There are many aruguments as to which are the best rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City. That’s because there are so many of them to choose from! Across the city you’ll find many hotels and bars that have turned their top floors into slick city hangouts. The best part? If you want to watch the sun set over the city with a drink at one of its rooftop bars, it won’t cost you the earth. You’ll find drinks are similar to average western prices (250,000 VND/£8/$10 for a cocktail). Plus happy hours are big here, which offer some great deals through the early evening. Below you’ll what I think are the top 4 rooftop bars in Saigon.
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1. Shri
Set at the top of an office block, Shri Restaurant & Lounge is perfect for lazy afternoons and mellow evenings. Inside, there’s an industrial feel to the bar area, with low hanging lights, exposed pipes, and dark tones, creating an understated and relaxed ambience. This nonchalant feel continues on the outdoor terrace. Carrying a simple yet timeless style, a mix of chairs and tables sit among fairy light laced trees and plants. And Shri’s drinks menu is certainly impressive. With a generous choice of cocktails, featuring a good mix of classic drinks and some of their own inventions. There’s also lots of wines, spirits, and beers on offer, as well as a lovely little internationally inspired menu of bar snacks.
Happy hour: 25% off drinks, 3 pm – 7 pm daily
Photo credit: www.google.com/maps
2. Saigon Saigon
Resting on top of the Caravelle Hotel, Saigon Saigon bar is a classic rooftop bar with a story to tell. Opening in 1959, the bar played a prominent role as a haven for wartime journalists in the 1960s. It has since remained a welcome retreat for the city’s guests and residents throughout the years. As the city has grown upwards around the Caravelle, Saigon Saigon doesn’t have the best view in town anymore. Yet its iconic history gives the place a wonderfully elegant charm that you just won’t experience at the newer bars. The decor is simple yet classic, featuring a checkerboard tiled floor, wooden chairs and tables and wooden shutters that open out onto the terrace. The drinks follow suit, with a menu of traditional cocktails to choose from, as well as some signature drinks, spirits and beers; all served with complimentary nibbles and snack.
Happy hour: 50% off drinks, 4 pm – 7 pm daily
Photo credit: caravellehotel.com
3. Social Club
Connected to Shri by a slightly scary glass bridge, we stumbled across this bar by pure accident. Set on the rooftop of Hotel des Arts Saigon, Social Club was one of my favourite bars in Ho Chi Minh City that brings the spirit of a tropical beach bar to the capital. With wooden decking, marble standing tables, wicker stools and comfy cushions, the bar has a timeless and relaxed setting – only further enhanced by the infinity pool in the corner. Social Club is quite small in comparison to most rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City. But this only adds a nice sense of exclusivity. The bar is ideal for laid back drinks in the early evening with all the cocktails, beers and spirits you’d expect to find, plus a good choice of wine.
Happy hour: 50% off selected cocktails, wines and beers, 5 pm – 8 pm daily
Photo credit: hoteldesartssaigon.com
4. Breeze Sky Bar
Similar to Saigon Saigon, Breeze Sky Bar is also one of the more iconic and best rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City. Perched on top of the colonial Hotel Majestic Saigon, it is the place where Graham Greene wrote his famous war novel, ‘The Quiet American’. Today, a large patio terrace and French architecture create a classic spot to sit back and enjoy a cold beer. Yet it is the spectacular view of the Saigon River and city skyline beyond that makes this bar so special. Drinks menus here feature a lot of signature cocktails, as well as a selection of luxury wine, spirits and beers. The only downside is Breeze Sky Bar doesn’t do a happy hour for non-guests anymore – although the full prices are still worth it for the view.
Photo credit: majesticsaigon.com
