Tet joy begins to pervade Saigon cafes

Tiem ca phe Nha Minh

Tucked in a small alley at 280/10 Cach Mang Thang 8 Street, District 3, Tiem ca phe Nha Minh (Our cafe) is adding to its original retro style a nostalgic touch with old-fashioned Tet decorations and items from a typical home in the past.

It consists of two rooms and can serve up to 40-50 people. A drink here costs VND30,000- 40,000 ($1.30-1.74). Parking is free.

De Olla Café

Located at 80/20 Hoang Hoa Tham Street, Binh Thanh District, the 70-square-meter, two-story De Olla Café with a wooden floor can seat 60 guests.

The cafe is popular among young Saigon people for its generous festive decorations with traditional Tet ornaments.

Drinks here cost VND27,000-45,000, and parking is free.

Le Ciel Café

The green and white Mediterranean-style cafe at 193/9 Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District has been given a temporary bright red makeover as the countdown to Tet begins.

With rattan tables and chairs and models of Tet cakes like banh chung and banh tet and peach blossoms, Le Ciel Café evokes a rural idyll.

It can seat 40 guests in a yard and two floors. The yard is suitably picturesque for guests who wish to take photos.

Parking is near the Hong Bang University football field and the cafe refunds the parking fee. Prices in the menu are VND29,000 – 55,000.

Mo Di Hoi

Mo Di Hoi (Dreaming about festivals) cafe is located on the fourth floor of an apartment building at 145 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1.

It feels like visiting an estranged cousin’s home in Tet with festive atmosphere of yellow apricot flowers, red lanterns and traditional calligraphy. It is also adorned with green ornamental plants for Tet.

The cafe has a capacity of 40, but to create a homely feeling, cushions on the floor serve as seats instead of chairs.

It sells snacks, drinks and rice dishes at VND50,000 – 145,000 ($2.17-6.29). The parking fee at the apartment building is VND10,000 ($0.43).

This year Tet, Vietnam’s biggest holiday, peaks on February 12.

Photo courtesy of Dong Le Quynh Huong and the cafes