Thao Dien is THE expat district of Ho Chi Minh city. I stayed there for a week as my friend Meghan was living there like many other expatriates. It’s a mix of Vietnamese and European vibes, there are many coffee shops, restaurants, bars but you still have the vietnamese rush, scooters everywhere, vietnamese people taking naps on their mopeds and the heavy heat. It’s quite impressive to see when it is your first time in South East Asia, I loved it.
You can easily stay in Thao Dien and live in this bubble as you have everything around, here is a list of the best places to eat & drink in Thao Dien:
Coffee Shops & Delicacies
Dolphy
Dolphy café is a chain, there are four coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh, two are located in Thao Dien. It’s a cute coffee shop where you can grab a coffee or a breakfast at a reasonable cost.
Cheesecake Ngon
Do you like cheesecake? Do you also like crumble? Well you don’t have to choose between the two in Cheesecake Ngon. They make the best apple crumble cheesecake ever. I was skeptical at first but trust me the combination works so well, it is so delicious! A slice is 70,000 VND (about 2,7 EUR).
Dolce Vita Ice Cream
To lower the temperature of your body in the strong heat have a delicious and refreshing homemade gelato. The Italian owner imports the flavours from Italy and makes one of the best ice creams in HCMC. A not-to-miss!
Fresyo Smoothies
Perfect to get some energy with all the heat, Fresyo serves delicious fresh smoothies and protein shakes! Bonus: they serve the in-house drinks with metal straws 🙂
To Brunch
The Snap Café
The Snap café is a bigger outdoor restaurant located in a mini opened-shopping area, with cute boheme shops around. The restaurant is amazing for brunches, including refreshing salads, toasts with avocado, eggs etc. There is also a big library where you can help yourselves with a book. They have a book swap scheme, if you want to take a book home you normally have to bring another book to replace it.
The Loop
The Loop is perfect for breakfast menus, you can choose from different packages and it usually includes a coffee, a fresh juice, a main dish and toasts.I highly recommend the New World breakfast including a small orange smoothie, 2 eggs any style served with a meat side to choose, hash browns with guacamole, organic bread and butter, mixed fresh fruits and a hot drink for a total of 199,000 VND (about 7,60 EUR).
For Lunch or Dinner
Bep Vo
Bep Vo is perfect for traditional Vietnamese food. They have a range of different vietnamese dishes including stir fried, noodles etc. It is very affordable (around 50/60 000 VND, 1,90/2,30 EUR for a dish) and so yummy!
Pendolasco
If you miss European food why not have a delicious pizza at Pendolasco!? They have a range of tasty pizzas and pasta. as well as imported wines.
Surf Shack
Surf Shack is the perfect place if you are craving a nice burger with french fries. The place is decorated in an Australian Surfer vibe. It’s also a very affordable place considering the size of the burgers!
There are plenty of other places to eat and drink in Thao Dien, it’s great to have recommendations but going food exploring is the best as long as you have a good feeling. If a place is not inspiring you, you should trust your gut, especially when travelling!
Julia's Travels 