In the very center of the Nguyen Hue pedestrian zone in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City stands a 9-story "vertical café village." 42 Nguyen Hue, commonly known as Cafe Apartment. A residential apartment built in the 1950s to 60s was reborn into over 50 cafés, shops, and creative spaces when Nguyen Hue was turned into a pedestrian zone in 2015. Featured by Lonely Planet and CNN Travel, on TikTok the evening view from the balcony of the 5th-floor "Saigon Oi Cafe" has become standard content. This building, where a different world spreads out each time you climb the stairs, is guided floor by floor.
Cafe Apartment's history: from U.S. officers' quarters to a café village
The building at 42 Nguyen Hue was constructed in the 1950s to 60s. Initially used as quarters for U.S. military officers, after the war families of Vietnamese government officials lived there. The building, more than half a century old, was aging, but in 2015, when Nguyen Hue Street was redeveloped into a pedestrian zone, the situation changed completely.
Rather than demolishing it, the weathered brick and exposed piping were left as they were, and each room was converted into an independent store. The approach of preserving Saigon's heritage while giving it new uses is a way of thinking that also echoesHoi An's Old Quarter preservation. What resulted is a "vertical café village" where more than 50 cafés coexist within a single building.
Floor-by-floor guide: the full picture of the 9 stories
| Floor | Spots of note | Genre | Price guide | Price (converted to yen) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1F | Fahasa Bookstore | Bookstore (free entry) | ― | ― |
| 2F | Gom x Nicotin Cafe & Workshop | Café plus pottery workshop | 50,000〜100,000 VND | About 300 to 600 yen |
| 3F | Meraki Cafe / Dosh Donuts | Café and donuts | 40,000〜80,000 VND | About 240–480 yen |
| 4F | % Arabica Coffee | Japan-born specialty coffee chain | 65,000〜120,000 VND | About 390 to 720 yen |
| 5F | Saigon Oi Cafe | Balcony seats, coconut coffee | 60,000〜100,000 VND | About 360 to 600 yen |
| 6F | Madam Quyen / Good Day Coffee | Restaurants and cafes | 50,000〜120,000 VND | About 300 to 720 yen |
| 7F | Thinker & Dreamer | Art café, egg coffee | 50,000〜90,000 VND | About 300 to 540 yen |
| 8F | Po Coffee | Retro café (postwar-style interior) | 55,000〜60,000 VND | About 330 to 360 yen |
| 9F | The Letter / Good Day Coffee | Rooftop view | 50,000〜100,000 VND | About 300 to 600 yen |
Each floor has two wings: south-facing (the balcony side overlooking Nguyen Hue Street) and north-facing (the quiet back side). If you're after photogenic shots, choose the south side; if you want to work slowly, choose a Wi-Fi-equipped store on the north side.
Details on 3 cafés of note
Saigon Oi Cafe（5F）: A presence that could be called the "face" of Cafe Apartment. Step out onto the balcony from the interior lined with wooden floors, potted plants, and lanterns, and the full view of the Nguyen Hue pedestrian zone spreads out. Gathering over 600 reviews (4.1 to 4.2 points) on TripAdvisor, the balcony seats during golden hour (16:00 to 18:00) have become TikTok's "standard Ho Chi Minh City shot." The signature menu is coconut coffee. Balcony seats may carry an additional charge of 10,000 to 30,000 VND (about 60 to 180 yen).
% Arabica Coffee（4F）: A Kyoto-born specialty coffee chain in its first Vietnam location (2024). It features an original interior using bamboo from northern Vietnam, and for Japanese travelers there's the fun of enjoying a familiar flavor in a foreign space. Hours are 7:00 to 22:00.Hanoi's Cafe Giang egg coffeeWith a clean taste in contrast to this, comparing the two side by side is also a treat.
Po Coffee（8F）: A distinctive café that recreates Vietnam's postwar retro aesthetic in its interior. Original menu items you can drink only here line up, such as salted milk matcha (55,000 VND) and pineapple-carrot coffee (60,000 VND). The space surrounded by old posters and vintage furniture gives the sensation of rewinding Ho Chi Minh City's time by several decades.
Reactions from visitors and social media
Cafe Apartment is a spot talked about on Instagram, TikTok, and Xiaohongshu (RED) as "an absolute must if you go to Ho Chi Minh City." Its exterior is especially photogenic, and at night the windows of each room lit by LED glow colorfully, making the whole building like an art installation.
In travelers' reviews, many say "you can easily spend 3 to 4 hours" and "it's fun to hop between multiple cafés in one building." On the other hand, there's also practical advice like "weekend evenings get quite crowded" and "the elevator is slow (3,000 VND per ride), so the stairs are recommended."
In Japanese media too, "Globe-Trotter" and travel YouTubers have introduced it, but detailed floor-by-floor information is still scarce. As the author, I strongly recommend extending your steps not only to the standard Saigon Oi Cafe but also to Po Coffee on the 8th floor and Thinker & Dreamer on the 7th floor.
Practical advice for Japanese travelers
To enjoy Cafe Apartment to the fullest, using the time of day differently is key.
In the morning (9:00 to 11:00), every floor is empty and ideal for photography too. A route of drinking a morning flat white at % Arabica on the 4th floor and then strolling each floor is recommended. Afternoon (16:00 to 18:00) is golden hour. Gazing at the sunset from the balcony of Saigon Oi Cafe on the 5th floor becomes the biggest highlight. At night (19:00 to 22:00), the building's exterior LED lighting begins, and photography from the pedestrian-zone side is striking.
Since it's in the center of District 1,the KKV flagship storeandPier Desserta half-day route combined with is easy to put together. Budget-wise, a guide is 200,000 to 400,000 VND (about 1,200 to 2,400 yen) for 2 to 3 drinks.
The ripple effect of the "vertical café village" model
Cafe Apartment's success presented one model for Ho Chi Minh City's urban development. The movement to renovate old buildings as cafés and creative spaces rather than demolishing them is spreading to Districts 2 and 3 as well.
From the perspective of the travel industry, a compact tourism resource where "you can enjoy half a day in one building" is extremely efficient for short-stay travelers. As a Vietnamese version of "aggregated culture spots" like Tokyo's Ura-Harajuku or Taipei's Huashan 1914, there's a possibility that a similar concept will spread to Da Nang and Hanoi.
Access and practical information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 42 Nguyen Hue, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City |
| A few minutes' walk from the square in front of St. Joseph's Cathedral | 9 stories, over 50 stores |
| Admission | Free (3,000 VND, about 18 yen, when using the elevator) |
| Hours | Varies by store (many open 7:00 to 8:00 and close 22:00 to 23:00) |
| Average budget | 200,000 to 400,000 VND (about 1,200 to 2,400 yen) for 2 to 3 drinks |
| Recommended times | Morning 9:00 to 11:00 (empty) / Evening 16:00 to 18:00 (golden hour) |
| Access | About 30 minutes by Grab from Tan Son Nhat Airport (150,000 to 200,000 VND) |
| Nearest | Along the Nguyen Hue pedestrian zone, a 10-minute walk from Ben Thanh Market |
| Points to note | Crowded on weekend evenings. Balcony seats may carry an additional charge |
Summary
The Cafe Apartment at 42 Nguyen Hue is a "vertical café village" where a 1960s residential apartment transformed into over 50 cafés. Kyoto-born % Arabica, the TikTok holy site Saigon Oi Cafe, retro-space Po Coffee: a different world spreads out each time you climb the stairs. The moment of looking down over Nguyen Hue Street from a golden-hour balcony will surely be a highlight of a Ho Chi Minh City trip. Free entry, drinks from the 300-yen range. When you come to Ho Chi Minh City, have a cup here first.
