Best New Restaurant Openings in Saigon (2025)

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Dec 25

Saigon has a way of revealing itself again and again. Just when you think you know it, the traffic, the heat, the late-night bowls of noodles, the plastic stools at đi nhậu spots, the city shifts. A new restaurant opens. A familiar chef returns with a sharper idea. A pop-up refuses to disappear and becomes permanent.

And if you’re paying attention, you’ll notice that the most compelling openings of the past year weren’t about excess or spectacle. They weren’t chasing trends or trying to impress just for the sake of it. They were all about intention. About chefs and bartenders who have done their time, refined their thinking and are now cooking (or pouring) exactly what they believe in.

These are the places that stand out.
The ones that feel considered.
The ones that raise the bar.

These are our most memorable openings of 2025.

Tales by Chapter

Plant-based eating in Vietnam has long been tied to thuần chay: food rooted in Buddhist practice, eaten on specific days, modest by design and rarely associated with indulgence or fine dining. Tales by Chapter is the first restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City to challenge that idea head-on. Not by rejecting tradition, but by reimaging it entirely.

Before you sit down at your table, at Tales by Chapter you’re already confronted with their philosophy. In the entry hall, fermentation projects are displayed like artworks. Ingredients once considered scraps — like beet skins, tomato pulp, vegetable offcuts — reappear transformed into leathers. At the centre of the restaurant is Chef Quoc Hung. After honing his crafts as Sous Chef at Chapter Dining, a Michelin Guide restaurant between 2023 and 2025, he began asking himself a different set of questions: what if vegetables weren’t the supporting actors of the story? What if sustainability was a constraint, but a creative engine?

Those questions lead him to Tales. Here, vegetables are treated with the same seriousness usually reserved for luxury proteins. Roots, leaves, stems are each handled with technique and intuition; each pushed to reveal flavours most of us didn't know were there. The experience unfolds through a tasting menu priced at 1,650,000 VND per person, with the option of a non-alcohol pairing at 750,000 VND or an alcohol pairing at 1,250,000 VND.

Address: 10 Nguyen Thanh Y, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Mon–Sun: 7PM–11PM
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/tales.sgn/

Pot au Pho 2.0

By now, most people in Ho Chi Minh City have heard of the “$100 phở.” The story has travelled far beyond the city — whispered, debated, Instagrammed, occasionally scoffed at. But Pot au Phở 2.0 isn’t interested in shock value. This new location feels nothing at all like a provocation but more like a quiet continuation of a long, very deliberate obsession.

Chef Peter Cuong Franklin of the award-winning Anan Saigon, has spent more than a decade asking a single question: what happens when Vietnam’s most familiar dish is treated with the same seriousness as haute cuisine? Pot au Phở is not about reinventing phở for novelty’s sake. It’s about refinement, ingredient by ingredient, technique by technique until something deeply culturally rooted becomes something entirely new.

The setting reflects that intent. Tucked into the old Chợ Cũ market area on Tôn Thất Đạm, the space is intimate and focused, with just fourteen bar-counter seats. You sit close to the action, watching chefs and bartenders work in sync. It feels part noodle shop, part open-kitchen theatre; sophisticated without being stiff. The experience is offered as a tasting menu at 2,600,000 VND per person, with an optional wine pairing at 2,200,000 VND. Included are dishes like caviar egg phở, black chicken phở, pâté chaud and molecular interpretations.

Address: 3F, 89 Ton That Dam, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Wed–Sun, 5PM–11:30PM
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/potaupho2.0/

Fortuny Ivy

Some pop-ups are fun in the moment, then quietly disappear. Others stick with you. Thankfully, Fortune Ivy sits firmly in the latter. After a run of temporary kitchens and limited-time setups, Chef Mendy Hu has finally put down roots, and Saigon is better for it.

Now permanently settled on Phạm Viet Chanh, a little Parisian, a little grungy, Fortune Ivy feels instantly at home. The space is small, intimate, and already buzzing by early evening, even on weekdays. The menu is deliberately tight, with eight to ten core dishes and rotating specials that make repeat visits worthwhile. The flavours will feel familiar if you grew up on Chinese home-style cooking, but here they’re sharper and more refined.

The hand-pulled biang biang noodles, once the signature of Mendy’s pop-ups, are still a must-order. The black bean clam noodles also shine, especially with a hit of the house chilli oil. Thoughtful sides like marinated okra and Chinese cucumber salad round things out, and the peanut crème brûlée makes a very strong case for dessert. With dishes priced from 90,000 to 320,000 VND, a full, generous meal comes in at around 600,000 VND per person, even without alcohol; more than fair for the quality, the flavour, and the experience.

Address: 19r4 Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh, Bình Thạnh, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Sun-Wed: 5PM–11PM, Fri & Sat: 5PM-12PM
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortune.ivysaigon/

Muội

A collaboration between Leftovers (the team behind the now-defunct Bambino) and Firkin & Dram, Muội has quietly taken over the first floor of the Trieu Institute. Named after the younger sister of Lady Triệu, the concept feels apt: playful, intimate, and quietly assured rather than attention-seeking.

At its core, Muội is a seafood and grill restaurant built on contrast. Raw bar energy meets open fire, European wine bar sensibilities meet a distinctly Vietnamese soul. The Squid Linguine captures this best, cooked al dente with Roman precision but channeling the depth of hủ tiếu mực, finished with crispy garlic, scallion and shrimp satay. The Chả Cá Lã Vọng–inspired grilled grouper follows suit, paired with a bright salsa verde built from the dish’s signature herbs.

The rest of the menu continues to impress: Muội liver pâté with pickles, a clever prawn curry “rice” made with orzo and bisque, and Black Angus picanha glazed in bò kho–style bordelaise. A tomato salad with pineapple, okra and tamarind keeps things fresh, while flan with fish sauce caramel and whipped coconut cream seals the deal. Technically a limited residency, Muội already feels like it’s found its footing. Go soon, but don’t be surprised if it stays.

Address: 39 Nguyen Van Thu, Tan Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Tue–Sun: 5PM–10PM
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/muoi.vn/

BOCĀO Basque Izakaya

First things first: the view. BOCĀO overlooks the Saigon River, the kind of backdrop that works just as wells or a date night as it does for sundowner drinks with friends.

Bocāo comes from ‘bocado’, meaning “bite,” and that’s exactly how you should eat here. Small plates, meant for sharing, cooked over embers with a Basque mindset and the free-spirited energy of an izakaya. The menu moves easily between land and sea. Think clams over coals with pil pil and salsa verde, Iberian pork cutlet, lamb tsukune and spicy pimentón olives. Prices stay accessible, with plates ranging from 70,000 to 390,000 VND, which makes ordering broadly (and repeatedly) an easy decision.

The drinks list is just as considered. A strong selection of wines, spritzers, gins and vermouths, plus thoughtful non-alcoholic options, makes BOCĀO work just as well for a full dinner as it does for after work tapas with a few glasses and a couple of plates.

Address: 12 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 3:30pm to 11pm (closed on Mondays)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61582128801946

Raw + Atelier

The experience at Raw + Atelier starts with two menus: a booklet for food and drinks, and a separate box for the bar’s signature cocktail. It feels like a smaller detail, but it tells you a lot about how the night is meant to unfold.

Behind the bar is Jimmy Nguyen, one of the city’s most seasoned bartenders. His approach is technical without being flashy. Cocktails are clean, well-balanced, and adjusted in real time. On the menu: a Mango Sago with gin and kaffir lime, a Milo Dinosaur made with whisky and yoghurt (both 290,000 VND). What makes Raw + Atelier work as a destination is not just the bar, but also the food. Dishes like lemon paccheri pasta, grilled chicken with satay, and jamón serrano with chips keep the night moving without pulling focus from the bar.

Within Atelier sits Room No. 5: a smaller, reservation-only bar with limited seats and deposit-required bookings. Service is tighter, pours are more precise, and the pace flows further. It’s not for everyone, and that’s the point.

Address: 97B Ly Tu Trong, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Mon–Sun: 8AM–2PM
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raw_atelier.sgn/

Knot

A collaboration between Breadventure, long known for its cult-status sourdough and weekend-long queues, and Cure & Pickle, Knot Saigon brings two well-established ideas into a shared space, each playing to its strengths. This isn’t a bakery. It’s a deli and wine bar, tucked away on a quiet street in Thao Dien. The space is small, relaxed, and functional — designed for eating in, picking up something to take home, or settling in with a glass of wine and a few plates.

The menu leans into what both teams do best: simple, well-executed food with a clear point of view. Cure & Pickle with their cured meats, curated cheeses and pickles, while Breadventure’s brings in their signature sourdough. Organic wines anchor the drinks list, keeping things straightforward and accessible.

Knot Saigon is still finding its rhythm, and that’s part of the appeal. It’s the youngest restaurant on this list, and one that feels open-ended. What it becomes over the next year will be worth watching.

Address: 44, đường số 4, Làng Báo Chí, District 2, Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Fri-Sun: 11AM-2PM and 5PM-late
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/knot.sgn/

Upstairs Tasting Room

Upstairs Tasting Room is led by Chef Truong Minh Hiep, now in a new role after building much of his reputation at Quince Saigon and helping shape Little Bear from its early days. With roots in Huế, his cooking carries a natural sensitivity to balance, layering, and detail: qualities that translate well to a tasting-menu format. At Upstairs, tradition isn’t preserved for its own sake. Dishes reference the past, but they’re executed through modern technique and contemporary presentation.

On the menu, you might find kho quẹt paired with guanciale, bánh xèo finished with caviar, or cà chua, tomato with apple — combinations that sound daring but remain grounded in flavour rather than novelty. The experience is offered as a tasting menu priced at 2,600,000 VND per person, with an alcohol pairing at 1,850,000 VND and a non-alcohol pairing at 1,100,000 VND.

Address: 36 Nguyễn Bá Huân, An Khánh, District 2, Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh City,
Opening hours: Mon-Sun, 6PM-11PM & Sun also from12PM-3PM,
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upstairs.sgn/

Know a new restaurant, cafe or bar opening? Get in touch to be added to my list.

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Hi, I’m Jovel Chan, a Singaporean food and drink blogger and F&B consultant📍Ho Chi Minh City.

Over the past two years, I’ve had the pleasure of dining in more than 150+ restaurants across Vietnam and judging multiple competitions. Here, I share the industry through my eyes and I hope it inspires you to discover, learn and explore Vietnam’s exciting food and drink scene.