Banana Mama Rooftop Bar & Kitchen Saigon — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

I hadn't had time to cancel the dispute on my charge card so this pathetic excuse of a manager dug himself deeper into a hole. He proceeded to send me profanity laced messages on Facebook until I blocked him. Feel free to upload the video you reference, which will show you are a liar. Honestly, Quentin, you have severe anger management issues and need tools to cope. I recommend counseling.

Quentin, the manager, responded quickly to my review, which was what I hoped (hard to contact a place from halfway around the world). He sent me a copy of the original bill which shows the price that was presented on my charge card, so that issue is resolved. However, upon looking closely at the bill he sent to me, I realized the prices on the check are higher than what is listed on the menu found on their website. Considering how closely Quentin watches reviews, I find it curious that he hasn't updated the menu. Also, when he responded, he subtilty threatened retaliatory reviews if I didn't change my review. Real classy. I found dealing with him to be pleasant until it wasn't.

I recommend the bar give a copy of the drink bill as well as the credit card receipt to avoid any confusion in the future. I did find it very strange that the employees had me input the amount into the credit card machine.

That said, I paid $100 USD for 11 people to have one drink each. Super expensive for Vietnam. So, overpriced drinks, passive/aggressive manager. You decide if it's worth it.

Update: I sent Banana Mama an email and will update when I receive a refund on the amount overpaid.

Beware, SCAM ALERT!! I paid for my group's drinks, and they turned the credit card machine towards me. I thought I was supposed to enter the amount of the check, but it was for a tip, which I realized when I reviewed my credit card the next day. Instead of $50 USD, I paid $100 USD! Unfortunately, they were closed the next day, so I wasn't able to go there and talk with them before I left the country.

Be warned! Even the great view is NOT worth being...

The food, atmosphere, and service all came together quite nicely, making it a pleasant evening.

Food I sampled a few dishes on the menu, each offering a different impression:

Mezze Platter (180k VND): This dish reminded me a lot of Mexican cuisine. While the flavor wasn’t too remarkable to me personally (I'd rate it 7.5/10), I think fans of Mexican-style dishes might enjoy it more — probably around 8.25/10.

Shrimp Roll (190k VND): A decent choice, nothing particularly exciting, but still enjoyable. I'd give it an 8/10.

Avocado Toast (170k VND): This one was okay for me (7/10), but if you're really into avocados, I believe it could easily be an 8.25/10 for you.

Fried Chicken (150k VND): Surprisingly, this turned out to be my favorite. It suited my taste best, crispy and flavorful — definitely a 9/10 from me.

Drinks I ordered a Wild Turkey 101 whiskey with soda (220k VND). The drink was smooth and blended well with the relaxed evening vibe. It felt easy to sip on and quite enjoyable — 8.5/10.

Atmosphere After 9:30 PM, the place started to fill up quickly, so I’d recommend arriving around 8:30 PM to secure a table. The crowd was mostly foreigners, and the place had a chill, social vibe. There was a live DJ playing, and while not mind-blowing, the music was good enough to keep the mood lively — I’d rate the DJ 8/10.

View The venue has four sides. One side opens to the bar and DJ booth, another offers a pretty nice city view, while the remaining two don’t stand out much. Still, the open layout gives the space a breezy, comfortable feel.

Service The staff were all very friendly and welcoming. Service was quick and polite — absolutely a 10/10.

Overall This is a solid spot for a night out with friends or a casual evening drink. While not every dish was a hit for me, the overall vibe and service made it...

Edit: Having spoken to the 'real' manager Mr. Quentin I am editing my review. I appreciated the way he handled the situation.

Even though his first plan of action was to have my review taken down by Google and only actually responded when I called the place. Pathetic. In my opinion he his at worse fault when I discovered he would rather have a review deleted instead of replying. Pathetic management.

He was polite and offered free drinks to make up for his staff member. So, I want to be fair and update the situation.

However 'near closing time' is no excuse for staff to be disrespectful and rude. Having a bad day is fine, just do your job and you will have repeat customers. We won't be returning. I predict it will be closed down within a year. Terrible management in general. Table cleaners pretending they are managers and the 'real manager' would rather delete this review and pretend it never happened.

Food was bang average and over priced

He didn't know my wife works in the same industry and I want everyone to know her experience.

So, I felt I had to update my review when I found out the Simon collects glasses and wipes tables when they are wet and isn't in charge. Thank goodness that is the case.

As for the 'real' manager, he first reported my review. Got it taken down. I had to call him to get an apology. The place is run by cowboys. French cowboys.

Simon from Normandy: 0/5 stars Banana Mama Bar: 1/5 stars Senior Manager Quentin: 1/5 stars

Avoid...