Right, maybe I’m biased as a self-confessed lover of Ho Chi Minh City, but the city is a pretty cool place to explore. Rarely do tourist say they LOVE Saigon, which I think is such a shame and its mostly because few know how to scratch below the surface of the generic tourist sites. That’s where your resident expat friend comes in (hint: that’s me, hey!). Ho Chi Minh City is filled with creativity and innovation: my favourite word to describe the city is VIBRANT. It is so so vibrant and full of life. I digress, my point being there are some really cool places where you can glimpse the energy that underpins Ho Chi Minh City, and some of my favourites to explore are the old apartments that have been converted to cafes and malls!
Never heard of Ho CHi Minh Cities apartment cafes and malls? Well that would be because they are cute boutique shops, and quirky cafes hidden behind the facade of regular apartments! I’ve stumbled upon a bunch in my time living in Saigon, mostly through searching for a specific store! I hope that if more travelers to Vietnam see this side of Ho Chi Minh City, that they will start to form the same love for it that I have!
These ones are all in District 1 but there are buildings like them scattered throughout the whole city – filled with boutique fashion stores and the quirkiest of cafes, they are a delight to explore and the perfect way to get under the skin of Saigon (click to explore them here!).
- 42 Nguyen Hue
- New Playground Saigon
- 26 Ly Tu Tuong
- 42 Bis Ly Tu Trong
42 Nguyen Hue Apartment Mall
We’re diving straight in here with the biggest and most well-known of Ho Chi Minh Cities apartment malls! 42 Nguyen Hue has become a firm fixture on many young tourists wanderlists, and so it should be on yours too!
Apparently the building was used as housing barracks and offices for the army during the Vietnam-America war, but when the war ended the building was mostly abandoned. Fast forward to the present day and the building has fallen into a state of disrepair, crumbling and full of half empty units. Luckily some innovative young artists found inspiration in the building and created pop up stores in the some of the abandoned units. The idea spiralled and somehow the eclectic mix of cafes and stores that is now 42 Nguyen Hue was born into being!
42 Nguyen Hue is full of arty shops, boutique fashion stores and an abundance of cafes! Vietnam Coracle has a floor by floor guide which you can check out, so I’ll just leave you with my favourite spots in the whole building here.
Cafes in 42 Nguyen Hue worth checking out:
Poke Saigon – one of the first quirky Poke restaurants to pop up in Ho Chi Minh City. Great spot for lunch!
Floor: 2
The Maker Cafe – industrial style cafe with one of the balconies on the building facade. Great atmosphere for working from and they have food too!
Floor: 3
Dosh – sweet treats! Dosh specialises in extra fancy milkshakes and donuts, they’re almost artwork in the way they are presented! And of course perfect for your Instagram (oh you’re on Instagram? PLUG: you can find lots of insider info about Vietnam on mine).
Floor: 3
Thinker and Dreamer – refreshing spot for a coffee, bright and clean aesthetic is good for working from too.
Floor: 4
Saigon Oi – my favourite balcony in 42 Nguyen Hue! They have the cutest wicker tables and chairs and a great view of the walking street below making it perfect for people watching.
Floor: 5
Boo Coffee – cafe with a cute design and on the top floor of the building so the balcony has a great view over the whole of Nguyen Hue walking street
Floor: 9
Shops in 42 Nguyen Hue worth checking out:
The Maker Workshop – a store showcasing both local and international designers and makers. The Maker Workshop sells a whole range of things, from clothing and shoes, to accessories and trinkets!
Floor: 1
Where: 42 Nguyễn Huệ, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Hồ Chí Minh
TIP: Instead of paying to take the elevator up, you can take the stairs for free!
New Playground Mall
This mall is a little bit different as it’s technically not an apartment mall but a converted underground motorbike parking lot! Of all the apartment malls in Ho Chi Minh City, this one takes the cake as the most hipster. It’s filled with really quirky fashion booths, for both guys and girls, and some random things like vintage arcade games, fun neon signs and always good music. The stores aren’t really my personal style but I still love going for a browse to see what they have new!