Vietnam is one of the world's leading coffee producers, with a coffee culture all its own. Shaped over a history stretching back to French colonial times, Vietnamese coffee is centered on rich, fragrant Robusta and characterized by its distinctive flavor.
Step into a street-corner café and you'll find a special kind of time you can't experience in Japan. Perched on a small plastic stool, you wait for the coffee to drip slowly from the phin, a brewing tool all its own.
This whole little ritual is woven into the daily life of the Vietnamese people.
When people think of Vietnamese coffee, the sweet, rich cà phê sữa đá (iced coffee with condensed milk) comes to mind. But locally you can also enjoy inventive variations such as egg coffee, coconut coffee, and salt coffee.
According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Vietnam ranks second in the world in coffee bean production, behind Brazil. In Robusta production in particular, it is number one in the world.
So, let us introduce the locally beloved cafés worth stopping by when you actually visit Vietnam!
5 Hand-Picked Cafés to Visit in Ho Chi Minh City
活気あふれる南の大都市ホーチミンには、伝統的なカフェから近代的なスタイリッシュなお店まで、さまざまなコーヒーショップが軒を連ねています。
Here we have hand-picked five cafés we especially recommend in Ho Chi Minh City as of 2025.
1. The Cafe Apartment
ホーチミン1区にあるこのスポットは、一つのビル全体がカフェになっているという驚きの場所です。かつての古いアパートをリノベーションした9階建ての建物には、さまざまなスタイルのカフェが入居しています。
The elevator costs money (about 23 yen), so we recommend taking it to the top floor and then walking down the stairs, scouting out the cafés that catch your eye on the way.
How about that? Getting to experience several cafés in a single building feels a bit like a treasure hunt, doesn't it?
2. Highlands Coffee
A chain founded in Hanoi in 1998 by a Vietnamese-American. It has expanded across all of Vietnam and can be spotted everywhere in Ho Chi Minh City.
Not only can you enjoy authentic Vietnamese-style brewed coffee, you can also buy coffee beans as souvenirs. It is a popular spot with tourists and locals alike.
The white coffee is reasonably priced at 45,000 dong (about 270 yen). You can also order it online in Japan, so you can enjoy the taste even after you return home.
3. KATINAT
A Ho Chi Minh City–born coffee shop that opened its first store in 2016 and now has more than 40 locations across Vietnam. It is less sweet than Highlands Coffee, so comparing the two side by side can be fun.
It has a rich menu beyond coffee, and a small white coffee is an affordable 39,000 dong (about 234 yen).
4. Trung Nguyên Legend
A popular chain also called “the Starbucks of Vietnam.” Its mission is to spread the appeal of Vietnamese coffee around the world.
Its appeal lies in a wide-ranging menu, from traditional Vietnamese coffee to its own blends of premium beans. The interior has a relaxed atmosphere, making it a comfortable space even for a long stay.
5. Runam Cafe
An upscale café known for its refined interior and high-quality coffee. In an elegant space that delights the senses, you can discover a new side of Vietnamese coffee.
5 Hand-Picked Cafés to Visit in Hanoi
The historic northern capital of Hanoi is home to many traditional cafés where you can soak up a distinctive atmosphere. Especially famous is the café known as the birthplace of egg coffee.
As of March 2025, here are five cafés in Hanoi that are especially worth a visit.
1. Café Giảng
A long-established café founded in 1946, known for having invented egg coffee. With a creamy layer of whipped egg yolk and condensed milk floating atop the coffee, this distinctive cup tastes almost like a dessert.
The flagship store, tucked down a narrow alley in the Old Quarter, is always bustling with locals and tourists. Egg coffee enjoyed inside the historic café is something special.
If you're trying egg coffee for the first time, be sure to experience the authentic taste here!
2. Cà Phê Phố
A hideaway café in Hanoi's Old Quarter. It serves traditional Vietnamese coffee beloved by locals.
Its appeal lies in the retro interior and the lively Hanoi streetscape visible through the windows. Coconut coffee is especially popular, with the sweet tropical aroma and the bitterness of the coffee blending exquisitely.
3. Train Street Cafés
Along Train Street, one of Hanoi's well-known tourist spots, many cafés line the railway tracks. As of March 2025, parts of the area are off-limits for safety reasons, but the cafés continue to operate.
At cafés such as “TOA” and “Aroids – HaNoi train cafe,” you can enjoy coffee while watching the dramatic sight of trains passing by. We recommend timing your visit to the train schedule.
That said, the situation can change easily, so check the latest information before you go.
4. Lotus Tea
A café where you can enjoy not only coffee but also traditional Vietnamese tea. The lotus tea, scented with the fragrance of lotus blossoms, has an unforgettable flavor once you've tried it.
In a calm space near Hoan Kiem Lake, why not experience Vietnam's tea culture as well?
5. Cong Ca Phe
A chain known for its distinctive interior unified around a Vietnam War–era military theme. Coconut coffee is its signature menu item, and it has become popular especially among young people.
The harmony of sweet coconut and bitter coffee, savored amid the retro atmosphere, is a uniquely Vietnamese experience.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Vietnamese Coffee
If you're going to enjoy coffee in Vietnam, here are a few points well worth knowing.
Basic Types of Vietnamese Coffee
・ Cà phê đen: black coffee
・ Cà phê sữa: coffee with condensed milk
・ Cà phê sữa đá: iced coffee with condensed milk
・ Cà phê trứng: egg coffee
・ Cà phê dừa: coconut coffee
・ Cà phê muối: salt coffee
How to Enjoy It Locally
At a Vietnamese café, the wait while your coffee brews is part of the pleasure. Watch the coffee drip slowly from the phin and take in the atmosphere around you.
Around 7 to 9 in the morning is when locals enjoy their coffee. Visit during this window and you'll get a more authentic feel for the place.
Along with your coffee, try light bites such as bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwiches) or bánh phồng (fried dough). They pair perfectly!
Coffee Worth Bringing Home as a Souvenir
If you want to enjoy Vietnamese coffee back home in Japan, we recommend buying coffee beans or drip bags at local supermarkets or coffee shops. Packaged products from Highlands Coffee and Trung Nguyen in particular are easy to find and easy to brew in Japan.
A phin (Vietnamese coffee dripper) is also fairly inexpensive, so you can recreate authentic brewing at home in Japan.
Summary: Experience Vietnam's Coffee Culture
ベトナムのコーヒー文化は、単なる飲み物を超えた生活の一部となっています。濃厚なロブスタ種の味わい、独自の抽出方法、そしてさまざまなアレンジメニューは、コーヒー愛好家なら一度は体験したい魅力に溢れています。
From Ho Chi Minh City's modern cafés to Hanoi's historic establishments, part of the charm is that each city offers a different coffee experience. When you travel to Vietnam, be sure to visit the cafés introduced in this article and savor your coffee slowly, just like the locals do.
A journey that lets you feel Vietnam's everyday life, its culture, and the breath of its people through coffee is sure to become an unforgettable memory.
🗺️ チェーンや専門店も含めて幅広く選ぶなら、Vietnam's 30 Popular Cafés: A Thorough Comparison Guideもあわせてどうぞ。
