Cafeography
Ho Chi Minh City · Thảo Điền & District 2

Cafés in Thảo Điền & District 2

The riverside expat quarter: Xuân Thủy's cafés, plant-based brunch and a metro ride from downtown.

Photo: Tuan Vy, Pexels License

Thảo Điền is the riverside neighborhood about 7 km from the city center, and in 2024 Time Out ranked it the world's 16th coolest neighborhood, its first time on the list.2 Local guides call it Saigon's expat village and rate its specialty coffee the best in the city.6 It faces Bình Thạnh across the Saigon River, which wraps most of its ward.4

Administratively it has moved twice. District 2 was created in 1997 and folded into Thủ Đức City in 2021.1 In 2025, Thảo Điền, Thủ Thiêm, An Lợi Đông, An Khánh and part of An Phú became a single An Khánh ward of 15.33 km².14 The old District 2 reaches further east, to the neighborhood cafés of Thân Văn Nhiếp and Nguyễn Thị Định.

Local tip: Take Metro Line 1 rather than a taxi at rush hour: from Ba Son it is three stops to Thảo Điền station, and Xuân Thủy is the street to walk first.3

At a glance

313Cafés listed
13With opening hours
06:30Earliest opening
02:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Zero Plant Based, from 06:30 (Daily 06:30–22:30).
  • Closes latest: Le Café des Stagiaires - Saigon, until 02:00 (Mon–Wed 16:00–00:00 · Thu 16:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 16:00–02:00 · Sun 16:00–00:00).
  • Most listed streets: Nguyễn Văn Hưởng (9), Thảo Điền (7), Xuân Thủy (5).
  • Most common features: wi-fi (5%), outdoor seating (3%), specialty (2%).

Rawberry

  • 52 Đỗ Quang
  • Daily 09:00–20:00
  • +84 93 339 62 02
  • Wi-Fi
  • Takeaway
  • Air-con
  • Indoor seating
  • Card payment
  • Vegetarian options
  • Smoke-free indoors
  • Bakery café
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Coffee chains in Thảo Điền & District 2

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Trung Nguyên Coffee

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Highlands Coffee

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Getting to Thảo Điền

Metro Line 1 is the quickest way: from Ba Son station the train crosses the river and reaches Thảo Điền three stops later.3 Thảo Điền and An Phú are consecutive stations, so either works for the eastern end of the neighborhood.5

By water, the Saigon Waterbus stops at Bình An pier, now in An Khánh ward; a one-way ticket cost 15,000₫ in December 2025.7

Xuân Thủy and Lê Văn Miến

Time Out's 2024 write-up described a walkable, tree-lined neighborhood of restaurants, spas and boutiques, and sent visitors along Xuân Thủy for local ceramics; it suggested starting the day with a salted foam coffee.2 Local Vietnam calls the lanes around Thảo Điền market the informal heart of the neighborhood, where independent boutiques cluster.6 Xuân Thủy also has a short run of cafés: Be Nuts at 43 (07:30–20:30), Cà Phê Xì Trum at 47 and TAO BANH MI CAFE at 44, open 07:00–22:00.

On Lê Văn Miến, Aramour Coffee Roasters Thao Dien is at number 7 and Guum Cafe is in Hẻm 51. CCollective is nearby at 34 Street 20.

Brunch and plant-based cafés

Đỗ Quang and Thái Ly, just west of Xuân Thủy, hold the brunch end of Thảo Điền. Rawberry at 52 Đỗ Quang (09:00–20:00) is vegan and takes cards, SOO 秀 COFFEE is at 18 Đỗ Quang, and Ristreet at 36 Thái Ly serves brunch 07:00–17:00. Wagwel Feline, in an alley off Trần Ngọc Diện, is vegan too.

Zero Plant Based keeps the longest hours in Thảo Điền, 06:30–22:30. Cafio Coffee & Ice Cream, at 02 Song Hành, opens 08:00–20:00.

Thủ Thiêm and the rest of old District 2

South of Thảo Điền, the Thủ Thiêm new urban area is planned as the city's financial center, and the Saigon River Tunnel and Võ Nguyên Giáp Boulevard both run through An Khánh ward.4 NOIRE Cafe & Bistro at The Metropole, 15 Trần Bạch Đằng, opens 08:00–22:00, and Cái Tổ Chim at 141P Võ Nguyên Giáp keeps the same closing time.

Further east, Thân Văn Nhiếp has a cluster of neighborhood cafés, Cafe Cô Khuê at 304 among them, and Hashtag Cafe at 3 Trần Quý Kiên opens 07:30–21:30.

Sources

  1. Thảo Điền (An Khánh, Ho Chi Minh City), Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Thao Dien expat enclave in Ho Chi Minh City listed among world's coolest neighborhoods, Tuổi Trẻ News (October 7, 2024), accessed October 2026
  3. A Day In Thao Dien: Saigon's Cool Neighborhood, Vietcetera (July 31, 2025), accessed October 2026
  4. An Khánh, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, Wikipedia (Vietnamese), accessed October 2026
  5. Ho Chi Minh City Metro Line 1, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  6. Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh City: A complete guide, Local Vietnam, accessed October 2026
  7. Saigon water bus: routes, stations, schedules and fares, VinWonders (December 4, 2025), accessed October 2026
Keep exploring

More of Ho Chi Minh City

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130 cafés

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310 cafés

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249 cafés

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District 5 & Chợ Lớn

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District 7

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In Thảo Điền & District 2, also browse: Specialty coffee Wi-Fi Open late Outdoor seating

FAQ

Thảo Điền & District 2 cafés: questions

How do you get from District 1 to Thảo Điền in Ho Chi Minh City?

Take Metro Line 1: from Ba Son station the train crosses the Saigon River and reaches Thảo Điền station three stops later. The Saigon Waterbus also stops at Bình An pier in An Khánh ward, for 15,000₫ one way as of December 2025. Thảo Điền is about 7 km from the city center.

Which ward is Thảo Điền in after Ho Chi Minh City's 2025 reform?

Thảo Điền is part of An Khánh ward, created in 2025 from the old Thảo Điền, Thủ Thiêm, An Lợi Đông and An Khánh wards and part of An Phú. The new ward covers 15.33 km², mostly bordered by the Saigon River. Before that, Thảo Điền belonged to District 2, created in 1997, which became part of Thủ Đức City in 2021.

Where are the cafés on Xuân Thủy in Thảo Điền, Ho Chi Minh City?

Be Nuts is at 43 Xuân Thủy, open 07:30–20:30, Cà Phê Xì Trum at 47 and TAO BANH MI CAFE at 44, open 07:00–22:00. Aramour Coffee Roasters is around the corner at 7 Lê Văn Miến. Time Out also recommends Xuân Thủy for local ceramics.

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