Cafe Culture in Vietnam

The terrace and outdoor tables of L'Usine.

During our weekend in Ho Chi Minh City the Passengers discovered a great little upstairs cafe/shop.  L'Usine occupies an historic shophouse overlooking Dong Khoi street, but access is through a small lane lined with parked motorbikes.  Inside the cafe features a full espresso service and impeccably chosen teas from Mariage Freres of Paris.

The alleyway seen from the stairway leading up to l'Usine.

The interior has been fitted out with old hardwood sewing tables decorated with tall vases of cut flowers. The cafe does great salads and sandwiches, the latter using delicious French-style bread.  That baking tradition and the affection for bouquets counts as positive colonial legacies.  A stylish shop adjoins the eatery with a fabulously curated selections of boutique European and Asian designers, a real find.

The counter at l'Usine stands in front of a large window at the top of the shophouse staircase.