Craft Beer in Saigon (HCMC) Guide

This guide to Saigon’s craft beer scene was last updated in April 2024.

Ho Chi Minh City, widely known as Saigon, is the focal point of Asia’s craft beer revolution.

With hundreds of craft beer bars and dozens of breweries of all shapes and sizes, Saigon is a beer lovers paradise.

This guide will explain where you can find the best craft beer in Saigon (HCMC).

To ensure our craft beer guide to Saigon is easy-to-use, the Beer Asia team has provided a level of detail that is unmatched in other guides: maps, addresses, and links to our preferred craft beer bars in Saigon.

Even better, we update our beer guides at least once a month to ensure they are up-to-date.

The History of Beer in Saigon: Context & Background

Saigon’s beer scene stretches back into the country’s colonial history. The southern Vietnamese metropolis has been home to a thriving beer culture for more than a century.

After modern Ho Chi Minh City was seized by invading French & Spanish troops in 1859, the beer-swilling colonial culture that they brought with them was quickly transferred to locals.

The first brewery, Brasseries et Placieres de L’Indochine (BGI), was established in 1875 by Victor Larue. BGI Brewery quickly became the most popular style of domestically produced beer in southern Vietnam, then known as Cochinchine Française.

Their beers, notably 33 Export, achieved a level of fame that was maintained for nearly a century until the unification of Vietnam in 1975.

The legacy of BGI lives on. The state-owned Saigon-based brewery SABECO produces 333, the modern take on BGI’s once-famous flagship. Named in Monsieur Larue’s honour, Biere Larue is also a popular choice in central and southern Vietnam today.

European Brewing Influence

There was also a separate but worthy beer scene inspired by Central European brewing traditions.

Prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Vietnam was an important player in the Eastern Bloc.

Many Vietnamese studied and worked in countries like Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and Poland.

This created a wave of interest and enthusiasm amongst returning Vietnamese to improve the quality of the local beer scene.

Hoa Vien Brauhaus (opened in 1995) is the best-known example of this central European brewing tradition in Saigon.

Doubling as Saigon’s Czech consulate, it continues to serve Czech-influenced brews and has a golf cart to ferry thirsty drinkers from the main road to their two brewpubs in Saigon.

Saigon’s Craft Beer Revolution

The emergence of the present craft beer boom in Saigon kickstarted 2014, with brewers like Platinum and Quan Ut Ut leading the way.

Since then, the handful of pioneering local craft beer breweries (and cider too!) has exploded. Moreover, there are more than 50 venues offering craft beer on draught in the city’s inner districts.

Better still, there are even multiple bars with extensive draft systems (with BiaCraft in District 3 offering 50!) and an ever-growing home delivery service available just a click away – canned or poured in growlers fresh upon order confirmation!

Saigon Craft Beer Map

We have included a detailed Google Map craft beer guide to Saigon below. You can access it anytime from your computer or smartphone to find your way to exciting local craft beer bars in Saigon nearby.

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Saigon Craft Beer Directory

Click on any venue listed below for more information, or scroll through the rest of this page to review Beer Asia’s directory of craft beer venues in Saigon (in no particular order):

Top Craft Beer Venues in Saigon

Pasteur Street Brewing Company

Pasteur Street Brewing Company has been brewing craft beer using locally sourced, fresh Vietnamese ingredients since 2014.

They first opened its first Tap Room ‘The Original’ in January 2015 in Saigon at 144 Pasteur Street. A decade down the line, they’ve developed over 200 distinct beers, opened a total of 10 Taprooms in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and their brews are available in over 300 outlets throughout the country.

Pasteur Street Original Taproom & Restaurant

• Address
  144 Pasteur, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 7300 7375
• Visit Website
• Like on Facebook
• Follow on Instagram
• Check-in on Untappd
• Operating hours
  11AM-12AM daily

Le Thanh Ton Taproom & Restaurant

• Address
  26A Lê Thánh Tôn, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 6278 8895
• Operating hours
  11AM-12AM daily

Thao Dien Taproom & Restaurant

• Address
  120 Xuân Thủy, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 6273 0562
• Like on Facebook
• Operating hours
  Monday-Thursday: 4PM-12AM
  Friday-Sunday: 11AM-12AM

Xưởng Bia Taproom & Restaurant

• Address
  23A Ngô Thời Nhiệm, Phường 6, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 2215 7068
• Like on Facebook
• Operating hours
  11AM-12PM daily

Hoàng Sa Taproom & Restaurant

• Address
  221 Đ. Hoàng Sa, Phường Tân Định, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 799 229 978
• Like on Facebook
• Operating hours
  3PM-12AM daily

Lý Tự Trọng Taproom & Restaurant

• Address
  112 Lý Tự Trọng, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 977 240 110
• Like on Facebook
• Operating hours
  11AM-12PM daily

Phú Mỹ Hưng Taproom

• Address
  Crescent Residence 5, Khu đô thị Phú Mỹ Hưng, Quận 7, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 347 089 977
• Like on Facebook
• Operating hours
  Monday-Thursday: 3PM-12AM
  Friday-Sunday: 11AM-12AM

Sala Taproom

• Address
  A2 Tower, Complex Apartment M1, Sarimi, 74 Nguyen Co Thach Street, An Loi Dong Ward, Thu Duc City
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 931 821 966
• Like on Facebook
• Operating hours
  11AM-12AM daily

Belgo Belgian Craft Beer Brewery

Inspired by the beer culture of Belgium and Vietnam, Belgo brought a brewery from Belgium all the way to Vietnam.

They reassembled it, replicated the water they have in Belgium, and invited a Belgian Brewmaster to captain their operations.

Today, with four taprooms and widespread distribution (including serving their beer in convenience stores around Saigon), Belgo remain Vietnam’s only dedicated Belgian craft beer brewery.

Da Kao

• Address
  159A Đường Nguyễn Văn Thủ, Đa Kao, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 3910 0485
• Visit Website
• Like on Facebook
• Check-in on UnTappd
• Operating hours
  Sunday-Wednesday: 11AM-11.30PM
  Thursday-Sunday: 11AM-12AM

Le Ngo Kat

• Address
  2 Lê Ngô Cát, Võ Thị Sáu, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 3620 5212
• Like on Facebook
• Operating hours
  11AM-12AM daily

Ton That Thiep

• Address
  29 – 31 Tôn Thất Thiệp, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 3622 9887
• Operating hours
  11AM-12AM daily

Phan Xich Long

• Address
  155 Phan Xích Long, Phường 2, Phú Nhuận, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 3517 0983
• Operating hours
  Sunday-Wednesday: 11AM-11.30PM
  Thursday-Saturday: 11AM-12AM

BiaCraft Artisan Ales

BiaCraft, one of the genuine pioneers of craft beer in Saigon, is arguably Saigon’s craft beer embassy, serving the most extensive collection of craft beers in Vietnam from a wide range of local breweries.

Their four locations serve a beautifully curated selection of locally brewed and imported beer. BiaCraft’s Le Ngo Cat (D3) location serves a glorious 50 (that’s right – fifty!) craft beers on draft.

Its sister company, Quan Ut Ut is a popular American BBQ restaurant in District 1 and District 2. Quan Ut Ut also serves craft beer on tap and bottles.

Lê Ngô Cát | D.3

• Address
  1 Lê Ngô Cát, Võ Thị Sáu, Quận 3, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps 
• Call +84 28 3933 0903
• Visit Website
• Like on Facebook
• Follow on Instagram
• Check-in on Untappd
• Operating hours
  11AM-11PM daily

Trường Sa | Phú Nhuận

• Address
  300 Đ. Trường Sa, Phường 7, Phú Nhuận, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 3517 3000
• Operating hours
  11AM-11PM daily

Xuân Thuỷ | D.2

• Address
  90 Xuân Thủy, Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 3744 2588
• Operating hours
  11AM-11PM daily

Nguyễn Đức Cảnh | D.7

• Address
  167 Nguyễn Đức Cảnh, Tân Phong, Quận 7, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 3622 8145
• Operating hours
  11AM-11PM daily

Tê Tê Craft Beer

Put a bunch of folk with advertising agency backgrounds together with a legit scientist, a passion for better beer and you get Tê Tê.

The brewery’s name refers to the pangolin, an armadillo-like scaly mammal (which is also in their logo design). In Vietnamese slang, it means to be high, buzzed, or happy.

After a few years without a taproom, they’ve gone from strength-to-strength with their new taproom (which also offers a spectacular array of food, created in partnership with Matt Ryan of Union Jack’s vintage).

• Address
  90 Đường Nguyễn Văn Thủ, Đa Kao, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 909 418 641
• Visit Website
• Like on Facebook
• Follow on Instagram
• Check-in on Untappd

Heart of Darkness Brewery

With 20 taps on-site, 8 tried-and-true flagships and 12 rotating taps, there’s always something new to try at Heart of Darkness.

Heart of Darkness offers freshly brewed beer weekly on Fridays, and has an insanely varied range of both core range and seasonal beers from their tried-and-tested Dream Alone Pale Ale through to experimental kveik brews.

Deservedly rated as the best breweries in Vietnam by Ratebeer, Heart of Darkness Brewery has now expanded to Singapore.

• Address
  31D Lý Tự Trọng, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 903 017 596
• Visit Website
• Like on Facebook
• Follow on Instagram
• Check-in on Untappd
• Operating hours
  11AM-12AM daily

Winking Seal Beer Co.

The call of the seal is proudly brewed in Saigon and is a merger of two breweries Winking Seal Beer Co. and Three On A Bike Brewing Co.

With 16 taps, including 4 nitro beers, rotating taproom exclusives, and guest brews, they also serve a wide variety of food including burgers from Marcel, one of the best-regarded burger joints in HCMC.

• Address
  50 Đặng Thị Nhu, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 28 7300 0319
• Visit Website
• Like on Facebook
• Follow on Instagram
• Check-in on Untappd

East West Brewing Co.

One of Vietnam’s first wave of craft brewers, East West Brewing Co. has established a solid reputation over the years as both a bonafide craft brewer and for having one of the swankiest taprooms in Saigon.

Besides EWB’s excellent core range (Pacific Pilsner is one of our stand-outs) which are widely distributed around town, they also regularly do interesting seasonal releases at their gastropub/restaurant.

They previously (end-2019) had an excellent range of sours and currently have a range of barrel-aged beers on offer.

• Address
  181 Lý Tự Trọng, Phường Bến Thành, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location on Google Maps
• Call +84 913 060 728
• Visit Website
• Like on Facebook
• Operating hours
  Sunday-Wednesday: 11AM-12AM
  Thursday-Saturday: 11AM-1AM

Self-guided Saigon Craft Beer Tours

Star this map to open and view in Google Maps. You can access it anytime from your computer or smartphone to find your way to exciting local craft beer bars and restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City.

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Great Craft Beer Bars In Sagion

Besides craft brewery taprooms, Ho Chi Minh City has a wonderful variety of bars through its many districts.

Some notable examples of bars in Saigon that offer a solid range of craft beer include..

Malt

• Address
  46-48 Mạc Thị Bưởi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
• Open location Google Maps
• Call +84 077 786 3208
• Visit Website
• Like on Facebook

Other Guides To Craft Beer in Saigon

Here is a collection of more bar reviews and beer discoveries in Saigon for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

‘Self-Guided Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Craft Beer Tour‘, Carly Matthew (2019)

‘The Ultimate Guide to Drinking Beer in Saigon‘,
Saigon Scooter Tour (2019)

‘Craft beer, cocktails & speakeasy bars – where to drink in Saigon?‘, A Matter Of Taste (2019)

Thanks for reading Beer Asia’s Saigon Craft Beer Guide! Traveling to a different city and want to explore the local craft beer scene? Check out other cities’ local craft beer guides here.