One More Cafe is a small café run by an Australian owner.
With a homey atmosphere, its homemade carrot cake and tiramisu have many fans, and brunch items like eggs benedict are also highly rated. It's recommended for those who want to enjoy a proper meal alongside coffee.
There's also a coworking space, making it a perfect café for those who want to do calm PC work.
Cafés for enjoying Da Lat's stunning views
KATINAT (Ba Thang Tu) | A famous chain where you can enjoy stunning views
"KATINAT," a café chain across Vietnam. This one near the bus terminal lets you enjoy Da Lat views you can't experience at other branches.
The tea and coffee you enjoy while gazing at the stunning view from the spacious interior are exceptional, and it's popular as a photo spot among Vietnamese youth. If you want a taste of that open-air feeling, why not visit once.
nook cafe | A hideaway-style view café worth going out of your way for
nook cafe, a bit away from central Da Lat, is known as a fine spot for enjoying stunning views.
Inside, you can savor delicious light meals and coffee while feeling the warmth. For those who want to get away from the crowds and taste the extraordinary, it's a shop worth visiting.
Bonus | Enjoying chocolate and café culture in Da Lat
Balava Chocolate House | An experiential facility where you can taste Da Lat chocolate
Balava Chocolate House is a complex tourist facility where you can enjoy various experiences such as a chocolate workshop, pizza making, and horseback riding.
Da Lat is known as a coffee-producing region, but in fact cacao is also grown in the surrounding areas, and it's drawing attention as a place to savor that appeal.
Summary | Da Lat is a "café paradise for coffee lovers"
Da Lat is a highland city blessed with a cool climate and rich nature, and one of Vietnam's leading coffee-producing regions. In an environment suited to Arabica cultivation, farm-run roasters and cafés that value each bean's character gather, and its appeal is that you can casually enjoy a cup unique to the producing region.
From roasters where you can taste authentic coffee to stylish in-town cafés to spots for enjoying stunning views, the breadth of café choices is unique to Da Lat too.It's a town you'll want to visit not just to drop by between sightseeing, but with the cafés themselves as your purpose.
Of course for coffee lovers, but also for those who want to spend relaxed time, Da Lat is a "café paradise" you'll want to visit again and again.
