Vietnam’s Best New Restaurants and Bars: Top 7 Picks

The American travel magazine Travel & Leisure has released a list of the top 5 restaurants and 2 bars in Vietnam, guiding travelers on where to go for the best dining and entertainment. Selection criteria include new openings, luxury, and chefs and bartenders who consistently receive "excellent" reviews or top ratings. All seven of these spots are located in Ho Chi Minh City.

Written by ANH Dang Updated on 16-12-2024

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1. Bambino

First on the list is Bambino, a restaurant that brings a touch of Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City. With chefs and bartenders hailing from Melbourne, Bambino offers classic recipes that are continually refined. One of the standout dishes is the beef tartare. After 10 PM, guests can enjoy a unique experience dining under alluring lights with a DJ playing lively music.

2. Little Bear 

Located on Nguyen Ba Huan Street, Little Bear may translate to "Petit Ours," but according to Travel & Leisure, there''s nothing small about this restaurant. It is owned by Long Tran, co-founder of the Michelin-starred GIA in Hanoi, and features executive chef Nhat Duy, a James Beard Award winner, Little Bear promises a top-tier dining experience. One must-try dish is stir-fried rice with pickles and spicy beef.

3. Pot au Pho

Pot au Pho is led by Peter Cường Franklin, chef and founder of Anan Saigon, the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. The American magazine rates this new restaurant as poised to elevate phở, Vietnam''s iconic dish, to the next level. The venue features 14 counter seats, a large bar, and an open kitchen where guests can watch the chefs at work. The black chicken phở comes highly recommended.

4. Akuna 

World-renowned Chef Sam Aisbett has chosen Ho Chi Minh City as the home for his new venture, Akuna. The restaurant’s name, “Akuna,” which means "flowing water" in Aboriginal Australian language, reflects its philosophy of freedom and mirrors the ebbs and flows of Chef Aisbett''s 20-year culinary career. Nestled on the 9th floor of Le Meridien Hotel, Akuna offers a cozy dining experience with 50 seats and serves unique dishes like garlic milk eggs, swagman bread, and congee rice, highlighted by American food critics.

5. S125 by KOTO 

ST25 by KOTO offers a modern take on Vietnamese cuisine. This innovative restaurant is the result of a collaboration between Chef Bao La, formerly of Le Garcon Sai Gon in Hong Kong, and Heath Gordon, former Executive Chef at Park Hyatt Sai Gon, both from Australia. The menu features creative dishes like grilled fish wrapped in betel leaves and stir-fried noodles with marinated lamb. Additionally, the restaurant also celebrates the ST25 rice variety, awarded "Best Rice in the World'' in 2019.

6. Xào Xạc Bar 

Nestled at the end of a quiet alley, Xào Xạc Bar resides within a villa featuring expansive gardens and an inviting outdoor space. Despite its hidden locale, the bar is celebrated for its innovative cocktails that incorporate local herbs like lemongrass, lime, and basil. An American magazine has praised the bar''s mixologists, ranking them among the city’s finest in mixology.

7. Dot Bar

Dot Bar, located in District 1, is a restaurant that has recently reopened. Ending 2023 with great success, Dot Bar has come back with a more spacious environment, brighter neon signs, and bolder cocktails including homemade spirits flavored with jackfruit and young corn. 

The bar is known as "very wallet-friendly." Classic cocktails are priced from 190,000 VND, and during a daily promotional period from 5 pm to 7 pm, some drinks are reduced to 99,000 VND. Meanwhile, the six bars mentioned above range from $75 per person, according to the price list from their website.

Source : Vnexpress

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