First published March 2026 | Words and photos by Luke Digweed | Read time 25 minutes
Luke Digweed is a staff writer for Vietnam Coracle and has lived in Vietnam since 2011. He holds an MSc in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics where he wrote his dissertation on Vietnamese male migrants working in UK nail salons. He has worked on the production of several podcasts, including LSE’s Phelan US Centre show ‘The Ballpark’. While living in Huế, he ran the Huế Grit Tour from 2017–2020. His current Vietnam-centric interests include ceremonies and festivals, food, motion and mobility….read more about Luke
Cocktails, Concept Bars, Pubs & Breweries in the Mountain City of Đà Lạt
Over the years, the temperate mountain city of Đà Lạt (Dalat) has become a destination for escaping the traps of life in Vietnam’s bigger cities. Artists leaving Hồ Chí Minh City for greener pastures, hospitality workers seeking healthier work–life balances, and first-time business owners looking for cheaper options to begin their enterprises have all contributed to Đà Lạt’s contemporary drinking culture. Combined with the city’s topography and climate, this influx has produced a nightlife quite unlike that found elsewhere in southern or central Vietnam, and arguably the country as a whole. Đà Lạt is not a city that drinks loudly. Even at its busiest, alcohol-fuelled mayhem is elusive and largely confined to a single area. Beer and liquor appear to be consumed to aid conversation and reflection, rather than performance and spectacle. From local beer halls serving cheap lager to craft breweries offering ale infused with regional flavours, from classy cocktail bars to quirky concept bars, Đà Lạt offers a small but varied bar scene suited to the different rhythms of its customers.❤️If you enjoy this article, please support Vietnam Coracle with a donation or join the Patreon community or purchase an Offline Guide & Map. I run this website at a loss. Thank you, Tom
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THE GUIDE:
Where to Drink in the Central Highlands City of Đà Lạt
This guide records my own experiences in each location listed, beginning with bars that resonate most strongly with me, followed by various beer halls, a selection of cocktail bars and finally venues built around conceptual novelty (see Contents below). Rather than striving for objectivity, this guide reflects the belief that bars are made as much by the people inside them and the interactions between those people as by the décor and furniture they contain or the drinks they serve. There are, of course, many other good places to drink in Đà Lạt and the bar scene is constantly evolving. For more Đà Lạt guides, see Related Posts.❤️If you enjoy this website, please support it with a donation or become a member of the Patreon community.
Contents:
📍 Map
🤝 Bars for Local Connection 🤝
🍺 Breweries & Craft Beer 🍺
🍹 Cocktail Bars 🍹
🤩 Concept Bars 🤩
THEJ Hidden Arcade Cocktail Bar
🍷 Other Bars, Pubs & Drinking Holes 🍷
The Classic Pub, Moi Craft Beer, Sartorista
❤️ Support Us
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MAP:
Đà Lạt Bars & Drinking Locations
ODay Bar:
Address: opposite 4/36, 41 Đào Duy Từ street [MAP]
ODay Bar is situated in one of my favourite areas to walk around in Đà Lạt. Located just off Đào Duy Từ Street, the bar pulls you away from the main drag and into one of the city’s quieter residential pockets. Operating as a coffee shop during the day, ODay subtly morphs into a cocktail bar in the evening. Enter through a gated garden and follow a stone path past scattered furniture and an outdoor kitchen before reaching the front door. Inside, the layout encourages evening lounging and unhurried drinking. Ceiling-high bookshelves divide the room into separate seating areas and are stocked with Japanese jazz records alongside an assortment of Vietnamese and world literature in various languages. Lighting is warm and carefully placed. No detail feels unconsidered.
The cocktail menu is organised by feeling rather than formula: light and easy, herbal, sour, fizzy. Classics sit alongside more novel variations, many made using a selection of imported spirits that are anything but token. Prices are slightly higher than average, but the drinks and the overall execution justifies the cost. What sets ODay apart from other bars on this list — admittedly with some personal bias — is how clearly it reflects the owner’s taste rather than a market trend. Finding bars that operate as more than just a business, or that don’t lean heavily on overused aesthetics, can be difficult. ODay shows a clear awareness of the space and time it inhabits without disowning or exploiting its influences. This sensibility is reflected in the bar’s name, Ở Đây, meaning “here”.
“The bar is not only a place for people to connect with each other, but also a place for me to connect with other people,” explains Hải, the owner. ODay regularly hosts film screenings and live music performances, with these events forming the heart of the bar’s sense of community. Hải is part of a subtle, ongoing exodus from Sài Gòn to Đà Lạt, leaving behind the punctuated rhythms and borrowed spaces of city life in search of something more grounded. That ethos carries through to the bar itself. Whether hosting a packed event or sitting quietly between guests, ODay Bar allows for a more liberal use of time than the world outside permits.
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Cù Rú Bar:
Address: 2 Phạm Hồng Thái street [MAP]
Đà Lạt and wider Lâm Đồng province have long attracted Vietnam’s creative communities: from affluent architects during the French colonial period to some of southern Vietnam’s most prominent singer-songwriters. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, artists have continued to move to and pass through the city, drawn by its landscapes and the possibility of working with greater autonomy and fewer economic constraints than the larger cities offer. Cù Rú Bar is one manifestation of this ongoing migratory flow.
Founded in the mid-2010s by a collective of artists in downtown Hồ Chí Minh City, Cù Rú relocated to Đà Lạt in 2019 in response to instability and rising rents in the city. Now embedded in Đà Lạt’s social fabric, the bar continues to operate as a gathering space for artists and like-minded individuals, while actively promoting and supporting work from the city, across Vietnam and beyond.
Located on a bend of Phạm Hồng Thái Street and housed beneath a semi-temporary greenhouse canopy, Cù Rú Bar is easy to miss. A fenced garden at the front, currently shared with a Japanese restaurant, leads along a narrow path through dense shrubbery. Descending a short set of steps towards the bar, you pass workstations scattered with tools, sculptures and paintings. The sense of disorder makes it clear these objects aren’t decorative props but evidence of a functioning studio. The main bar sits to the left, facing seating areas that blend into the surrounding garden. Behind it, large glass vats of house-made liquor (rượu nhà làm) line the shelves, while the two rooms flanking the bar are used for visiting artists, exhibitions and events.
Unlike most bars on this list, Cù Rú serves a rotating selection of homemade liquors crafted by the owners using fruits, coffee and flowers. During my visit, the bar offered sixteen different ‘wines’, including rosemary, lavender, persimmon and coffee bean varieties. I was particularly taken by the tamarillo wine, made from the small, tomato-like fruit native to South America. Expect similarly curious and experimental offerings when you visit.
Beyond its drinks, Cù Rú functions as a hub for Đà Lạt’s contemporary art scene. Its owners, practising artists and curators, are valuable sources of insight into local and national creative communities. In 2022, they hosted the travelling art festival No Cái Bụm in Đà Lạt and continue to organise exhibitions and events in and around the city. Due to commitments beyond the bar itself, Cù Rú can be intermittently closed, so it’s best to check their social media pages before visiting.
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Hoa Thông Brewing:
Address: 45 Đinh Tiên Hoàng street [MAP]
This slick, barnhouse-style establishment sits a little way out of Đà Lạt’s city centre, but its eye-catching design makes it hard to miss. The aesthetic leans heavily into an Americana/Great Outdoors vibe: a wide porch, wooden interiors, long rows of picnic tables and a playlist that drifts between country hits from middle America. Hoa Thông isn’t just a bar, but a Đà Lạt–based microbrewery focusing on in-house beer and liqueurs produced from vat to table.
The space is clearly designed for groups, with large tables dominating the seating area. During my visit, I saw families spanning three or even four generations arriving for shared banquets of food and drink. The menu reflects this broad appeal, offering a wide range of dishes to suit varied tastes, though you’ll need to dig a little to find the current beer selection. Similar to Trạm Men, food appears to be the main revenue driver, while beer remains affordable compared to other Vietnam-based craft breweries. Despite their affordability, the beers are of high quality and worth seeking out.
Hoa Thông Brewing offers a solid range of beers which are brewed on site. I worked my way through several, including the slightly sour Middle in Nowhere Belgian ale, the Bitter-Sweet IPA, the ginger beer, and the mulberry cider. While all were enjoyable, the mulberry cider stood out: sweet, sharp and thirst-quenching, this is a brew firmly aimed at the sweet-toothed drinker and possibly one of the best ciders I’ve had in Vietnam.
Less obvious, but equally interesting, is Hoa Thông Brewing’s small range of house-made liqueurs. These include dâu tằm (mulberry), mai anh đào (wild cherry blossom), mơ gỗ sồi (oak-aged apricot), and quýt D’Ran, a liqueur made from mandarins grown in the nearby town of D’Ran. Writing this at a moment when my own interest in beer has waned, these liqueurs are particularly appealing.
At the risk of being sidetracked from the drinks, I should mention that the food, however, was less convincing on my visit. Tempted by novelty, I ordered the durian pizza. It took a long time to arrive and appeared not to have come from the restaurant’s pizza oven at all. As for the taste, a jar of durian jam and some grilled cheese might have delivered a similar experience. Judging from the brewery’s popularity, other dishes may offer better value.
Hoa Thông Brewing has been operating in Đà Lạt for around five years and has clearly benefited from significant investment in its building, décor and overall concept. The clientele is varied, the operation feels professional, and while nothing here is especially radical, the consistency makes it a reliable option, particularly for larger groups with varying tastes and preferences.
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Trạm Men Craft Beer:
Address: 118-119 KQH Phan Đình Phùng street [MAP]
Don’t be fooled by the name – Trạm Men translates roughly as ‘Fermentation Station’ and is not a commercial offshoot of the manosphere. Founded in 2020, this microbrewery has been serving beer in Đà Lạt for over five years. If you asked me to point it out without Google Maps, I’d struggle. The brewery sits in a fairly unassuming location, removed from Đà Lật’s tourist areas and flanked by more conventional beer restaurants and nightlife venues.
Like Hoa Thông Brewing, Trạm Men is seeking to elevate beer-drinking culture by emphasising flavour, process and artisanal production. At the time of my visit, more than ten in-house brews were available, covering familiar styles such as IPA, hefeweizen, pale ale, pilsner, passion fruit beer and stout. Drawn to the experimental options on the menu, I started with their artichoke beer and Vietnam’s root beer-inspired xá xị, alongside the IPA. Both the artichoke and xá xị beers were initially unusual but grew on me with each sip. That said, I doubt I would have ordered a second glass of either. The IPA proved the safer choice – crisp and well-balanced – suggesting the rest of the core range is made to a decent standard. Prices vary across styles but are consistently reasonable.
The brewery itself occupies a side garage next to the restaurant. During my mid-afternoon visit, two brewers were working steadily through an active batch, reinforcing the sense that Trạm Men is as focused on producing its beer as it is on maintaining the bar’s aesthetics. The restaurant leans confidently into Vietnam’s aspirational middle-class dining culture. The polite, attentive manager — dressed in a pinstripe jacket — looks more like an MC than a bar manager, setting the tone for the space. The menu is broad and international, ranging from Vietnamese dishes to Japanese seafood, French cheeses and German sausages. Spread over two floors, the ground floor is suited to smaller groups and spontaneous visits, while the upstairs rooms are designed for larger parties and private gatherings.
Trạm Men is frustratingly underrepresented online and its exterior gives little indication of what’s inside. Even so, it shouldn’t be overlooked. The price point alone makes it worth a visit, and although I sampled only a portion of the range, I left confident in the brewery’s beer. In a later exchange, the owner mentioned they are continually refining existing beers and expanding the lineup, convincing me of a future return visit. While the décor doesn’t entirely suit my taste, it wouldn’t deter me from coming back with friends or even family. For anyone interested in Đà Lạt’s craft beer scene, Trạm Men is a solid and reliable option.
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Bia Lạnh Thanh Trà:
Address: 145 Ba Tháng Hai street [MAP]
Bia Lạnh Thanh Trà is very much a beer spot for the everyman. ‘Bia Lạnh’ (literally “cold beer”) in the name signals a clear gastronomic hierarchy: drinking takes priority here, food is second. The clientele is overwhelmingly local, composed largely of working-class men from Đà Lạt who form the backbone of the city’s everyday life. Beer is available in almost every format except on tap. Cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles dominate the menu. The closest thing to draft beer is a low-cost local brew from Khánh Hoà province, served in plastic bottles. Its low price compensates for the lack of aesthetics. Other options include the ubiquitous Saigon and Hanoi beers; familiar and functional rather than aspirational.
The venue is family-run, and much of its warmth comes from the matriarch, Cô Tâm. Her English is limited, but her friendliness transcends language barriers. Cô Tâm is eager to emphasise that she is from Đà Lạt and has witnessed the city’s transformations over the decades. We spoke about local produce, the growing influence of Vietnam’s larger cities on Đà Lạt, and the advantages of Đà Nẵng as an international tourist destination.
Having already eaten a heavy bò tơ lunch earlier in the day, I ordered the fried tofu and sweetcorn to accompany my drink. The dish was oily and forgettable, consolidating the sense that food here is merely an accompaniment to beer rather than a main draw. Ultimately, I came for the beer and atmosphere, not the food. On this particular evening, Cô Tâm was the saving grace of what otherwise felt like a subdued night. Most patrons were either glued to their phones or drinking out of habit rather than for enjoyment. Still, it’s easy to imagine Thanh Trà coming alive on other nights. Whether it’s an engaging place to drink depends heavily on timing as well as who happens to be there when you visit. Bia Lạnh Thanh Trà isn’t the only option for cold beer at economical prices in the area. Nearby Bia Hà Nội and Bia Đức offer similar experiences and are worth checking out as alternatives.
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Leme Craft Beer:
Address: 24 Hoàng Hoa Thám street [MAP]
After the slick craft beer experiences of Hoa Thông Brewery and Trạm Men, I was surprised to learn there was also a home brewer operating elsewhere in Đà Lạt. Leme Craft Beer is located in a residential neighbourhood in the southeast of the city, on the second floor of a building that feels closer to a private home than a bar. The space resembles a modest two-level conservatory, with the bar itself occupying most of the upper floor and stools lining its length. A small balcony holds a single table with four chairs.
I arrived on a Saturday evening and was congratulated by the lone staff member for being the first customer of the week. It wasn’t immediately clear whether this was meant as a genuine celebration. Had I stumbled across a fabled ‘hidden gem’, or was this purely a business in freefall?
The bar offers three beers: pale ale, cream ale and hazy IPA. Each is available in three sizes and brewed locally by the owner. I was told the taps rotate occasionally, with a kumquat beer and a stout having appeared in the past. The kegerator was a point of ingenuity: an icebox converted into a beer pump for serving beer. Beyond the beer, there appeared to be little else on offer. An empty fridge sits to one side of the bar, while the counter is lined with empty cans and bottles. “Those are the boss’s collection,” I was told. Souvenirs from beers drunk elsewhere, perhaps. The owner, who oversees all brewing at Leme, also runs a homestay and a cocktail bar elsewhere in Đà Lạt.
So how was the beer? Frankly, all three pours were a little flat. During service, the bartender repeatedly placed the glass in the fridge mid-pour to prevent overflow and reduce waste, which shaped a sense of amateurism. The pale ale and hazy IPA were passable, but the cream ale is best avoided, or at least sampled before committing to a full glass. The young bartender, however, was friendly, open and engaging, breaking beyond professional formality to hold a genuine conversation and even play me a song on the guitar, possibly the best part of the experience!
Leme Craft Beer feels like a passion project running alongside its owner’s other ventures. That isn’t a problem in itself. But if time and care are being invested into brewing, the same attention needs to be extended to quality control. At a time when many of Vietnam’s craft beer businesses have been shaped by large investors driven by profiteering, drinkers seek out independent producers precisely for the care and attention that often go amiss in larger establishments. Consumers want to feel good about supporting small-scale brewing, not as though they’re compensating with ‘charity drinks’ due to negligence in product and service. If Leme Craft Beer can achieve greater consistency and a tighter operation, it could become a neighbourhood spot worth returning to.
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Blue Rose:
Address: 26/4 Lê Văn Tám street [MAP]
When deciding which cocktail bars to visit in Đà Lạt, Blue Rose was easy to overlook due to my aversion to ‘cheesy’ names. It wasn’t until two mixologists working at different bars told me it was their favourite place for cocktails in Đà Lạt that I paid it serious attention. I visited on a quiet weekday evening, when Đà Lạt felt unusually empty of tourists.
Southeast of Hồ Xuân Hương Lake, Blue Rose sits on a steep descending alley off Lê Văn Tám street, with several discrete eateries nearby. The building is home to both a cocktail bar and a homestay of the same name. The bar is beautiful and well-designed, with tiled walls, a variety of seating and ample space. Although the bar was empty when I arrived, a few guests trickled in as the night went on. The atmosphere at Blue Rose is calm and unforced. Music accompanies you around the bar rather than imposing itself on the room. Seating is arranged both along the bar and in a small lounge area. The lighting is subtle and carefully directed.
Jared (Nguyễn) is the owner and manager of Blue Rose and on the night that I visited, he was also the sole bartender. Jared has been developing Blue Rose since 2020. With the building owned by his family, he’s been excused from the pressure to rush expansion towards success or chase consumer trends. Instead, he’s allowed caution and patience to guide his approach, letting the bar develop at its own pace and prioritising consistency over visibility.
Blue Rose is known locally for its commitment to classic cocktails done properly, an area where many bars in Vietnam fall short. A modest but well-chosen selection of imported whiskies and gins also supports that focus. On Jared’s recommendation, I ordered the Irish Coffee, an ideal choice on one of Đà Lạt’s colder nights: warm, balanced and quietly effective. With good conversation, the drink went down far too easily. Had I not been working, I would have stayed longer.
Blue Rose doesn’t attract much attention online, but it maintains a strong reputation among Đà Lạt’s bar community. It’s a place Đà Lạt’s cocktail-loving residents regularly return to rather than visit for the novelty. The variety of seating options, paired with the working fireplace, suggests it comes into its own as a cosy space during the colder months. For well-made classics at reasonable prices, Blue Rose is one of Đà Lạt’s most reliable cocktail bars. Arrive with good company and you may find yourself staying far longer than planned. Just take care navigating the steep alley if you’ve had a few to drink, or avoid the risk by booking yourself a room in the homestay upstairs.
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Mizu Bar:
Address: 46/4 Đ. Hoàng Diệu street [MAP]
Mizu Bar came highly recommended for bespoke cocktails in Đà Lạt. Located in an unassuming neighbourhood on the city’s west side, its discreet entrance makes you question whether you’ve arrived at the right place. Entry requires calling the number attached to the gate, so a member of staff can unlock it and escort you inside. From there, you pass through a garden space scattered with furniture belonging to an affiliated café which opens during the day, before reaching the bar’s sliding front door. Inside, the venue is narrow and intimate. A long bar runs down the left-hand side, lined with stools, while a small annexe at the back seats approximately six additional guests. Lighting is carefully controlled, and the hum of conversation is accompanied by a tasteful playlist of light jazz and jazz-adjacent tracks.
I visited on a busy evening. A group of four and two separate couples occupied most of the bar, while behind it, two mixologists and two barbacks worked steadily through orders. After edging past other guests and finding my seat, I was offered a choice between classic and bespoke cocktails. I was forewarned that bespoke drinks typically cost between 250,000-350,000vnđ. Guests are given order forms to indicate flavour preferences, which the bartender then interprets to create a bespoke cocktail. As with other venues of this type, I opted to give the mixologist free rein rather than request a specific drink.
My cocktail arrived around ten minutes later. I had hoped to watch it being made, but preparation took place at the opposing end of the bar. When it was served, the mixologist briefly explained the components before returning to other guests. The drink included Cinzano Rosé, Rittenhouse rye, Williams Kentucky bourbon and mắc khén, a forest pepper harvested in Vietnam’s mountainous northwest. Spirit-forward, floral and dry, the drink finished with a pronounced peppery kick. The cocktail was a pleasant alternative for sweet-toothed drinkers like myself who tend to slurp sugary cocktails all too quickly.
Since the bar was busy, the mixologists’ attention naturally flowed towards the higher-spending patrons. As a solo customer ordering a single drink, I mostly interacted with the younger barbacks. While warm and hospitable, they were understandably unable to offer the depth of conversation I was hoping for while working on this piece. It highlighted how differently I perceive bars depending on my interactions with their staff. Concludingly, Mizu is an ideal place to impress a group or create shared moments. However, the higher price point and tightly arranged seating leave little room for solitary retreat or quiet observation. A few practical points are worth noting. You’ll need a working phone number to call the bar at the gate on arrival. On my visit, the card machine was also out of order, so be prepared to pay by domestic transfer or cash.
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Fox’s Den:
Address: 56 Đường Tăng Bạt Hổ street [MAP]
A simple staircase beside Nguyệt Vọng Lầu Bar descends to the entrance of Fox’s Den. On first appearance, it’s a shoebox of a bar with a small counter and a cluster of furniture compressed into whatever space is available. Without wishing to spoil any surprises, it wasn’t until I opened the menu that I realised I had walked into a Fox and the Hound-themed cocktail bar – Yes, the 1981 Disney classic about the unlikely friendship between a dog and a fox. It sounds ridiculous, but does it work as a cocktail bar?
The bar’s signature cocktails are named after characters from the film, with colours and flavour profiles designed to match each character’s traits. Guests are handed tarot-style cards to choose their drink, though a printed menu is also available for those who prefer a more conventional way to linger over their choice. The concept flirts with being overdone, but aside from a few cuddly toys and framed photos, it isn’t overbearing, allowing the focus to be on the drinks, your company and conversation.
I went for the Tod (the ‘Hound’ from the film) described as ‘sweet, brave and humble’. Made with floral gin, Campari, citrus rosso and camomile, it arrived paired with dehydrated banana glazed in chocolate. I was told by the barista to sip and nibble to correctly experience the curated pairing. With a weakness for sweet things, my dehydrated banana disappeared after only a few sips, but I still caught enough of the pairing to appreciate how they complement each other.
While the bar’s entrance feels tight, Fox’s Den is larger than it initially appears. A staircase at the back of the bar leads to a second floor with another bar and several seating areas. If the downstairs room feels claustrophobic, the upstairs space offers a more comfortable alternative. This is another of Đà Lạt’s hidden drinking spaces. Bar staff explained that the upstairs bar generally opens on busier evenings and when sufficiently staffed.
I was served by Bee, who has worked part-time at Fox’s Den since 2022. Originally from Vũng Tàu, she has a sharp sense of Đà Lạt’s bar and restaurant scene and offered thoughtful recommendations for other places to visit, including a few she planned to check out herself. Located in Đà Lạt’s most populated bar area, Fox’s Den is worth a quick visit even if you’re not entirely convinced by the conceptual design. The seating and drinks make it a pleasant place for conversation and the odd giggle over some Disney-inspired nostalgia.
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Maze Bar:
Address: 57 Phan Bội Châu street [MAP]
“It’s the same as the Crazy House”, said the manager. “At the Crazy House you pay 80,0000vnđ for a ticket. But here, your ticket also gets you a free drink.” It sounds absurd to compare the Maze Bar to one of Đà Lạt’s most famous kitsch tourist attractions, but the manager is not entirely wrong to do so. Maze Bar is a surrealist labyrinth of winding staircases and oddly themed grottoes across several floors. Its name is fitting. Moving from room to room evokes the same emotional heights as a hedge maze garden: curiosity, exploration and surprise.
Although the bar has been in operation for approximately 20 years, this was my first visit. I arrived just after sunset and was promptly funnelled towards a menu. “Visitors must buy a drink before entering.” Staff explained. Alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks are available at inflated, though not outrageous, prices. The menu screams at readers for a revamp, akin to a menu from the 2012 Southeast Asian backpacker trail rather than a contemporary bar. Don’t expect innovative cocktails here. Drinks exist in the shadow of the location, helping fund its day-to-day operations.
During my visit, a few clusters of young travellers climbed their way through Maze Bar; most were more caught up with the conundrums of post-university life than with the dead-ends and faux staircases that shape the Maze’s interior. Nevertheless, people were in good spirits, occasionally bumping their heads, laughing at each room’s various features and shouting to each other across different floors.
Several levels up is a bar with a balcony and seating. This bar, however, doesn’t open until 9pm, suggesting that time is when things really get going at Maze Bar. Higher still, a staggered garden with small bridges over water features offers some pleasant views across the city. While inconveniently distant from the bar, it makes for a relaxed place for an evening conversation.
While the venue itself is genuinely exciting, it falls short in almost every other area. Music speakers are poorly placed, leaving some rooms silent while others are assaulted by cracked audio. The playlist lacks coherence, jumping from YouTube hits like ‘What Does the Fox Say?’ to forgotten tracks like Dan Byrd’s ‘Boulevard’. Endless signage throughout the bar constantly nannies guests, reminding them that they pay for what they break. This erodes that sense of wonder that the bar’s aesthetic does so well. With better management, the Maze Bar could be a genuinely innovative venue.
Despite these critiques, the bar is still a place worth visiting. Maze Bar is not trying to pretend it’s somewhere else (well, aside from pretending to be the Crazy House). It exists on its own surreal plane, closer to a carnival funhouse or a ruin bar, rather than a conventional drinking venue. It leaves an impressionable mark, albeit with flaws. The bar closes at 11pm. “Sometimes people get too drunk. When we close, we have to check whether everyone has left. Sometimes people get lost.” Navigating the Maze bar was fun but not that difficult. Perhaps alcohol fuels the mystery of the Maze Bar. Watch your head on those stairs!
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THEJ Hidden Arcade Cocktail Bar:
Address: 91D Nguyễn Văn Trỗi street [MAP]
Before we begin, it’s only finishing writing this section that I realise I’m not entirely sure what this bar is called. The menu reads THEJ, social media alternates between The J and TheJ, and Google lists it as The J Hidden Arcade Cocktail Bar. For a venue built around a concept, the inconsistency creates ambiguity. For the sake of clarity, I’ll refer to it here as THEJ. From the outside, THEJ looks like a toy shop. A warning sign at the entrance suggests this confusion is common, reminding visitors that it is neither a shop nor an arcade. (This is another danger of a concept bar: making the theme too convincing and attracting the wrong customers.)
THEJ reminded me of time spent with my childhood best friend during our early teenage years, when we dreamed of entire days playing video games, obsessing over collectables and imagining a bedroom doused in neon lighting as the ultimate personal space. This bar is essentially that fantasy realised. It’s a compact, one-room cocktail bar built around nostalgia and escapism, complete with homemade arcade-style consoles loaded with thousands of games and a cocktail menu themed around comic characters and popular children’s literature (well, just Harry Potter and Doraemon). Drinks have names like the Saiyan, Harry Potter and Pikachu, each arriving with a collection of themed garnishes and decorations to extend the theme of your drink.
In some ways, THEJ resembles Fox’s Den, another nostalgia-driven cocktail bar in Đà Lạt, though here the theme is much more explicit. Neon lighting and collectables occupy most of the room, leaving little space for the bar to be anything other than juvenile playfulness. But whose nostalgia is it? There were moments of dissonance in the experience that didn’t resonate with me. The arcade machines, for example, are homemade and run a programme designed to emulate older systems rather than the machines on which the games were originally played. Sweet potato chips arrive alongside the cocktails, a detail that pulled me back to Vietnam rather than into an imagined past. When the staff suggested I try the Harry Potter cocktail, I declined. “I hate Harry Potter” said my inner child, just as it had done almost 30 years ago. Embarrassed by my immature outburst, I quickly opted for the Saiyan instead, a reference to Dragon Ball Z, a cartoon that had no bearing on my adolescence growing up.
According to the owners, THEJ was reconceptualised as competition among Đà Lạt cocktail bars intensified. The shift appears to have been moderately successful, particularly among younger millennials who come to drink, play arcade games and share a board game. There were two travellers whose conversations suggested THEJ was their choice of location for a first date. THEJ is another escape bar, and on those terms, it scrapes a pass. The cocktails themselves struggle to make the grade. Unless the décor and concept strongly appeal to you, there are other bars in this list that offer better drinks and a stronger sense of place.
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Other Locations for Drinking in Đà Lạt:
The Classic Pub [MAP] | Moi Craft Beer [MAP] | Sartorista [MAP] | BeepPub [MAP]
Southwest of Đà Lạt’s central market, a collection of streets and alleyways not only makes for some of the city’s most enjoyable walking but also forms its most densely populated area of bars and pubs, popular with both international and domestic travellers. The Classic Pub (Nguyệt Vọng Lầu) sits at its centre, an eye-catching historic building that has lived many lives over its 50-plus years. Its latest incarnation, following a period of abandonment, is a café-bar operating from early morning until late at night across two floors. A nice selection of beers and spirits is available, including BeerLao Stout and a handful of artisanal floral gins, while the balcony provides a particularly pleasant spot to drink the evening away.
On the same street is Moi Craft Beer. Popular with craft beer aficionados, it offers a range of Vietnam-brewed beers, including a tasty pink guava beer and a tamarind soda. However, on both of my visits the atmosphere was lacking and the furniture layout felt awkward – I could never find the right spot to sit. The recently opened bar Sartorista benefits from an excellent location in a nearby traffic-free alleyway, with several street food spots and coffee shops. Sartorista works well as a stopover during both the day and the early evening, even if the cocktail menu still feels like it’s finding its feet. Closer to Đà Lạt’s biggest market is BeepPub, a no-thrills bar that springs to life when it hosts live music.
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