Cafes for Coffee Nerds

But made accessible for newbies, too!

Vietnam is the number one exporter of robusta coffee beans (my personal bean preference) and has an incredibly deep and wide coffee culture, with coffee farms often producing specialized batches with unique properties.

You may have noticed this reflected in the expansive, rich cafe culture! (If not, I have a few posts for you…) While you can get a pretty good to excellent glass of Vietnamese coffee at thousands of cafes and restaurants across the city, there are a few that pride themselves on going the extra mile, from specialty pours and brewing methods to sourcing and roasting their own beans.

These are my three favorite cafes for those coffee drinkers that want to know more. These baristas are talented and knowledgeable, and their whole job is to help you understand your options and enjoy your cup even more. I know I learned a lot on my visits, and I hope you do, too.

These are all must stops on your specialty coffee tour of the city. Check ‘em out!

small espresso bar

Hours: 8am-4pm

Address: 27/10 Nguyễn Thái Bình, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1

https://maps.app.goo.gl/jyNUSQ1fVY8FLj898

Head down the alley and around the corner to reach this very small shop boasting my favorite cappuccino in the city, as well as an unbeatable affogato, which naturally was with coconut ice cream. We got robusta for all our drinks (as is the tradition) and had zero regrets.

Seating is limited and hours are short but prime coffee-drinking hours. There are lots of places you can get decent cappuccinos around down, fewer where you can get a good affogato, but the quality here is out of this world. A true gift to coffee aficionados and a must try.

Mew in Saigon - Specialty Coffee

Hours: 8am-5pm

Address: 47/25 Trần Quốc Toản, Phường Võ Thị Sáu, Quận 3

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ktArM81gtHuQcSUq6

Go down yet another alley in an entirely different part of town (all my recommendations are in alleys today), turn left and you’ll come to Mew - but look carefully for the address because there is no sign.

Not done yet. The ground floor is a separate establishment for cold brew coffee. Go past the desk, up the stairs and through the unmarked door on the first floor (whew) and you’ll enter a space roughly the size of two king size mattresses - this is our destination! The baristas are incredible and have several bean and brewing options for you, including tasting set sessions for multiple people.

Total Feeling Viet Nam Specialty Coffee

Hours: 7am-6pm

Address: 158/11 Nguyễn Công Trứ, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1

https://maps.app.goo.gl/R7iCpgGs3ozPq6X99

Going down our third alley of the day (and not far from small espresso bar) you’ll find the largest operation of the three, but which inexplicably has the worst seating you can imagine. Sure, it’s striking to look at, but did they forget people like to sit and savor things? I saw on my way out that they have a work station, but wasn’t really sure if it was for customers to work, or the bean roasters, so just scooted on my way to breakfast.

Anyway, they are doing in-house roasting just as small espresso bar is, and are particularly skilled at communicating all the differences between the beans of different provinces and regions. I got a double espresso here and it was super excellent - the perfect morning pick-me-up shot and incredibly smooth.

Coffee is a marvelous drink and we’re lucky to live in one of the most interesting coffee countries in the world. If you’re a fan, or would like to know more, these are the ones that I recommend you check out.

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