2026.03.24
Vietnam is the world's second-largest coffee producer, and a distinctive coffee culture runs deep there. Alongside varied styles such as strong Vietnamese coffee, egg coffee, and coconut coffee, a third-wave specialty coffee scene has also grown rapidly in recent years.
Vietnam's Café Culture goes beyond simply a place to eat and drink, functioning as a venue for business meetings, socializing with friends, and remote work. For business people from Japan considering entering the Vietnamese market, experiencing the local café scene is a first step toward understanding it.
A world-famous shop known as the birthplace of egg coffee. It began when a bartender at the Sofitel hotel, founded in 1946, came up with a coffee made with egg yolk instead of milk. Located in the Old Quarter, it lets visitors experience the origin of Vietnamese coffee culture. Egg coffee is reasonably priced at about 35,000 dong (around 200 yen) (source: Feastio).
Hanoi is the birthplace of this popular chain, which now operates across Vietnam. It's known for retro interiors themed around the Vietnam War era, and its coconut coffee is praised for its perfect balance. Beyond being a tourist spot, it's a good example for studying the business model behind Vietnamese café chains.
A specialty coffeehouse listed in the Michelin Guide. It serves high-quality single-origin coffee and bistro dishes, showing a new form of premium café in Vietnam (source: Travel Insighter).
A modern café popular with young people in Hanoi. Its minimalist design and Instagrammable space Gen Z draw in.
An intellectual space that blends a bookstore and a café, representing Hanoi's literary café culture. Visitors can enjoy Vietnamese coffee in a quiet setting.
A leader in Ho Chi Minh City's specialty coffee scene. In an open space with high ceilings, visitors can enjoy hand-drip coffee and espresso carefully brewed by baristas. The atmosphere is also well suited to business meetings.
A new-generation café known for its minimalist, artistic space. It serves Vietnamese specialty coffee in a modern style, offering a refined café experience (source: Vespa A GoGo).
Located near Ben Thanh Market, this café is on the second floor up a spiral staircase. Visitors can enjoy high-quality coffee while looking out over the Saigon cityscape through sunlit glass windows.
A café whose signature item is egg coffee. Its quiet atmosphere, central location, and the view from its terrace are all popular.
A café that honors the traditional Vietnamese phin brewing method while also incorporating modern twists. Unique items such as salt coffee are also on offer.
Vietnam's largest café chain, with more than 700 stores nationwide. Often described as Vietnam's answer to Starbucks, its strengths are consistent quality and easy accessibility.
A long-established tea and coffee brand founded in 1968. Its fruit tea and milk tea are especially popular, with strong support from younger consumers.
A café chain run by Vietnam's largest coffee producer. It's also known for offering weasel coffee (civet coffee).
A chain growing rapidly, mainly among young urban consumers, thanks to a tech-enabled customer experience and stylish store design.
Cafés in Vietnam are also widely used as venues for business discussions. Keep the following points in mind.
Meeting at a café is common practice in Vietnamese business culture. Many cafés offer good Wi-Fi and are well suited to remote work. They're also an excellent place to observe local food trends and consumer behavior.
Social Media Marketing From a perspective, studying the marketing strategies of popular cafés (store design, menu composition, TikTok how they use) can offer useful insights for your own expansion into Vietnam.
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