Mây Café & Bakery — Restaurant in Ninh Bình

Disappointing decline, standards have fallen.

I used to come to this coffee shop almost every day last autumn and what started out as a 5* service and atmosphere very quickly turned into an underwhelming experience which makes me wonder why I keep giving it another chance.

There is more staff here than customers half the time and yet when they see me (a white foreigner) they all immediately shy away or grab another member of staff to serve me instead. I understand there may be a language barrier but at least have some confidence and try instead of making me stand there awkwardly and stare at me like I am an alien. Today there were 3 staff just sat on the floor at the top of the stairs and it took 30 minutes for just an orange juice. As I write this there is currently a member of staff just sat on her phone at the top of the stairs blocking the way.

The drinks are tasty but expensive. The food is also pretty good and ideal if you're in the café for lunch but again also pretty expensive compared to other local options.

The atmosphere is nice and the coffee shop has great potential but they need a complete overhaul of management as the staff turnover seems very high and there are so many people working that most of them are just stood around doing nothing and making the place look unprofessional.

Another big complaint is during the winter they have a fire in the courtyard in the centre of the coffee shop and it fills the entire coffee shop with smoke and makes it hard to breathe and will give you a headache.

Overall I would recommend only coming here if other local coffee shops are full, or you’re hungry and passing by, as every time I give this place another chance it...

May Café is a charming and serene spot located in the heart of Ninh Binh, Vietnam. The design of the place is beautifully curated, with multiple floors offering both indoor and outdoor seating options, perfect for enjoying a quiet moment whether you’re solo or with company. The atmosphere is especially peaceful in the morning, when the café plays gentle classical music in the background, creating a truly calming ambiance.

Although I didn’t have the chance to try the food, the menu looked very appealing, with a variety of well-presented dishes that seemed both local and international. I did, however, try their signature egg coffee, and it exceeded my expectations — creamy and sweet, but perfectly balanced, with a rich, smooth coffee base underneath.

The staff were friendly, polite, and attentive, always with a smile and ready to help. The service was also impressively quick, making the whole experience even more enjoyable.

Whether you’re stopping by for a morning coffee or looking for a relaxing corner to spend some time, May Café is definitely a place I would recommend...

If you want to feel the best of Ninh Binh, you gotta visit the place. The amazing atmosphere, one of the most beautiful spots I've been in Vietnam. Few different zones, inner garden, a lot of natural elements in design, I would really like to chat with the owner, cause the effort put in is visible and definitely paid off The only thing that was a bit out for me was food, but I guess that's because my sister is a professional baker and spoiled me with cakes. Also, I found a smoothie disappointing, cause half of it was ice cubes. And the Italian coffee is overpriced, imho, I can get it more affordable in Hanoi, even in places with more...