Huế is hot by day, and after the Citadel you'll want to escape into a coffee shop; in the evening it's craft beer or the walking streets. Almost everything here comes from my list of saved places, with my own note on Phố đi bộ Huế; I added the tan. coffee shop, the Nooknina café and the DMZ and Brown Eyes bars on the advice of city guides. The rest of the descriptions are compiled from Google Maps reviews.
Prices are Google's average spend per person; prices of single dishes and tickets come from reviews. Valid as of 7 October 2026. Rate: $1 ≈ 26,000 ₫.
In short
- Coffee by the Citadel: tan., five minutes from the Imperial City, and MOHE in an old house — coffee about 30,000 ₫ (≈$1.20).
- Open 24 hours: T2 Coffee House on Phan Chu Trinh, with free iced green tea.
- Western breakfast: Nooknina, with eggs, avocado toast and chai latte from 7:00.
- Craft beer: Imperial Craft Bia brews its own; The Chàm has about ten taps and a whisky collection.
- Until 2 a.m.: DMZ Bar by the river, with a pool table, and Brown Eyes on Chu Văn An.
- Friday to Sunday evenings: Phố đi bộ Huế, the walking streets with bars and street food.
- Second-hand: Color.2hand in An Cựu, open until 22:00.
Coffee, bars and evenings
tan.
Phú Xuân · coffee shop · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 7:00–22:00
Google Maps · website · 86 Đinh Tiên Hoàng
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 1,200+): a coffee shop five minutes from the Imperial City — a vintage-industrial interior that feels like someone's flat, and a small green garden at the back. The drinks are salt, egg and corn coffee, with a filled croissant or a canelé. A good place to sit out the midday heat. Some complaints about the staff and the Americano. Vietnam Coracle recommends it too (guide).
MOHE Coffe
Phú Xuân · coffee and beer · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · daily 6:30–1:00
Google Maps · Facebook · 170 Đinh Tiên Hoàng
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 160+): a roomy café in an old house with metal details and old tiles, air conditioning and big ceiling fans. Coffee is about 30,000 ₫ (≈$1.20); at night there are candlelit cocktails, and live music on Wednesdays (from about 20:00). Downsides: few power sockets, and at holiday times the staff can't keep up.
T2 Coffee House 140 Phan Chu Trinh
Thuận Hóa · coffee shop · up to 100,000 ₫ (≈$4) · open 24 hours
Google Maps · 140 Phan Chu Trinh
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 40+): a retro-style neighbourhood coffee house open around the clock — comfy chairs, a street view and free refills of cold green tea for everyone. Cheap, with a mostly young local crowd. The menu is Vietnamese only, so have a translation app ready.
Nooknina-Breakfast to Burger
Thuận Hóa · breakfast and burgers · 100,000–200,000 ₫ (≈$4–8) · daily 7:00–21:30
Google Maps · Facebook · Kiệt 42 Nguyễn Công Trứ, 5
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 4,500+): a café serving Western breakfasts in a lane near Phố đi bộ; reviewers praise the eggs with spinach and avocado on an English muffin, the huge avocado toast and the chai latte. Later in the day there are burgers, chicken bao and spring rolls. The interior has creative touches and there's an upstairs. A good change after a week of Vietnamese food, though the burger doesn't win everyone over and service can be uneven.
Imperial Craft Bia Brewpub
Thuận Hóa · craft brewpub · 200,000–300,000 ₫ (≈$8–12) · daily 14:00–23:00
Google Maps · website · 21 Ngô Gia Tự
According to Google Maps reviews (4.9 from 1,400+): a bar that brews all its own beer, with bartenders who match a style to your taste. The food is surprisingly good: burgers, pork tacos and a bánh mì pizza get praise. Pricier than local bars; happy hour is 21:00–22:00. Downsides from reviews: the pizza base tastes frozen, and one guest was charged more than the menu said — check your bill.
The Chàm Craft Beer and Whisky
Thuận Hóa · craft beer and whisky · 100,000–200,000 ₫ (≈$4–8) · daily 10:00–0:00
Google Maps · 56 Nguyễn Tri Phương
According to Google Maps reviews (5.0 from 1,400+): about ten taps, including Vietnamese craft and beers you won't find elsewhere, a big range of imported bottles, ciders (apple-ginger, mango) and a serious whisky collection. The bartenders speak English and know their stuff; free peanuts with your beer. Bonus: it's also a laundromat, so you can wash your clothes over a pint.
DMZ Bar & Restaurant
Thuận Hóa · bar · 100,000–200,000 ₫ (≈$4–8) · daily 7:00–2:00
Google Maps · website · Lê Lợi, 60
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 3,600+): an old travellers' bar by the river with a map of the Demilitarised Zone on the ceiling, a pool table, rock music, live sport, an air-conditioned room and tables outside. Draught beer is cheap and the big glasses are the best deal; the food is Western and Vietnamese, in smallish portions. People often drop in after DMZ tours, and there's a hostel next door.
Brown Eyes Bar
Thuận Hóa · cocktail bar · 200,000–300,000 ₫ (≈$8–12) · daily 7:00–2:00
Google Maps · Instagram · Chu Văn An, 56
According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 750+): a bar on Chu Văn An, one of the Phố đi bộ streets, full of greenery and fountains, so it feels like sitting in the treetops. A long cocktail list, a welcome shot on arrival, a free pool table and friendly staff who don't tout for customers. There's hardly any food.
Phố đi bộ Huế
Thuận Hóa · walking streets · Fri–Sat 18:00–2:00, Sun 18:00–0:00
Google Maps · Chu Văn An, Phạm Ngũ Lão, Võ Thị Sáu
This is where the party is.
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 2,400+): at weekends from 18:00 several streets close to traffic — stalls, bars with balconies on the upper floors, street performers, massage, loud music, kids playing football in the road. Prices are reasonable and the mood is family-friendly, but it keeps going late. The river promenade nearby is where the whole city walks at sunset. On weekdays none of this happens.
Color.2hand
An Cựu · second-hand clothes · daily 8:00–22:00
Google Maps · Facebook · 137 Trường Chinh
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 50+): a small second-hand shop loved by local students — used clothes and niche designer pieces, often Uniqlo and Zara. Easy to browse, there's a fitting room, and nobody rushes you.
One last thing
Phố đi bộ Huế only runs Friday to Sunday from 18:00, so keep one of those evenings for it. And drop into Imperial Craft Bia for happy hour, 21:00 to 22:00.
More on Huế: what to see, where to eat