Gone are the days when reliable WiFi is hard to come by in large cities like Ho Chi Minh. But there’s always the inevitable Airbnb that doesn’t have good WiFi as promised, or the social butterfly in you wants to get out and work remotely while exploring Saigon.
So, if you’re having trouble finding a coworking space in Ho Chi Minh near you, you’ve come to the right place.
I’ll share some of my favorite cafes in Ho Chi Minh City for working remotely. Some will even make you feel like you’ve stepped into a cowork space without you having to pay steep fees.
Accessibility Note: Sadly, few buildings in Saigon are accessible for wheelchair users. If you’re a wheelchair user, check out our guide on accessibility in Ho Chi Minh for ideas on things to do there.
How I Choose Cafes in Ho Chi Minh for Remote Work
Ho Chi Minh is a mecca for coffee shops. So, the cafes I present here are a sample of the many options you’ll have to choose from.
But since you want to work remotely, I’ve selected cafes that have the following qualities:
- Excellent WiFi
- Plentiful outlets
- Many tables
Let’s face it: Even though the Vietnamese have an ultra-high tolerance for customers who order a cup of coffee and plop in their cafe the entire day, you don’t want to take up a seat in a coffee shop without many tables, costing them business.
So, choosing a cafe with many tables is vital if you plan on working for several hours (or even a whole day, as I often did).
Tips for Visiting Saigon’s Coffee Shops
I didn’t live near a Saigon coworking space during the two weeks I spent in Ho Chi Minh. So, I learned lots as I cafe-hopped my way around the city.
Below are some of my biggest takeaways that’ll help you work with confidence at coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh.
1. WiFi is Often Password-Protected
With a few exceptions—Highlands Coffee is one of them—you’ll need a password to use the WiFi at Saigon cafes.
Luckily, you don’t need to jump through hoops to find it.
Instead, look for the word “Password” at the bottom of your receipt. From my experience, the password is always typed in English, and the WiFi doesn’t time out after a certain amount of time passes.
Your laptop should automatically connect to the WiFi network if you visit the same cafe.
2. Credit Cards Are Welcome
Having the option to pay by credit card—especially for low-cost items like a cup of coffee—is still a rarity in much of Southeast Asia.
But I never had a coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh deny me the option to pay by card.
So, don’t fret if you don’t have enough dong on you, as long as you’re carrying plastic.
3. No One Cares How Long You Stay
I don’t advocate taking up a seat all day at a small cafe with limited chairs. But even if you do, it’s unlikely that the staff will give you daggers.
Nevertheless, if you want to be more inconspicuous, head upstairs.
Nearly all cafes in Saigon have at least two floors, although three and four-story coffee shops are common.
4. Some Cafes Are Hard to Find
There were several instances where I missed the entrance to a cafe I wanted to visit. The entrance was right in front of my nose, in theory.
But many of these cafes are located down (safe) alleys and/or require walking into buildings and upstairs to encounter them.
Don’t worry—you’ll get the hang of what to look for after your first time or two.
5. Language Isn’t a (Big) Barrier
I was impressed by how many—and how well—many cafe workers spoke English. I rarely had issues placing an order or asking a question.
Furthermore, in almost all cases, the cafes on this list offer menus in English. And if they don’t, there’ll likely be an employee who can translate for you.
6. Free Water Is Common
The more upscale cafes on this list automatically give you a cup of water with your order.
Furthermore, they usually come around with a jar of water to top off your cup.
Hello, bathroom!
If the coffee shop doesn’t automatically give you water, feel free to ask for a cup. They may give you hot water to ensure unwanted bacteria aren’t waiting to give you the Vietnamese version of Bali Belly.
7. Bring an Adapter (If Applicable)
Most Americans, Canadians, and Europeans can use the outlets in Vietnam without a problem as long as they have a two-prong device compatible with 220V.
If you have a laptop with a three-prong charger or you don’t have a charger compatible with plug types A, C, or F, you’ll need an adapter.
Be sure to also carry a converter on you if your device isn’t compatible with 220V.
8. The Honor System
If you’re a solo digital nomad like me, the time will come when your coffee or tea will run through you. And the debate ensues: Do you pack up your laptop? Or leave it there while you go to the restroom?
I felt comfortable leaving my laptop at all of the cafes on this list to run to the bathroom, taking only my purse. I saw locals doing the same.
Of course, there’s risk with this approach.
But if you don’t want to pack up your laptop every time mother nature calls, I had a 15+ out of 15+ success rate leaving my laptop alone while I was in the restroom.
15 Best Cafes for Remote Work in Ho Chi Minh City
I’ve divided this list into two sections. The first 12 coffee shops are either independently owned or small local chains; the last three cafes are major chains.
As far as the order goes, I jotted down notes about each coffee shop as I made my way around Saigon.
So, there’s no rhyme or reason to the order, as it should be. Everyone has different tastes, so the best cafe in Ho Chi Minh will look different to everyone.
1. The Workshop Coffee
Address: 27 Ngô Đức Kế, Bến Nghé, Quận 1
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 8:00 am – 9:00 pm
Of all the cafes in Ho Chi Minh I visited, The Workshop Coffee felt most like a Saigon coworking space. It was packed with remote workers, many of which were foreigners.
That seemed like a miracle and a half after I finally managed to find it—it’s located inside an old apartment-looking building, up rickety flights of steps on the 3rd floor.
Fear not if you can’t snag one of the small tables surrounding the perimeter of the floor-to-ceiling windows where outlets abound. The Workshop Coffee has a couple of massive charging ports for their long cowork-style tables, complete with European sockets.
Admittedly, The Workshop Coffee is the one place where I felt self-conscious about my 8-hour remote work session, and I tipped the staff accordingly. The cafe became crowded early in the morning and remained that way until I left at 5:00 pm.
That said, there’s a small staircase by the entrance where you can escape the largest crowds. It doesn’t help much with the noise level, though.
If you have an important business meeting, The Workshop Coffee has a glass-enclosed space you can reserve.
2. Lacàph Space Sài Gòn
Address: 220 Đ. Nguyễn Công Trứ, Phường Nguyễn Thái Bình, Quận 1
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 9:30 am – 5:30 pm; Closed on Sundays
Lacàph Space is another ultra-hidden cafe in Saigon. Like The Workshop Coffee, you’ll need to traverse rickety stairs to find it.
But unlike The Workshop Coffee, not many people make this trip.
That makes Lacàph Space ideal for remote workers needing quieter environments. You’ll still hear music playing in the background (that’s the case for all coffee shops on this list). But the lack of foot traffic means chatter and blender noises are kept to a minimum.
Lacàph Space offers a combination of a long table for a cowork vibe, 2-person tables, and seating at the coffee bar.
If you love their coffee, you can buy some at their adjacent store.
Non-coffee drinkers won’t find many options at Lacàph Space. However, I ordered their cascara tea, made from the outer shell of coffee beans, and it’s one of the best teas I’ve tasted.
The biggest downside I encountered with Lacàph Space is that all of their seats are wooden. So, it gets uncomfortable for long-term sitting. You’ll also spend a bit more money there than some of the other cafes on this list, with several drinks pushing $4.
3. InFact Coffee Saigon
Address: 28 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Đa Kao, Quận 1
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 7:00 am – 11:00 pm
InFact is the second of two cafes that serve as Saigon coworking spaces on this list. It’s a bit outside the main touristy hub in District 1, but remote workers in the know flock there.
You’ll be greeted with an English menu on the first floor filled with enticing drinks and pastry options.
While there’s some seating on the first floor, you’ll find more room for getting work done on the second floor.
The air conditioning at InFact worked a little too well for my liking. So, I recommend bringing a sweater if you’re prone to getting cold.
One item to note is that InFact sometimes lets companies run events in their space. So, you might not be able to work there if you visit on a day when they have an event scheduled.
4. Trung Nguyen Legend Cafe
Address: Many locations
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 6:30 am – 9:00 pm (generally speaking—check with the specific location you want to visit)
Trung Nguyen Legend Cafe is a chain coffee shop with several locations in Ho Chi Minh.
It has an upscale, French-style vibe with outstanding customer service. The staff even insisted on bringing me my tea, having to climb three floors of stairs to find where I chose to sit.
The drinks at Trung Nguyen Legend have an energy theme. They divide them into energy for creativity, connection, detox, love, and healthy eating.
With so many options, it’s easy to spend the day there taste-testing your way through their drinks as you work.
The only part about Trung Nguyen Legend that disappointed me is that there were times when I smelled people smoking. It appeared the smoke smell was coming through the vents, leading me to believe they offer a smoking floor—something that isn’t unheard of in Vietnam.
Of course, this could have been location-specific or simply a matter of bad timing.
On that note, there were a couple of cafes I had intended to visit, but that had designated smoking sections, forcing me to skip them.
5. Cheese Coffee
Address: Many locations
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 7:00 am – 10:00 pm (generally speaking—check with the specific location you want to visit)
Cheese Coffee is another local chain in Ho Chi Minh. I worked at two different Cheese Coffees and found them to get quite crowded and loud throughout the day and early evening.
I didn’t mind it, but I can’t imagine it’s conducive for all remote workers.
Nevertheless, it’s a hotspot for young people working from their laptops. And unlike The Workshop Coffee, you’ll be among many more Vietnamese than foreigners.
You can’t visit Cheese Coffee without ordering their signature cheese bread. These large rolls come topped with dry, stringy, yellow cheese. I wasn’t a huge fan, but I would have regretted not giving the less than $2 bread a try.
6. Three O’Clock Coffee
Address: A few locations
Hours: Varies, but the 24/7 cafe by the Bitexco Financial Tower is popular
Three O’Clock is a small coffee shop chain in Saigon. While it has a few locations, the cafe at 462 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai—AKA the cafe beside the Bitexco Financial Tower—is among the most popular.
That’s the one I visited before my trip to the Bitexco Skydeck. As an FYI, they didn’t mind me going to the 49th floor with my laptop backpack in tow.
Three O’Clock Cafe has warehouse-style decor and neutral black and white colors. I found its seats with backs to be plush and comfy for working there for several hours.
However, they also offer wooden stools without backs that would get uncomfortable really quickly.
If you become chilly in the air conditioning, you can head to the third floor, where a small outdoor balcony offers an open-air space and views of the lower portion of the Bitexco Tower.
7. The Coffee LAB
Address: 53A Đ. Nguyễn Du, Bến Nghé, Quận 1
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 24/7
Calling all night owls! The Coffee LAB is open 24/7, seven days a week, making it an excellent fit for people looking to work remotely at cafes in Ho Chi Minh at odd hours.
Furthermore, its location is unbeatable. The Coffee LAB sits around the corner from the Central Post Office, meaning you’ll be a stone’s throw away from the popular tourist attractions in Saigon.
The Coffee LAB oozes delicious coffee and a modern, upscale vibe.
It has three floors, with the second and third floors offering the most seating. You can choose from large cowork tables, smaller 2-person tables, and a bar-like area that looks down onto the first floor.
The chairs are padded, making it easy to spend hours there in comfort.
8. Dolphy Cafe
Address: A few locations
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 6:00 am – 10:00 pm (generally speaking—check with the specific location you want to visit)
If you’re interested in combining your work day with explorations of trendy District 2 in Saigon, Dolphy Cafe is an excellent option. While there are a few of these earthy cafes in Ho Chi Minh, I visited the one located at 3 Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, Thảo Điền in District 2.
It’s easy to mistake Dolphy Cafe for a cafe in Greece when you arrive, given its blue and white color scheme. They offer a limited but tasty selection of drinks and pastries.
What I appreciated about Dolphy Cafe is that most of their tables are in an open-air setting. That said, while it’s great to have some fresh air while working, there was quite a bit of noise from nearby traffic.
Another factor to consider is that the open-air space means some people smoke.
While I enjoyed Dolphy Cafe overall, it’s not a place I can picture myself working at all day. There was a period when mosquitos graced me with their presence, and because it was outdoorsy, some dust accumulated on my laptop.
9. Cafe Amazon
Address: Several locations (generally speaking—check with the specific location you want to visit)
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 7:00 am – 10:00 pm
Cafe Amazons are hard to miss when you’re wandering around Saigon looking for the best place to work remotely. They often occupy towering buildings with floor-to-ceiling windows and have a modern appearance.
From my experience, Cafe Amazon has a more chain-like feel than some of the other small coffee shop chains I’ve covered here.
But it’s a great option if you’d rather have a small private table to work at rather than long cowork-style tables. It’s also a place where you can feel inconspicuous as you tackle the long list of unread messages in your inbox.
As a downside, I found the music at Amazon Cafe to be exceptionally loud. However, it may have just been an anomaly the day I worked there.
10. Perce%t Coffee
Address: 159 Đ. Phạm Ngũ Lão, P, Quận 1
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 7:00 am – 10:00 pm
No, that’s not a typo—Perce%t Coffee has the percentage symbol as part of its spelling. It also happens to be one of the best places for working remotely in Ho Chi Minh City.
Even though Perce%t Coffee isn’t set up like a Saigon coworking space, nearly everyone at this coffee shop the day I visited was working on their laptop.
Furthermore, the cafe has extension cords with additional plugs if you can’t find an outlet near your table.
Perce%t Coffee is one of the newer cafes in Ho Chi Minh. It opened in 2021 and has a timeless modern style, with white-washed brick walls and minimal but tasteful decor.
If I hadn’t found Perce%t Coffee towards the end of my stay in Saigon, I could see myself having worked there several times.
11. Cielo Tea & Cake
Address: Trieu Quang Phuc with Nguyen Trai in District 5
Hours: Unclear
I stumbled upon Cielo while exploring District 5, the area known as Saigon’s China Town. It ended up being a great place to come in for a break from the heat, and my iced lotus seed and lychee tea did the trick.
The staff at Cielo were amazing, as was the drink and dessert I tried. But I’ll admit I’m not sure this little cafe will still be around when you visit. I was the only customer during the three hours I worked there.
But it was a great little spot to write for a few hours, with plush seats and a quiet atmosphere. It definitely has a girly vibe with pink decor.
Cielo’s menu isn’t in English. However, the staff spoke decent English the day I visited, and the menu has photos. So, you can always go with the pointing method, giving your tastebuds a surprise with whatever you end up choosing.
12. Maison Marou
Address: Several locations
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 9:00 am – 10:00 pm (generally speaking—check with the specific location you want to visit)
I couldn’t help but slip Maison Marou onto this list even though it’s technically not a coffee shop in Ho Chi Minh. Instead, it’s a chocolate shop!
You’ll smell chocolate the moment you step into Maison Marou, as they make their chocolate products on-site and offer windows for viewing the chocolate-making process.
You can even set up your laptop to watch them work as you (kind of) work.
Maison Marou offers several tables with chocolate products for sale and free samples to accompany them.
But if chocolate isn’t your thing (I’m shuttering over here), don’t worry—they offer quality coffee too.
Major Chain Coffee Shops in Saigon
Okay. I’ve covered some great independent and smaller chain coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City for working remotely. Now, below are three major coffee chain brands that will bombard you as you explore Saigon.
I must admit there were times when I was glad they bombarded me. The anonymity these cafes offer people wanting to bury their faces in their laptops is next to none.
13. Phuc Long
Address: Many locations
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 7:00 am – 10:00 pm (generally speaking—check with the specific location you want to visit)
Of all the cafes in Ho Chi Minh you visit, Phuc Long is a must.
For starters, its name will make your friends and family giggle as you recount where you worked. Like in English, the letters “ph” is pronounced as an “f” in Vietnam.
I’ll let you put the remainder of the pieces together.
But Phuc Long (which translates to “happy dragon”) also offers some of the best coffee in Vietnam, as guaranteed by my free walking tour guide.
What I like most about Phuc Long is that it offers more beverage options—and choices with less/no sugar—than its biggest competitor, Highlands Coffee.
Despite Phuc Long being so popular, I always found seats to be abundant there, and an outlet was always nearby.
14. Highlands Coffee
Address: Many locations
Hours: 7:00 am – 10:00 pm (generally speaking—check with the specific location you want to visit)
I don’t have data on this, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say there are more Highlands Coffee cafes than Phuc Longs.
It felt like for every Phuc Long I encountered, there were two or three Highlands Coffees nearby, crowning it the Starbucks of Vietnam.
Of all the cafes in Ho Chi Minh I visited, Highlands was my go-to simply because it was the closest to my hostel (a place that definitely wasn’t conducive to working remotely).
The first time I visited Highlands involved a learning curve with connecting to the WiFi, though.
Unlike most coffee shops on this list, Highlands Coffee operates on a network that isn’t password protected. However, you must accept their terms and conditions and see sponsored content before entering the network.
The issue?
Everything is in Vietnamese.
I was able to fumble my way through getting online, and I imagine you will too. But if you can’t, Highland Coffee attracts a lot of student customers, many of which speak some English.
15. Starbucks
Address: Many locations
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 9:00 am – 9:30 pm (generally speaking—check with the specific location you want to visit)
Now this is a claim I’m definitely comfortable making: There are more Phuc Longs and Highlands Coffee cafes than there are Starbucks in Ho Chi Minh City.
It was refreshing. And, admittedly, I never stepped foot in a Starbucks during my time in Saigon.
But it’s reasonable to assume that you can expect the same remote work-friendly environment at Starbucks in Ho Chi Minh as you would elsewhere in the world.
Ready to Cafe Hop in Ho Chi Minh?
I had a blast testing out the cafes in Ho Chi Minh and felt very safe doing so. With so many options to choose from, I didn’t miss not having a Saigon coworking space.
That said, this list is far from complete. I encourage you to do your own coffee shop exploring in Ho Chi Minh.
And if you encounter a cafe you love for remote work, leave a comment here. I’m sure other readers would be interested in hearing about your favorite coffee shop.
P.S.—Are you contemplating where to base yourself in Vietnam? If so, check out my comparison of Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City.
