Best Bars to Celebrate New Year's Eve in Ho Chi Minh City
We are so sorry to inform our valued readers that there will be no firework shows for New Year's Eve and Tet holidays this year in Vietnam. However, please take a look at these venues, which are outstanding places for you, your friends and your family to welcome in 2017, with or without fireworks! We wish you happy new year full of joy, success and prosperity.
The Vietnamese really do love their fireworks and to be fair, they do them exceptionally well. Any excuse and the riverfront will be lighting ups at midnight. The city lends itself well to fireworks displays with the riverfront presenting the perfect venue. The city does though get incredibly blocked as thousands pour in to see the show. The best way to see the fireworks is to get in early and get to one of the superb rooftop bars, take your seat, order your drinks and wait, or book a cruise boat beforehand.
So where are the best places to see the fireworks in Ho Chi Minh City?
Chill Sky Bar
Floor 26 and 27, AB Tower, 76A Le Lai, Ben Thanh, D1.
Phone: +84 9 3882 2838
Without doubt the coolest bar in town, Chill Skybar is incredibly popular with Saigon’s bright young things. The steak here is legendary and the decor is just exquisite. Open air, superbly lit and with fantastic views, it is hard to imagine a better bar for fireworks viewing.
Air 360 Skybar
Floor 22 and 23, Ben Thanh Tower, 136-138 Le Thi Hong Gam, D1.
Phone: +84 9 7458 7788
Air 360 Sky Lounge has a more adult vibe than its cousin, Chill Skybar, and a more laid-back atmosphere, making it an ideal after-hours hangout for whitecollar professionals. The view is outstanding and more panoramic than Chill’s, making for some great fireworks action. The multi-level setup ensures that you won’t easily get bored as you navigate from the sky deck to the bar area to the stylish lounge.
Liquid Sky Bar
8-15 Ton Duc Thang, D1
Phone: +84 28 3822 0033
Atop Riverside Renaissance Saigon Hotel is one of Ho Chi Minh City’s most special rooftop views. Liquid Sky Bar sports two levels that include a glass-encased bar and a large central pool. However, the prize element here is a panoramic view of the riverfront side of District 1, a stretch of Saigon River and a magnificent view of the quickly developing area of District 2. That means unprecedented views of the fireworks.
Level 23 Wine Bar
Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, 88 Dong Khoi, D1
Phone: +84 28 3827 2828
Level 23 Wine War is an ideal place to meet up with friends and enjoy an evening cocktail whilst absorbing the breathtaking views of this wonderful city. The large outdoor area has both bar seating and table seating, and the area is fringed with greenery. It all adds up to provide a wonderful ambience. The lounge connected to the bar presents excellent views of the fireworks.
Eon Heli Bar
Level 50/51/52 - Bitexco Financial Tower, 2 Hai Trieu, D1.
Phone: +84 28 6291 8750
This is part of a three-storey venue offering bar and restaurant space high above the city, in the tallest building in town, the Bitexco Tower. The views from the bar are quite simply stunning, with huge windows ensuring great visibility. This will be the highest vantage from where to see the fireworks show this New Year’s Eve.
The Rooftop Garden Bar
Floor 5, Rex Hotel, 141 Nguyen Hue, D1.
Phone: +84 28 3829 2185
This was the place where foreign journalists held their propaganda-laden press conferences during the war. It’s a high-end, smart restaurant bar with terrific views of the very heart of the city. Kicking off the New Year’s Eve with the hottest Latin melodies, Rex Hotel’s New Year 2017 event will feature an endless supply of soft drinks, wine, beer and mineral water. Adult tickets cost VND3.6 million and children’s tickets are VND1.8 million.
Riverboat Dinner Cruise
A truly great way to experience the fireworks is to book a table on one of the Saigon River boat restaurants. They sail away from the quay and down the river, returning after you have dined to pull up in the middle of the river to provide the most amazing view of the show at midnight. Traditional Vietnamese food served on board is of a high quality, generally. This is a superb location to take your date, for Independence Day or other holidays when the fireworks happen.
Broma
41 Nguyen Hue, D1
Phone:+84 9 027 88848
Recently renovated, the rooftop bar here offers a truly spectacular view of the fireworks in HCMC. This is right on Nguyen Hue and is a really nice spot. One of the lower roofs in the city, it is nonetheless a great venue in which to enjoy drinks and a party atmosphere as the show starts.
Bamboo Chic at Le Meridien
9th Floor, Le Méridien Saigon Hotel, 3C Ton Duc Thang Street, D1
Phone: +84 28 6263 6688
There are some excellent window seats at Bamboo Chic that look out over part of the city, the waterfront and the rapid development of District 2 just across the river. This presents a clear vantage for fireworks enjoyment. For New year’s Eve, the restaurant is presenting a special set dinner that includes free flow champagne, wine and cocktails. Tickets are VND1.8 million.
Breeze Sky Bar
5th Floor, Hotel Majestic,1 Dong Khoi, Ben Nghe Ward, D1
Phone: +84 28 3829 5514
This is about as close as you can get to the action; on the riverfront directly opposite the launch site. Get in early and pick your seat, order cocktails and relax. This is a fabulous venue from which to see the fireworks in HCMC.
The View
195 Bui Vien St, D1
Phone: +84 28 3920 6992
This is a really great venue that often gets overlooked. It’s right in the middle of the backpacker area on Bui Vien and is a good place to get above the manic chaos of the street below, enjoy some cheap drinks and get a different perspective of the city. It’s not too high so you get a great view of what is going on around you as well as a good overview of the city. The fireworks are two kilometres away so you get a good perspective.
Shri
23rd Floor, Centec Tower, 72-74 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street, D1
Phone: +84 28 3827 9631
High above the traffic, overlooking the Notre Dame Basilica, is Shri, a very cool lounge and restaurant serving up great food, an extensive wine list and carefully crafted cocktails. The views here are stunning and it's perfectly placed to enjoy the fireworks. Their secret Whisky Library is a great location in which to enjoy a cocktail or to learn about how they smoke their whisky cocktails using three different techniques, unique to Shri.
Glow Skybar
13th Floor, President Place, 93 Nguyen Du street, D1
Phone: +84 9 3887 4569
Glow presents wild party nights with cool drinks prepared by expert mixologists. A varied food menu offers food from many different cuisines and styles. The venue is well placed to provide a very good view of the city in general and the fireworks in particular.
Whichever one of these venues you chose you will be assured of a great night as Vietnam displays its frivolous and playful side. Everybody here loves the fireworks and hundreds of thousands pour into the city to watch them every time. By taking to the sky bars you can avoid the crush and really enjoy the show.