Maia Beach Bar — Restaurant in Đà Nẵng

⭐️ Maia Beach Bar – Great view, disappointing vibe

We stopped by Maia Beach Bar hoping to enjoy a beautiful view while getting some remote work done. We ordered coffee — which, to our surprise, turned out to be the most expensive one we’ve tried anywhere in Vietnam. Sadly, it was just okay — nothing special in taste or presentation.

We figured, alright, we’re probably paying for the beach vibe and the setting. But once we finished our drinks, the staff immediately cleared our cups and kept checking on us multiple times, clearly expecting another order. It quickly became uncomfortable — the energy was very much like, “Order more or leave,” even though the place wasn’t particularly busy.

We ended up cutting our work session short because of the unwelcoming atmosphere. When we asked for the bill, the staff didn’t even bother to print it — just flashed it briefly on a phone screen. That lack of hospitality left a sour aftertaste.

So — 1star for the view and location. Nothing more. There’s a lot of potential, but a long way to go in terms of service, customer experience and quality of the food.

Reply to the owner:

Hi there, and thanks for taking the time to respond — especially while unwell. Wishing you a smooth and full recovery.

After reading your message, I can definitely see where your staff gets their energy from — bold, reactive, and not afraid to speak their mind. 😄 That said, I do believe a great hospitality experience isn’t just about confidence, but about creating space where all types of guests feel welcome, even if they don’t match your expectations perfectly.

My original review wasn’t about being “salty” or dramatic. It was a sincere reflection of what we felt during our visit. We came with excitement, ready to enjoy the view, sip coffee, and maybe get some work done in a beautiful setting. The location delivered — the view was lovely. But once we finished our drinks, the energy shifted. Staff hovered, cleared the cups quickly, and checked on us multiple times. It felt like an unspoken “order more or move on,” which is not the relaxed beach vibe most guests are probably hoping for.

And just to clarify — it’s not that we couldn’t afford to eat more or pay for additional orders. We simply weren’t hungry at the time. We weren’t looking for a free seat — just a peaceful moment. And instead of feeling welcome, we felt watched.

The final touch — showing us the bill on a phone screen instead of printing it — may seem minor, but it felt like a rushed goodbye, not a closing moment of hospitality.

What surprised me most was your response itself. It wasn’t just defensive — it was personally attacking, calling me “cheap,” making assumptions, and dismissing my energy. That’s not leadership — that’s reactivity. And maybe what this place needs is not more staff training, but a more mindful leader. Someone with deeper experience in hospitality who knows how to hold space, especially when feedback comes in. A beautiful business deserves that kind of heart-centered guidance.

And finally, comparing your small beach bar — with its still-developing service and very average food — to international chains like Starbucks or Highland is, frankly, unreasonable. Those companies earned global recognition not only through branding but through consistency, customer service systems, and professionalism — even if they are far from perfect. To even begin to stand among them, there’s a long way to go in improving many areas of your business: starting with how to handle criticism, how to turn feedback into growth, and yes — how to uplift the actual quality of your food and drink, not just defend it.

In the end, I still wish your team well. Your café has potential, and clearly many people do enjoy it. I just hope one day it can be the kind of place where even critical feedback is welcomed with curiosity, not sarcasm.

With...

저번 방문때 정말 좋았어서 재방문했어요 이번에는 서비스가 별로인것같아요 일단 후불결제였는데 선불결제로 바뀌었습니다 이상하게 동양인 어린여자라 돈이없다고 생각했는지 빌지도 없이 돈을받아갔고 손님이 좌석에 앉아있는데도 여러번 자리를 옮겨달라 요청했습니다 . . 자리에서 바로 작성하고 십여분이 지났을때 직원이 사과문을 작성해왔습니다 자리를 여러번옮기게한것이 죄송하며 선불정책이없는데도 선불을 하게한점에 사과하며 전액 환불을 도와주겠다고 하였습니다 인종차별맞네 ㅆㅂ

During my previous visit, I was able to pay after ordering. But this time, I was asked to pay immediately upon ordering, which felt inconsistent.

After receiving our drinks, we were sitting peacefully when a staff member placed a bench in front of us and asked us to move. We moved, but shortly after, we were asked to move again without any clear reason.

This made us feel like we were being treated unfairly, possibly because we are Asian tourists. It was embarrassing and disappointing, especially as I had a good impression from my last visit.

I hope your team reflects on this situation and treats all customers equally, regardless of race

I visited Maia Beach Bar again after a good experience last time, but unfortunately, this time was very disappointing.

As two Asian travelers, we felt we were treated differently. We were forced to pay right after ordering — unlike my last visit where it was post-payment.

After sitting down with our drinks, staff placed a bench in front of us and asked us to move — not once, but twice, with no explanation. It felt like we were being pushed around while other guests were left alone.

This gave us a strong impression of racial discrimination, which was upsetting and completely ruined our mood.

I would not recommend this place to non-Western tourists until the staff is trained to treat all customers with the same level of respect.

. .

I initially had a terrible experience at Maia Beach Bar that made me feel discriminated against as an Asian tourist.

Unlike my previous visit, I was asked to pay immediately after ordering, which felt strange. Then, while trying to enjoy our drinks, we were asked to move seats — not just once, but twice — with no clear explanation. Other guests (mostly non-Asians) were left alone, and it felt like we were being pushed around simply because we are Asian.

I was extremely upset and it clearly felt like racial discrimination.

Only after we voiced our discomfort did a staff member come back, apologize for the situation, admit that there is no prepayment policy, and offered a full refund for the way we were treated.

This proves the discrimination was real. It ruined our time and left a really bad impression.

I hope this review brings awareness and change. No one should be treated differently based on their race...

I had a great time here, the cocktails were amazing. And the food great. The staff were nice too. This would have been a 5 star but my last time there I had an experience with a local, a lady with a cat Mimi. She seems to spend a lot of time there and staff know her. I had met her tte night before, she was overly friendly. Today she insisted that I sit with her and her friend and I did so for about 10 minutes. When I went to pay the bill there was a charge for 175,000 that said coconut. I just paid the bill and left. Though she walked to the bar with me and watched me pay, I feel the staff member maybe have known what was going on, as someone had added this to my bill without asking me first. I should have disputed it at the time, but I felt rushed. 520,000 was too much for my olives and two cocktails. Disappointing as I had many hours of great food and drinks here and this was my last visit

FOLLOW UP TO MY REVIEW AND REPLY TO OWNER. PLUS ADDED PHOTO.

The response from the owner was not really the standard I expect from the owner of such a great business, and I am happy to expand to help tourists and expats be more aware after the comments made.

I did not consent to any juice being added to my account, they had the coconuts before I sat with them. I let it go because it wasn’t expensive. A quick note from the owner saying he would look into it and talk to his staff would have been fine with me, or no response at all, would have been fine. I would have amended my review accordingly. His response was unexpected.

In response I am happy for anyone reading this to check all my other reviews, from around the world and see that I generally only give 5 star reviews as I don’t like to impact business if they have a bad day.

What happened here was systematic and the staff enabled this behaviour. I have added a photo of the woman and the cat to my review. I hope the owner learns that protecting his customers is important.

More important than disparaging customers, who were really happy with their experience otherwise.

I would have changed my review if a solution was forthcoming. Now I’m changing my rating to 1 star instead. Which is a shame, as these were the BEST cocktails I have had in Vietnam.

John, really weird response, especially to someone with a university degree in...