A Gastronomic Guide to Ho Chi Minh City
Modern Vietnamese cooking, home-style classics and colonial-era hotels: where to eat and stay in Saigon.
Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most exciting places to eat in South-East Asia. This guide pairs the city's best-known restaurants with the hotels that make the most comfortable bases.
A street food city
Saigon’s food life happens on the pavement. Com tam, broken rice with grilled pork, is the city’s signature breakfast; hu tieu noodle soup, banh mi and banh xeo, crisp rice pancakes, follow through the day. Southern cooking is generous with herbs and slightly sweeter than in the north.
Contemporary and home-style tables
Anan Saigon turns street food into inventive tasting menus. Cuc Gach Quan celebrates home cooking in a nostalgic setting, while Square One offers a polished hotel dining room.
Where to stay
Park Hyatt Saigon is the classic choice beside the Opera House. The Reverie Saigon is the most opulent, and Hotel des Arts Saigon the most intimate.
Practical notes
Carry cash for street food. Ride-hailing apps are the easiest way to move between districts. Many street stalls specialise in a single dish and close once they sell out.