An evening in Ho Chi Minh City means craft beer, rooftop bars and late dinners. Three of these are from my list of saved places: the Heart of Darkness brewery, Kawabi Izakaya and Pizza 4P's. I added four more on the advice of travel guides: the Pasteur Street brewery, the Summer Experiment cocktail bar and two rooftops, Chill Skybar and Social Club, and checked them on Google: still open, rated 4.2 or higher. I have no notes of my own on them; the descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: 100,000 ₫ ≈ $3.85.
In short
- Craft beer: Heart of Darkness and Pasteur Street Brewing, ten minutes apart.
- Cocktails: Summer Experiment on Lý Tự Trọng, a signature menu with Vietnamese flavours; expect a queue by 20:00.
- City views: Chill Skybar on the 26th floor, at European prices, or Social Club on the roof of Hôtel des Arts, with happy hour until 19:00.
- Late at night: Kawabi Izakaya stays open until 3:00.
- Pizza: Pizza 4P's on Hai Bà Trưng — two big floors seating about a hundred.
Bars and a break from Vietnamese
Heart of Darkness Craft Brewery
Sài Gòn · craft brewery · 200,000–700,000 ₫ (≈$8–27) · daily 11:00–0:00
Google Maps · website · 31D Lý Tự Trọng
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 3,700+): guests who have worked through nearly every brewery in Saigon rate it the best for beer, food and atmosphere together. Try the Dream Alone pale ale, the rice beer, a tasting paddle or the cocktails; to eat, tacos, burgers (two for one on Mondays), mussels and oysters. Good service and music, the kind of place you stay all evening.
Pasteur Street Brewing Co.
Sài Gòn · craft brewery · 100,000–300,000 ₫ (≈$4–12) · Mon–Thu and Sun 11:00–23:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–0:00
Google Maps · website · 144/3 Pasteur, down the alley
According to Google Maps reviews (4.8 from 4,800+): the original taproom of the brewery that makes beer with Vietnamese ingredients, down an alley but well signposted from the street. Get the six-beer flight: the jasmine IPAs, the pale ale and the stout are the favourites. The food is good too: burgers, fried noodles, prawns wrapped in potato. Staff match beers to your taste; it's pricier than local beer.
Summer Experiment
Bến Thành · cocktail bar · 200,000–600,000 ₫ (≈$8–23) · Mon–Thu and Sun 16:00–1:00, Fri–Sat 16:00–2:00
Google Maps · Facebook · 77-79 Lý Tự Trọng, 2nd floor
According to Google Maps reviews (4.9 from 2,000+): a cocktail bar on the second floor of an old, rather shabby building, reached through a narrow passage and up the stairs. Reviewers praise the long signature menu built on Vietnamese flavours (one drink riffs on kem chuối, the banana ice cream), bartenders who are happy to recommend, and generous food; there's a taster shot at the door. Pricey for Saigon, the music is hit-and-miss, and by 8 pm there can be a queue, so come early.
Chill Skybar & Dining
Bến Thành · rooftop bar · daily 17:30–1:30
Google Maps · website · AB Tower, 76A Lê Lai, 26th–27th floors
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 5,900+): a bar and restaurant on the 26th floor with a panorama over all of Saigon: DJs, live music, dancers and a long cocktail list, alcohol-free included. The kitchen is expensive, but the steaks, oysters and other seafood get praise. European prices; when it's busy you have to flag staff down. For a celebration you can arrange a cake in advance over WhatsApp.
Social Club Rooftop Bar
Xuân Hòa · rooftop bar · Mon–Thu and Sun 15:00–0:00, Fri–Sat 15:00–1:00
Google Maps · website · 76-78 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, on the roof of Hôtel des Arts
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 2,500+): a hotel rooftop bar with a pool, a glass sky bridge and views of Bitexco and Landmark 81. Come for sunset: happy hour runs 17:00–19:00, with almost every drink at half price. The cocktails get praise, the snacks mixed reviews; at weekends it's packed, so book a table — you can do it straight from Google Maps.
Kawabi Izakaya
Sài Gòn · Japanese izakaya · 100,000–500,000 ₫ (≈$4–19) · daily 17:00–3:00
Google Maps · 8A/3B1 Thái Văn Lung
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 360+): a small, cosy izakaya with bar food, low lights and music, open until three in the morning. Reviewers like the okonomiyaki, the fair prices and an owner and staff who treat you like family. The drinks are average but fine for starting the night; parking is tricky.
Pizza 4P's Hai Ba Trung
Xuân Hòa · pizza · 200,000–800,000 ₫ (≈$8–31) · Mon–Fri 11:00–23:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–23:00
Google Maps · website · 151A-151B Hai Bà Trưng
According to Google Maps reviews (4.9 from 24,300+): a branch of the same pizzeria with a Japanese touch. The entrance is easy to miss, but inside are two big floors seating about a hundred. Reviewers recommend the five-cheese pizza, the burrata and Parma ham, and the octopus pasta; there are local twists too, like a tom yum pizza. Big portions and very attentive service.
One last thing
Both breweries and Chill Skybar are in the old centre, the former District 1, so start the evening with a tasting flight at a brewery and finish on a rooftop or at Kawabi, which stays open until 3:00. Get to Social Club for sunset, while happy hour is on.
More on Ho Chi Minh City: what to see, food and coffee