GRANDMUM CAFE — Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City

Declaring GRANDMUM to be my favorite cafe is as awkward as acknowledging that you like one child more than the others: this is a city full of lovely cafes, as well as a thriving specialty coffee scene, which I will continue to support.

And yet my experience at GRANDMUM was a step above the rest. Everything about it was amazing: the coffee was of impeccable quality. I selected a robusta out of curiosity and was shocked at the flavors that were able to be extracted. The menu offers some of the best beans available in the world, delivered with the usual specialty coffee methods. But it also takes Vietnam's coffee culture seriously, as it should, and the best versions of those drinks are included on the menu.

The woman working there was incredible: very sweet, cute, and extremely knowledgeable. In terrific English, she showed me how to brew Vietnamese coffee using a phin and discussed the bags of beans I purchased to take home.

Beyond that, there is the cafe's super chill vibe. The decor is restrained and pleasant. Both the inside and the outdoor patio are relaxing places to sit. Music is delivered through a tube amplifier, and during my visit they played a mixture of jazz (e.g., Getz/Gilberto) and Frank Sinatra. It was like they developed their playlist by mining my thoughts.

Finally, the cafe has an elderly Chihuahua that is absolutely adorable. I plopped her down in my lap, and she snuggled with me throughout my visit. As a dog lover, that made my day.

I realize that this review is so over-the-top that it sounds like it was manufactured by the owners, or that I must have some conflict of interest. It isn't, and I do not. As I was leaving, the woman did politely ask me if I would consider leaving a review, but after my experience, I had already planned to.

The cafe was empty, and it shouldn't have been. This is a true gem, and provided me with one of the best cafe experiences I've ever had anywhere in the world. It's located on a side street, but please...

Chanced upon this lovely cafe located in a quiet alley during our time in Saigon. We absolutely loved the atmosphere and decor. Upon chatting with the lovely owner who also made our coffee, we learnt that this place was named grandmum as this is what it would feel like to visit a Vietnamese grandmum’s place, and enjoy food and coffee made with LOVE.

Other than the atmosphere, what really stood out was the phenomenal coffee. We had the 3 coffee combo (VND 180,000 total) and really enjoyed it, with the salt coffee being our favourite. We had many salt coffee during our time in Saigon and this one was still our favourite, prompting us to come back again on our last day. The owner explained the different types of coffee that was served and we learnt about how different parts of Vietnam have their coffee.

The adorable dog, Thu also captured our hearts. She was friendly and cuddled up to us while we were having our coffee.

Although the coffee took some time to be served, but we enjoyed the atmosphere and spent our time looking around. It was clear as day that the coffee here was made with lots of care and love, which was a huge reason we came back again.

This was our most memorable cafe in Saigon and would highly recommend anyone who is in Saigon to check...

Have you ever had that warm fuzzy feeling, like that of listening to a long forgotten song or reminiscing of a favourite pastime? This is the feeling I experienced when I took that first sip of coffee here.

Sometimes you get so used to coffee that you forget what a truly special cup of coffee tastes like, a testament that the lady who brews the coffee here is truly a passionate maestro at play.

The selection on offer here comprises Vietnamese beans from small and independent farms/roasters as well as some other international offerings. My particular favourite is the Lang Biang Catimor.

As for the location, Grandmum Cafe is nestled down a small alley inside a bustling district, not that you would be able to tell, there is absolutely not a single sound of traffic making this a peaceful oasis to relax and enjoy that perfect cup of coffee.

I recommend everyone to come and try the coffee here, a passionate team, very reasonable prices, especially for pour over, a good selection of desserts, and a more intimate coffee experience.

Thank you so much for the amazing coffee and welcoming atmosphere, I shall be back again very soon!

P.S. If you are lucky enough to be there at the right time, you may even get to see adorable little...