Owls Keep You Company, Furniture Hangs from the Ceiling — Visit Quirky Cafés in Ho Chi Minh City

Reporter Chen Ziying / Report from Vietnam

Strolling through Ho Chi Minh City, where cafés are everywhere, you’ll “bump into” a coffee shop almost every two steps. In this city full of French flair, there’s a wide variety of unique cafés. The reporter has selected three “must-visit” coffee shops, including one with an upside-down concept, as well as cafés “manned” by owls and African parrots — don’t miss out on the fun of café-hopping if you get the chance.

1. UP Coffee

The upside-down café is named “UP Coffee.” The owner, who is originally an interior designer, personally designed the interior and exterior to create an optical illusion of an inverted world. The building’s exterior looks as if the roof is on the ground, and the inside is also filled with humorous “upside-down” features — white wooden cabinets and tea tables hanging from the ceiling on the first floor, a dreamy platform piano, and coffee tables and chairs on the second floor. If it weren’t for your feet firmly planted on the floor, the illusion would be almost convincing.



▲ UP Coffee is quite distinctive, with tables and chairs hanging from the ceiling creating an optical illusion. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

2. Pet Me

“Pet Me” may look like an ordinary café, but it’s actually a hidden gem, with colorful parrots and extremely cute owls as its living mascots. It turns out the owner has loved birds since childhood, which inspired them to open a café where birds keep you company. Café manager Gao Junyi said that a total of 20 parrots take turns “on shift” to keep guests company, and they interact with people in very human-like ways. This interaction ensures the café always has a lively atmosphere.



▲ The owner of Pet Me Café is a big bird lover, with both parrots and owls in the shop. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

▲ Even the murals on the walls feature beautiful parrots. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)


▲ The parrots also play and interact with guests. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

3. MTV Coffee
Recommended by local guides, MTV Coffee is vastly different in style from the previous two and is referred to by locals as “the café that doesn’t look like a café.” During the day, DJs play trendy music at MTV Coffee, and at night, rock bands are invited to perform, giving the place a nightclub vibe in the evening. Moreover, the reporter was asked not to take photos by the waitresses — all clad in hot pants — making it a spot readers will have to see for themselves.


▲ MTV Coffee is known by locals as “the café that doesn’t look like a café.” (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)