Nostalgia and Great Views: The Seasonal Food Spots Worth Returning to in Vietnam This Summer

Stretching from north to south across Vietnam, buzzed-about restaurants and bars are all sharing the spotlight this summer-from a Japanese restaurant on Ha Long Bay to Phu Quoc's highest rooftop bar to a long-running spot with a "wall of memories" in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. What they share is a mix of nostalgia that touches old memories and a contemporary look that makes you want to snap a photo. For residents and future travelers alike, they're a starting point for planning a weekend night or a few-day itinerary. Where to go, in what order, and for how much-let's lay it out from a resident's point of view.

The trigger was a summer food program

The trigger was 'Sizzling Summer Fest,' a dining campaign IHG Hotels & Resorts is running from July 1 to August 31, 2026. Members of the IHG One Rewards program earn double points when they eat or drink at participating restaurants and bars. It spans several countries across Southeast Asia and South Korea, with affiliated properties across Vietnam among them; local media describe it as a '50-venue' scale on the Vietnam side alone. Worth separating out in advance: the double points apply only at IHG-affiliated venues, and the buzzy independent spots mentioned later are not eligible.

One rule to watch: only one member can earn points per bill. Splitting the check within a group won't stack points by the number of people. Flip that around, and the design favors residents who visit the same place again and again during this period.

'Touching memory x looking great' is the watchword now

Why are places like these drawing younger people now? Among Vietnam's Gen Z, two impulses run in parallel: a nostalgic urge to take photos in old streetscapes and spaces that evoke "the old days," and a photogenic urge to chase high-rise views and design-forward interiors. Neither alone is enough, and places where you can taste both nostalgia and modernity at once have won favor as the "coordinates of the moment." High prices tightening the purse strings, sharpening how people pick where to splurge, are part of the backdrop too (From YOLO to frugality—rising prices have changed how Vietnam's Gen Z spends). They tighten the belt on ordinary days, then invest in a "this is the moment" spot for anniversaries and special nights. This group of venues serves as the receiving end for those "this is the moment" occasions.

Key spots scattered from north to south

The venues in question here are spread widely, from Ha Long Bay in the north to Phu Quoc Island in the south. Keeping this geography in mind makes planning your itinerary easier.

Three venues, three distinct faces

Here are three spots with different characters.INK 360 in Phu Quocis a rooftop bar on the 19th floor of InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach, the highest spot on the island. The interior, by designer Ashley Sutton, is a theatrical space themed on ink, metal and the sea creature the Kraken. It opens daily from 5 p.m. Visit around sunset and you can photograph both the sun sinking into the horizon and the lit-up interior. Non-guests need a deposit, and the amount can vary by season, so it's wise to check the latest terms before you go.

Quan Bui Heritage in Ho Chi Minh Cityis a new venue from Quan Bui, a Vietnamese restaurant group with 15 years behind it. Its Indochine-style space works in regional ceramics and displays that tell the group's story, and it's the only location in the chain to serve clay-pot rice (com nieu). Built to be used across the ground floor, two upper floors and a rooftop, it embodies this piece's theme of "touching memory." An independent spot outside IHG's points program, it's nonetheless named alongside the others in local media as one of the "coordinates of the moment."

Roku on Ha Long Bayis a modern Japanese restaurant on an upper floor of the InterContinental Halong Bay Resort. A course meal with the bay's night view suits an anniversary or a business dinner, and for Japanese travelers in the north there's the reassurance of familiar flavors.

Working it into your weekend and itinerary

If you use these as a blueprint for your trip rather than just a 'places I've been' list, there's room to get creative with the combinations. The recommendation is to pair one nostalgic spot with one modern one. In Ho Chi Minh City, for example, spend an evening at Quan Bui Heritage over clay-pot rice and regional dishes for a moment that touches memory, then cap another day with the night view at a rooftop bar. If you cross to Phu Quoc, with the island's access growing, checking direct-flight service in advance makes it easier to move (The northern skies open up: a Hai Phong–Phu Quoc direct flight launches July 25）。

For residents, the practical use is a bit different. Where a traveler invests in a one-time "special night," someone who lives here can visit the same place each season. The double-points period runs to the end of August. Steer birthdays and hosting guests into these two months and your usual dining out gets a little cheaper. As anniversary-dinner options, view-blessed grills that make the Michelin list are multiplying too, and the city's supply of "special seats" grows thicker year by year (A grill overlooking West Lake earns Michelin four years running—an anniversary dinner）。

How the points economy widens what dining out means

This move is more than a limited-time sale. A system that rewards members the more they visit the same chain turns travelers from one-off customers into repeat visitors. For resident foreigners and frequent business travelers, it starts to make sense to bundle lodging and dining under a single membership. A spread of some 50 outlets in Vietnam means that much breadth of experience is on offer—from high-rise city bars to seaside resorts to old-town institutions. The trend of a city's food scene gaining depth along the twin axes of "memory" and "photogenic appeal" doesn't look likely to end with this summer alone.

Practical information to check before visiting

Taking INK 360, an easy headline pick, as an example, here's what to know in advance (converted at roughly 1 yen = 162 dong as of July 2026; amounts are approximate).

Quan Bui Heritage is at 16 Tran Cao Van in Ho Chi Minh City. Clay-pot rice takes time to cook through, so on busy weekend nights it's safest to come early or book ahead.

Summary

From Ha Long Bay to Phu Quoc, touring this summer by combining a "place that touches memory" with a "photogenic one" brings out the character of Vietnam's cities. If you're a traveler, start by securing one nostalgic and one modern spot in your base city. If you're a resident, try aligning anniversaries and hosting plans with the double-points period running through the end of August. Begin by checking which of the spots in the table above are in your own area. A single night next weekend can become the memory of your trip.

Sources:Thanh Niên／InterContinental Phu Quoc（INK 360）／Quán Bụi Heritage