Cafeography
Vietnam

Cafés in Huế salt coffee on the Perfume River

Salt coffee where it began in 2010, tea houses inside the Citadel walls, terraces on both banks of the Perfume River and cafés in the pine hills of Thủy Xuân.

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638Cafés listed
26Open by 6am
61Open past 10pm
6Specialty & roasters

Huế was Vietnam's capital under the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945, and UNESCO inscribed its monuments in 1993.1 On 1 January 2025 it became the country's sixth centrally run city, covering all of the former Thừa Thiên Huế province.2 Since July 2025 Phú Xuân ward has taken in Đông Ba, Gia Hội and the old wards around the Citadel, and Thuận Hóa ward covers Vĩnh Ninh, Phú Hội, Phường Đúc and Trường An on the south bank.3

The city's own drink is cà phê muối (salt coffee). Hồ Thị Thanh Hương and Trần Nguyễn Hữu Phong came up with it in 2010, when they opened their first Cà Phê Muối at 10 Nguyễn Lương Bằng; the second branch, at 142 Đặng Thái Thân inside the Citadel, is the one some guides call the original.456 Coffee drips from an aluminum phin onto a layer of salted cream over condensed milk, and the salt softens the bitterness of the robusta.78

Lotus tea goes back to the Nguyễn court, where it was once poured only for the king, and Huế's tea makers still prefer the lotus of Tịnh Tâm lake, inside the Citadel, for scenting it.91011 East of the walls, Cafe Đò Cồn at 222 Chi Lăng, in Gia Hội, is a small riverside café looking across to Cồn Hến islet.6 To the west, Kim Long keeps garden houses such as An Hiên, a few hundred meters from Thiên Mụ pagoda, and T Roaster on Sư Vạn Hạnh opens at 06:00.12

Start on either bank of the Hương

Huế by area

The Perfume River (sông Hương) divides Huế: the Citadel and the old city lie on the north bank, most hotels and restaurants on the south, where the café streets run from Lê Lợi back toward An Cựu.18 The royal tombs are in the hills to the south-west, Tự Đức's about 7 km out and Minh Mạng's about 12 km.18

Imperial Citadel

Inside the walls: Cà Phê Muối's second branch on Đặng Thái Thân, tea rooms on Nguyễn Thiện Thuật and garden tables.

142 cafés

Phạm Ngũ Lão & Phú Hội

Huế's phố Tây: walking streets, cafés down the kiệt off Nguyễn Công Trứ, river terraces and the first salt-coffee shop.

81 cafés

Lê Lợi & Vĩnh Ninh

South-bank streets from Lê Lợi to the railway station, with a 24-hour café, 06:00 openers and a roaster on Lê Hồng Phong.

119 cafés

Thủy Xuân & Phường Đúc

Pine hills toward the royal tombs: the incense road, Vọng Cảnh hill and Phường Đúc's bronze casters.

39 cafés

An Cựu & Trường An

Huế's residential south: long café streets on Phan Chu Trinh and Phan Bội Châu, late hours, and Ngự Bình hill at the edge.

105 cafés
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Có Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

Cafés with Wi-Fi, clustered in the Phú Hội alleys and near the Lê Lợi campuses.

71 cafés
Mở sớm

Open by 6am

Open at 06:00 or earlier, most of them until 22:00.

26 cafés
Mở khuya

Open late

Open until 22:00 or later; a few run past midnight.

61 cafés
Cà phê & tiệm bánh

Bakery cafés

Coffee with bread and pastry, including the bakery school on Nguyễn Tri Phương.

8 cafés

New in Huế

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Imperial Citadel 142 cafés

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Gia Hội & Đông Ba 19 cafés

Phạm Ngũ Lão & Phú Hội 81 cafés

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Lê Lợi & Vĩnh Ninh 119 cafés

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Kim Long & Thiên Mụ 33 cafés

Vỹ Dạ & Xuân Phú 100 cafés

Thủy Xuân & Phường Đúc 39 cafés

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An Cựu & Trường An 105 cafés

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Coffee chains in Huế

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Before you sit down

How coffee works in Huế

A salt coffee usually arrives as a glass with the phin still sitting on top: give it about three minutes while the coffee drips through the salted cream, stir, then add ice.7 At the original shop the coffee is dripped to order, while most copies elsewhere are made in advance.5 The salt doesn't make the drink taste salty; it rounds off the bitterness and brings out the sweetness.8

Otherwise, ordering works as it does across Vietnam. Không đường means no sugar and ít đường less sugar, mang đi is takeaway, and tính tiền asks for the bill.8 A free glass of iced tea (trà đá) comes with the coffee at almost every café; tipping isn't expected at traditional cafés, and rounding up at Western-style specialty shops is optional.8

Many café addresses contain the word kiệt, which means alley in central Vietnam.16 An address such as 13 Kiệt 64 Nguyễn Công Trứ points to house 13 in alley 64 off Nguyễn Công Trứ, a lane in Phú Hội where several cafés sit within a few doors of each other.

The rainy season runs from September to December and brings about 70% of the year's rain, and in June and July the average daily high is 34.7°C.1 Floods come with the autumn rain: in late October 2025 Huế and Hội An took more than 1,000 mm in 24 hours, the most Vietnam has recorded in a single day, and the Hương river rose to 5.25 m.17

The full coffee guide for Vietnam

What coffee costs in Huế

DrinkTypical price
Cà phê muối
Salt coffee at the original shop		15,000–25,000₫
Cà Phê Muối, 10 Nguyễn Lương Bằng
Cà phê muối
Salt coffee elsewhere		35,000–69,000₫
Chains and tourist cafés
Cà phê sữa đá
Iced coffee with condensed milk		25,000–45,000₫
Neighborhood cafés (Vietnam-wide figure)
Cappuccino
Regular size		20,000–65,000₫
Cafés citywide, about 28,000₫ on average
Specialty coffee
Espresso or filter at a roaster		50,000–120,000₫
Specialty roasters (Vietnam-wide figure)

Prices as of 2026: salt coffee and specialty coffee from a coffee guide checked in August 2026, cà phê sữa đá from a guide updated in October 2026, cappuccino from Numbeo (October 2026).13814 The sữa đá, chain and specialty ranges are Vietnam-wide figures. US$1 bought about 25,640₫ at Vietcombank's transfer rate on 23 October 2026.15

Sources

  1. Huế, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  2. Centrally-run Hue city will be established, VnEconomy, accessed October 2026
  3. Nghị quyết 1675/NQ-UBTVQH15 về việc sắp xếp các đơn vị hành chính cấp xã của thành phố Huế năm 2025, LuatVietnam, accessed October 2026
  4. Vì sao cà phê muối Việt Nam nổi tiếng toàn thế giới? (6 July 2024), VnEconomy, accessed October 2026
  5. Salt Coffee, Cà Phê Muối, Hue, Vietnam, Vietnam Coracle, accessed October 2026
  6. Hue Coffee Guide, Will Fly for Food, accessed October 2026
  7. Cà phê muối xứ Huế (3 September 2020), VnExpress, accessed October 2026
  8. Vietnamese coffee decoded: cà phê sữa đá, egg coffee, coconut, salt coffee (updated October 2026), Vietnam Tourism, accessed October 2026
  9. Lotus cuisine: food for the soul (27 September 2016), Viet Nam News, accessed October 2026
  10. Đón Tết với trà sen xứ Huế (10 November 2022), Tuổi Trẻ, accessed October 2026
  11. Hồ Tịnh Tâm, Wikipedia (Vietnamese), accessed October 2026
  12. Nét thanh bình của nhà vườn phố Huế (22 July 2014), Zing News, accessed October 2026
  13. Vietnam coffee deep dive (prices verified August 2026), Vietnam Spot, accessed October 2026
  14. Cost of Living in Hue, Vietnam, Numbeo, accessed October 2026
  15. Tỷ giá Vietcombank, Webgia, accessed October 2026
  16. kiệt, Wiktionary, accessed October 2026
  17. Record rains drive flooding in Vietnam, submerging ancient city (28 October 2025), Al Jazeera, accessed October 2026
  18. Huế, Wikivoyage, accessed October 2026
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FAQ

Cafés in Huế: common questions

Where was salt coffee invented in Huế?

At Cà Phê Muối, 10 Nguyễn Lương Bằng, where Hồ Thị Thanh Hương and Trần Nguyễn Hữu Phong created it in 2010. Their second branch is at 142 Đặng Thái Thân inside the Citadel. Coffee drips from a phin onto salted cream and condensed milk, and the salt softens the robusta's bitterness instead of making the drink taste salty.

How much does a coffee cost in Huế?

As of 2026, a salt coffee costs 15,000–25,000₫ at the original Cà Phê Muối and 35,000–69,000₫ at chains and tourist cafés. A cà phê sữa đá runs about 25,000–45,000₫ at a neighborhood café, a cappuccino 20,000–65,000₫, and specialty coffee 50,000–120,000₫. US$1 was about 25,640₫ in October 2026.

Which area of Huế has the most cafés?

Imperial Citadel and Lê Lợi & Vĩnh Ninh have the most cafés, followed by An Cựu & Trường An. An Cựu & Trường An has the most cafés that serve until 22:00 or later, and Lê Lợi & Vĩnh Ninh the most that open by 06:00.

When is the rainy season in Huế?

From September to December, when about 70% of the year's rain falls, and floods are common in autumn. In late October 2025 Huế and Hội An recorded more than 1,000 mm of rain in 24 hours, a national record, and the Hương river reached 5.25 m. June and July are the hottest months, with average highs of 34.7°C.

What does kiệt mean in a Huế café address?

Kiệt means alley in central Vietnam, and many Huế café addresses use it. An address such as 13 Kiệt 64 Nguyễn Công Trứ means house 13 in alley 64 off Nguyễn Công Trứ, a lane in Phú Hội where several cafés sit within a few doors of each other.

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