What are the best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City?

For the most essential Saigon eating: com tam rice at a street stall near Pham Ngu Lao, banh mi from Banh Mi Huynh Hoa on Le Thi Rieng, and banh xeo at Banh Xeo 46A on Dinh Cong Trang. For a sit-down experience, Ben Thanh Market surrounds (not inside — the stalls inside are tourist-priced) have reliable local food. Bui Vien Street is lively but better for drinks than food quality.

Where do locals eat in Ho Chi Minh City?

Locals eat at com tam (broken rice) stalls for breakfast and lunch, at pho and hu tieu joints in the morning, and at family-run restaurants in Districts 3, 5, and 10. District 1's Pham Ngu Lao area has a good mix of budget local food and tourist-friendly cafes. Binh Tay Market in Cholon (District 5) has excellent Chinese-Vietnamese food and is largely untouched by tourism.

How much does food cost in Ho Chi Minh City?

Street food costs VND 25,000–80,000 per dish (approximately USD 1–3). A full com tam meal with pork chop, egg, and drink is VND 55,000–85,000. Mid-range restaurants in District 1 cost VND 150,000–300,000 per person. Budget USD 8–15 per day for food if eating primarily at street stalls.

What is the best food to eat in Ho Chi Minh City?

Com tam (broken rice with grilled pork) is the definitive Saigon dish. Banh mi here is better than most of Vietnam — the bread is crispier and the fillings more diverse. Banh xeo (sizzling rice crepe) is another HCMC signature, best eaten by tearing pieces and wrapping in lettuce with herbs. For dessert, che (sweet soup) stalls operate in the evenings across the city.

HCMC Food Guide | The Vietnam Guides

Ho Chi Minh City has the most diverse eating scene in Vietnam. Southern cuisine is sweeter, more herb-forward, and more open to outside influence than the north — the city absorbs Chinese, Khmer, and French inputs and produces dishes that work across an enormous range of price points. The defining Saigon dishes — com tam, banh mi, banh xeo — are available at street carts for VND 25,000–80,000 and at sit-down restaurants for three times that. Both are worth doing.

What to Order in Ho Chi Minh City

Com tam (broken rice): The definitive Saigon breakfast and lunch. Broken rice with grilled pork chop (suon nuong), shredded pork skin with toasted rice (bi), steamed egg cake (trung hap), and pickled vegetables. The pork chop is the centrepiece — look for a good char from the grill. Typically VND 55,000–85,000 at established stalls.

Banh mi (southern style): A thinner-crusted baguette stuffed with pate, cold cuts, pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, fresh chilli, and coriander. Saigon versions are more generously filled than elsewhere. VND 25,000–80,000 depending on the seller.

Banh xeo (sizzling crepe): A large turmeric-coloured rice flour crepe filled with pork belly, shrimp, and bean sprouts — eaten by tearing off pieces, wrapping in lettuce with herbs, and dipping in nuoc cham.

HCMC Restaurants: Our Picks

Com Tam Ba Ghien

84 Dang Van Ngu, Phu Nhuan district | Open 6am–2pm

One of HCMC’s most cited com tam addresses, popular with locals across the city. The suon nuong (grilled pork chop, approximately VND 75,000–95,000 as of 2026) is the central order — marinated overnight and chargrilled to a proper crust. The bi (shredded pork skin with toasted rice) and trung hap (steamed egg cake) are the standard accompaniments. Arrive before 8am for the freshest rice. Closes when the pot empties, usually by 1pm.

Best for: Definitive com tam, early breakfast, consistent local favourite

Banh Mi Huynh Hoa

26 Le Thi Rieng, District 1 | Open 7am–midnight

The most loaded banh mi in Saigon. Where most stalls assemble a moderate filling, Huynh Hoa piles the bread with multiple layers of pate, cha lua (Vietnamese pork sausage), head cheese, roast pork, pickled vegetables, and coriander until the sandwich is almost too full to close. Approximately VND 55,000–75,000 as of 2026. Long queues, especially in the evenings. Worth the wait.

Best for: Maximum-filling banh mi, late-night option, District 1

Banh Xeo 46A

46A Dinh Cong Trang, District 1 | Open 10am–9pm

A well-established specialist in southern-style banh xeo. The large turmeric crepes here are cooked to a consistent crisp, generously filled with shrimp and pork belly, and served with a full plate of lettuce, herbs, and nuoc cham. One crepe costs approximately VND 80,000–120,000 as of 2026 — one is usually enough for a light meal. Specify shrimp (tom), pork (thit), or mixed (thap cam). The dining room is air-conditioned and functional.

Best for: Southern banh xeo, reliable quality, District 1 lunch

Pho Hoa Pasteur

260C Pasteur Street, District 3 | Open 6am–midnight

One of the most enduring pho restaurants in the city, running nearly around the clock. The broth has a rounder, slightly sweeter profile than northern pho — southern in character, well-layered, and consistent. A bowl costs approximately VND 70,000–95,000 as of 2026 and comes with the full southern accompaniment: bean sprouts, Thai basil, lime, and fresh chilli. The beef options (tai — rare, chin — well done, gau — fatty flank) let you customise. The late hours make it reliable after most street stalls have closed.

Best for: Southern pho, late-night dining, District 3

Nha Hang Ngon

160 Pasteur, District 1 | Open 7:30am–10pm

A large courtyard restaurant designed as a collection of open street-food stalls under one roof. Each station specialises in a different dish: banh xeo, bun bo Hue, com tam, banh cuon, and more. Prices run higher than street stalls — dishes from VND 95,000–180,000 as of 2026 — but the setting is attractive and the range is useful if you want to sample several dishes in one sitting. Popular with both locals and visitors. Expect a wait for tables at dinner.

Best for: Vietnamese variety, courtyard setting, one-stop introduction to southern food

Ben Thanh Street Food Market

Ben Thanh Market perimeter, District 1 | Open 10am–10pm

The covered street food market along the eastern side of Ben Thanh Market functions as a concentrated eating strip. Individual stalls do pho (VND 75,000–95,000), bun bo Hue (VND 80,000–100,000), banh mi (VND 30,000–50,000), and com tam. Prices run slightly above neighbourhood stalls for the same food, but the variety and central location make it a practical first stop in the city. Most stalls have English menus.

Best for: Central location, variety, English-menu ease, first-night dining

The Secret Garden

158/6B Le Thanh Ton, District 1 | Open 10am–10pm

A rooftop restaurant reached through an unmarked alley in District 1, found by following other diners up the stairs. The menu covers Vietnamese home-cooking dishes — canh chua (sour tamarind soup, VND 120,000), ca kho to (caramelised catfish in clay pot, VND 150,000–220,000), rau muong xao (morning glory stir-fry, VND 80,000) — in an open-air terrace setting above the city streets. Main dishes from VND 120,000–280,000 as of 2026. The hidden entry is part of the experience.

Best for: Home-style Vietnamese cooking, rooftop terrace, upscale District 1

Practical Notes

Hours: Com tam stalls open at 6am and close by 2pm. Banh mi sellers run breakfast through late evening. Restaurants generally open 11am–2pm for lunch and 5pm–10pm for dinner; Pho Hoa and a few banh mi spots run much later.

Getting around: District 1 and District 3 are the core eating districts. A Grab motorbike covers most of the above for VND 20,000–50,000 per trip. Phu Nhuan is a slightly longer ride — approximately VND 40,000–70,000 from the centre.

Cash vs card: Street stalls and markets are cash only. Restaurants in the VND 200,000+ range increasingly accept card; check before ordering.

Food tours: For an evening walking tour through the city’s best eating neighbourhoods, book an HCMC street food tour on GetYourGuide. For the full picture of what the city offers, see our Ho Chi Minh City guide and things to do in Ho Chi Minh City.

For a curated list of specific restaurants by district and price range, see our best restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City guide.

Ho Chi Minh City Food Guide: Com Tam, Banh Mi & Saigon

Food tours & cooking classes