There are two reasons to go to a rooftop bar in Saigon: the view and the drinks. The best options do both well. Some do only one well (usually the view) and compensate with high prices. This guide ranks the main options honestly and gives you the practical information you need to choose the right one for your evening.

The best views in the city

EON Heli Bar at Bitexco Financial Tower (2 Hai Trieu, District 1) occupies the upper floors of the most architecturally distinctive building in the Saigon skyline — the structure with the helipad protruding at an angle from the middle floors. The view from 49 floors up shows you the full grid of District 1, the river bending around the city’s edge, and the low-rise sprawl extending in every direction. Dress code applies (smart casual minimum). Cocktails: 180,000–280,000 VND.

Chill Skybar (76A Lê Lai, District 1, 26th floor) has a 360-degree terrace with excellent views in all directions, a well-constructed cocktail list, and a more relaxed dress code than EON. Cocktails: 150,000–220,000 VND. Gets crowded from 7:30pm on weekends.

The best food and atmosphere combination

Shri Restaurant & Lounge (Centec Tower, 72–74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, District 3) is the choice if you want good food alongside your view. The Vietnamese menu items are genuinely well-executed, the terrace has a more intimate scale than the mega-rooftop bars, and the crowd skews toward Vietnamese professionals and couples rather than tourist groups. Dinner mains: 200,000–380,000 VND. Cocktails: 120,000–180,000 VND.

The hidden option

Level 23 Skybar at the Sheraton Saigon Hotel (88 Đồng Khởi, District 1) is less talked about than Chill or EON but has excellent views directly over the colonial-era street grid of downtown, a calmer atmosphere, and drinks that are reliably made. Best for an early evening drink (5:30–7pm) before dinner elsewhere.

When to go and what to expect

Arrive between 5:30 and 6:30pm for the best combination of golden-hour light and available seating. By 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday evenings, the main rooftop bars have queues or are reservation-only. Most venues have minimum spend policies on busy nights (typically 100,000–200,000 VND per person, redeemable against drinks).