The Best Rooftop Bars In Ho Chi Minh City

Suddenly, Saigon got itself a skyline. What was once a low-rise city not so long ago, now has towering skyscrapers like the Bitexco and Landmark 81. Occasionally, they’re topped off with one of the best rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City. But the truth is, you don’t need to go too many floors up to find a good rooftop bar. So, our list of the best rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City has it all - from bougie five-star hotel bars, to design-conscious lifestyle dining, to graffiti-covered backpacker joints. Elevate your game here.

Đọc bài viết bằng Tiếng Việt

Buildings come in shapes and sizes, of course, and so do their roofs: from low-rise patios to titanic top-of-the-tower terraces. Both can host anything from neighborhood-style bars to banging hip hop clubs. And so it is with our list of the best rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Best Rooftop Bars In Ho Chi Minh City

And while we were tempted to include Bambino, new restaurant of the year last year, according to the B.A.R. Awards, due to its vibey terrace in the historic building on Ton That Thiep, it really is a restaurant first and foremost. And the same goes for Que Kaarem, the hip, carousel-style upstairs restaurant on Saigon’s Pham Viet Chanh, that, despite being mostly terrace, is natural wine and food focused and would, understandably, balk at the tag ‘rooftop bar.’

Same goes for The Observatory, the Saigon dance music institution that’s just celebrated 10 years of pairing the world’s best house and techno DJs with their homegrown roster of residents, where the energy is focused on the rooftop these days, with occasional forays into the dark-room club at its heart.

How Did We Choose Which Are The Best Rooftop Bars In Ho Chi Minh City?

No one likes being cooped up, not even chickens. Us too. Our preference for the best rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City is towards ones open to the elements. Not ones framing the view through a large pane of glass. We want to be peering over the edge wide-eyed, breathing it all in. Maybe that’s the Saigonese in us - we’d rather experience the city on a motorbike than staring out the window of a car too.

And sometimes it seems simply by being a rooftop bar in Ho Chi Minh City you’ll draw a crowd. But why can’t a good menu and a good view go together? Here we’ve sought out rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City that go a bit beyond the basics - whether that’s in the cocktails they serve or the music they play (or preferably both).

That’s not to say we’re dismissive of the old timers. The Rex Hotel’s rooftop bar is a tantalizing time warp, as the band plays, and the waiter in his waistcoat sets down a Martini.

But we have taken an iconoclastic approach to the list, preferring new places that are breaking the mold over the mainstays that may be overstaying their welcome.

The Best Rooftop Bars In Ho Chi Minh City

In this curated selection, we’ve chosen places for all occasions - from sunset Aperols with your besties, to intimate dates, or raucous clubbing with the crew. Trust us. We’ve been to all of these rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City, taking one for the team (once again), to verify their worth.

DẠ夜 and HỢP合

In Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, a dual-concept venue is redefining the relationship between dining and nightlife. DẠ夜 and HỢP合 occupy the same building but different dimensions - one a moody Chinese restaurant channeling Wong Kar-wai’s “In the Mood for Love,” the other a rooftop bar pulsing with the chaotic energy of “Chungking Express.”

The journey typically begins at DẠ夜 (pronounced “ya”), where guests enter through a chinoiserie-blue corridor lit by tea lights. The dining room balances traditional Chinese elements with contemporary Western influences - an approach that extends to the menu. Here, wok-seared duck breast and Sichuan steamed fish share space with more experimental dishes like abalone with foie gras.

But it’s upstairs where the story takes an unexpected turn. HỢP合 (pronounced “hop”) trades the restaurant’s quiet elegance for unfiltered spontaneity. D&B Audiotechnik sound systems pump house music across a space that feels like ’90s Hong Kong reimagined for 2024. The Nguoi Nha Team of resident DJs keeps the energy high, while bartenders craft drinks that match the venue’s playful spirit - think smoked whisky with star anise or tropical gin infused with pandan.

“We wanted to celebrate contrasts,” says [NAME], who oversees both venues. “Downstairs you might be having an intimate dinner with Mandarin covers of 1950s blues playing softly in the background. Two hours later you could be on the roof, dancing to Marshall Jefferson’s ‘Move Your Body’ while sipping tap cocktails under neon lights.”

The duality seems to be working. On any given night, you’ll find diners from DẠ夜 making their way up the hidden stairway to HỢP合, trading refined luxury for raw energy as the night progresses. It’s a journey that feels distinctly Saigon - a city that’s always known how to balance tradition with irreverence, intimacy with exhilaration.

In Short: A tantalizing two-for-one, with Chinoise-chic downstairs and house music all night long beneath the stars upstairs.

Contact DẠ 夜: Facebook | Instagram Contact HỢP 合: Facebook | Instagram

Location: Level 26 and Rooftop of Centec Tower, 72-74 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, District 3

Papaya Papa

From the team behind Banana Mama comes a new spot that feels destined to be family. Papaya Papa, perched above Hai Ba Trung next to the Pizza 4P’s alley, shares its sister venue’s affinity for tropical fruits and rooftop revelry - but with its own distinct personality.

While Banana Mama parties at the edge of Bui Vien, Papaya Papa offers a more domesticated kind of debauchery. Think of it as a house party in a design-conscious friend’s apartment, one who’s somehow managed to secure a widescreen view of downtown District 1. The space is split between indoors and out (a blessing during rainy season), with wooden surfaces warming the mood, strategically placed pot plants softening the edges, and curvaceous ceramics adorning shelves behind the DJ booth. Sofas are scattered everywhere, inviting the kind of languid lounging that often stretches until 4am.

“We wanted fun food, dishes you can drink and dance to,” says Quentin, the sharply-suited bar manager who’s still adjusting to life at Banana Mama’s more grown-up new beau. The menu globe-trots confidently: clams luxuriate in cilantro butter, cauliflower comes lathered in spiced mayo, octopus meets chimichurri, and a bone-in ribeye arrives with potato gratin and morel sauce - all designed for sharing and grazing as the night progresses.

The cocktail list matches the kitchen’s playful spirit. Hindi Punch marries Baigur Gin with guava and coconut, while Beer-ly Legal combines whiskey-infused hibiscus, citrus, and raspberry syrup before getting topped with IPA. Even the house white, Le Temps est Venue, feels chosen for good times - as silky and scintillating as the DJ sets that define the later hours.

It’s a venue that shape-shifts as the evening unfolds, morphing from restaurant to bar to club without ever feeling like it’s trying too hard. Some places want to be everything to everyone; Papaya Papa just wants to be the host of your next great night out.

What: Fruity fun.

Where: 147 Hai Ba Trung, District 3

Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Shri Lifestyle Dining

Shri, in the CENTEC Tower, has had a makeover. Previously, as Shri Restaurant & Lounge, the venue worked as a multipurpose space - a speakeasy at the back and an events space at the end of the terrace. Now, as Shri Lifestyle Dining (Level 23, CENTEC Tower, 72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3) the whole space is design-consciously synergized.

Through the photogenic door frame entrance the space glows in warm tones, and out onto the terrace, there’s foliage and sofas, and dishes and drinks presented dramatically enough to take your eyes off the views back down Hai Ba Trung for a moment at least.

In Short: A design-conscious rooftop drinking and dining space that’s perfect for dates.

Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Location: Level 23, Centec Tower, 72-74, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3

Zion Sky Lounge & Dining

Zion Sky Lounge & Dining took rooftop bars to a new, conceptual level. This was a Ho Chi Minh City rooftop bar as a tribute to post-apocalyptic sci-fi movies like Blade Runner - with rusted industrial surfaces and space ship portals, and an eerie upturned pool above the bar.

With Zion Sky Lounge & Dining’s (87A Ham Nghi, District 1) design-consciousness came a refreshing approach to music with Vina-house replaced with international and home-grown hip hop bangers, the DJ booth in full view of the stadium-style seating rising up to the back wall as you enter.

In Short: The post-apocalyptic party place.

Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Location: 87A, Ham Nghi Street, District 1

Le Café des Stagiaires

The completion of Landmark 81 and boom time for expat-enclave Thao Dien roughly coincided. Then, suddenly there was a whole new avenue in Thao Dien to view Vietnam’s tallest building - the riverfront street as Nguyen Van Huong completed the loop back around to the Xa lộ Hà Nội highway and Thao Dien Street.

The team behind Le Café des Stagiaires (10 Street 54, Thao Dien), who already had venues in Shanghai since 2011, and Bangkok since 2015, opened soon after. The big yellow block of a building with its Gallic touches weathered the pandemic with typical French insouciance, and already feels like a District 2 institution.

Upstairs had a chic DJ booth and a casual vibe with lots of events, but the rooftop quickly became the big draw. Wide open, with an affordable menu and great bar snacks - their Belgian fries are the stuff of legend - Le Café des Stagiaires became the perfect sundown spot, and the music meant people stuck around long after dark.

Since then, due to popular demand, Le Café des Stagiaires has taken over another level, in the building beside it. Proof, if it were needed, that this rooftop bar in Saigon is leveling up again.

In Short: Your friendly, for-the-Francophile neighborhood rooftop bar.

Contact: Facebook | Website | Instagram

Location: 10 Street 54, Thao Dien, District 2

AfterGlow

Thao Dien’s inexorable march to become the center of the city shows no signs of abating. There’s even a walking street now, the 465-meter-long part of Xuan Thuy that begins at the junction with Quoc Huong and continues up to riverfront Nguyen Van Huong.

It’s a fascinating part of the district. Known for its expat community and exclusive villa compounds, this end of Xuan Thuy is a trilling mish-mash of eating and drinking spots - Lac Thai and a branch of Pizza 4Ps beside Bánh mì Lộc Ký and BA GÁC Vietnamese Grill & Beer.

Looking imperiously down upon it all, is Afterglow Sky Bar (43A-43B Xuan Thuy, District 2), a rooftop bar as a riotous house party open Wednesday to Sunday 5PM until late. As with many of the other rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City covered here, the cocktail program is especially on-point with topical coolers like their rum-based Komorebi served by bartenders in front of a shimmering LED screen.

In Short: A rooftop bar that’s a Thao Dien house party.

Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Location: 43A - 43B Xuan Thuy, Thao Dien, District 2

Banana Mama

While the intensity of backpacker Bui Vien around the corner increases, Banana Mama (102 ABC Cong Quynh, District 1) is content to provide a stark contrast - this is a chic and intimate rooftop space for Aperols and photo calls.

On the decking of the terrace is neutral colored soft seating and sheltering patio umbrellas, with snazzy cushions and drinks to match - tiki-style cocktails like their eponymous dark rum and coconut Banana Mama and their spicy Mayan Mule with its chili-tequila kick.

There are build-your-own-gin and tonics and punch jugs and Pimm’s jugs too, with lots of Belgian and craft beers on tap, like their Heart Of Darkness Kurt’s Insane, or by the bottle, like their Belgo Blond. Plus, there’s natural wine - still a rarity, especially for rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City - and a beefy line of freshly-made burgers, like their Le Smash and their Kimchieggstacy, with a Korean kick.

In Short: A Ho Chi Minh City rooftop bar for Aperols and photo calls with your besties.

Contact: Facebook | Website | Instagram

Location: 102 ABC Cong Quynh, WMC Tower - 10th floor, District 1

Chill Skybar

The name was always a misnomer. Going 12 years and counting, Chill Skybar remains defiantly not chill.

As we reflected on their ten-year anniversary in 2022, Chill Skybar was the place to party, before there really was anywhere to party. But now, with the industry changed irreparably since they first opened, Chill Skybar still holds its own.

There’s the iconic circular bar that birthed a generation of bartenders in the center and the vertiginous staircase. And there’s the same mix of locals and tourists all in pursuit of one thing - a good time. Expect jump-up EDM and performances at this perch where downtown District 1 meets backpacker Bui Vien.

In Short: The OG in the Saigon rooftop party game is still going strong.

Contact: Facebook | Website | Instagram

Location: Rooftop Level 26, AB Tower, 76A Le Lai, District 1

Broma: Not A Bar

While lots of the best rooftop bars in Ho Chi Minh City reach for the stars, Broma: Not A Bar (41 Nguyen Hue, District 1) is high enough already.

The location has always been remarkable. Broma is right on Nguyen Hue Walking Street. But that doesn’t seem to stop the party. That’s especially true of their weekend Vitamin D events, which start at 5AM, when most clubs are kicking out, and roll on through the day.

But even midweek there’s vibes, like live saxophone performances, DJs, and percussionists on Thursdays.

The hip hop and bass-obsessed Piu Piu crew have also settled in at Broma too on weekends, with an incendiary line-up of local DJs and MCs, when they’re not popping up at places like Bambino, or embarking on a mini-India tour.

In Short: Some Vitamin D on Nguyen Hue Walking Street.

Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Location: 41 Nguyen Hue, District 1

Social Club Rooftop Bar Saigon

We’ve dug a little deeper than hotel rooftop bars in this list, but one that makes the grade is Social Club Rooftop Bar at Hôtel des Arts Saigon - MGallery (76 - 78 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3). There’s the location, officially in District 3, but on the edge of District 1, that has seen the city swell around it. Plus, it’s right beside the CENTEC Tower, with a vertigo-inducing glass bridge if you want to make the crossing.

The offering is as fine-tuned as you’d expect from MGallery, with half-price daily happy hours starting early, from 3PM until 7PM. Downstairs on the 23rd floor, at Social Club Restaurant, there are some brilliant seafood brunches at the weekend, but a modern-European menu the rest of the time with 120-day Black Angus Tomahawks and squid ink crab pastas.

And there are perfume-inspired cocktails like Mon Paris and L’Homme, also available on the rooftop, and a wine-list as globetrotting as its clientele.

In Short: A refined, perfume-scented rooftop refuge above MGallery.

Contact: Facebook | Website | Instagram

Location: MGallery Hotel des Artes, 76-78 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3

Cocoon

Another courageously music-first offering, Cocoon Rooftop (8th floor, PLS Tower, 105 Co Giang Street, District 1), isn’t far from the mayhem of the backpacker area.

But at their perch on the PLS Tower there’s more tiki-tinged signature drinks - Mango Tangos and Cocoon Mules - pizza by the slice, and techno nights - especially at the weekend when Cocoon opens until 4AM.

In Short: A courageously music-first cocoon.

Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Location: 105 Co Giang, District 1

Boosh Rooftop

The description on Boosh Rooftop’s (6 Bui Vien, District 1) socials doesn’t mince words: Inexpensive drinks. Games. Party on weekends. No entrance fee.

But they’re right, why lose time typing when you could be partying?

Of late, the A.Collective have pitched up here, serving up their afrobeat energy at wristband-romance nights (where each color denotes your availability). And every night, there’s the backpacker area’s transitory party energy, or a pool table in case you want to slow things down. The decor is graffiti-covered urban grime - a lot like the music policy. So pull up.

In Short: Urban edge in the backpacker part of town.

Contact: Facebook | Instagram

Location: 4th Floor, 6 Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao, District 1

All images courtesy of the venues.