Since a cheap night out sends tingles down my spine usually associated with things not spoken about in polite company, I felt obliged to plug one of my favorite new Saigon drinking spots: Le Pub.
One of the more attractive bars in HCMC’s backpacker district — dig that blood red paint job on the storefront patio — Le Pub also boasts a great drink special calendar:
- Monday: $1 tequila
- Tuesday: $1 vodka with mixer
- Wednesday: $1 gin & tonic
- Thursday: $2 cocktails
I’ve yet to sample the M-W specials, but $2 cocktail Thursdays are worth frequenting. Le Pub’s cocktails, regularly priced at VND 60,000 (about $4), are mixed with good hootch and include staid concoctions, as well as a few house specials, like Le Pub Lemonade (Bourban, triple sec, and lemon juice).
For beer lovers, there’s good news and bad news: Le pub offers hard-to-find brews like Kilkenny, Chimay, Stella Artois and more, but they cost VND 80,000 (about $5). A can of Guinness Stout runs a staggering 110,000 VND ($6.75).
And attention vegetarians! Two of Le Pub’s managers are strict vegetarians, so non-meat dishes are prepared with care (see the list of precautions, curiously posted, near the bathroom). Halal food is also available.
Le Pub is located along the alleyway between Pham Ngu Lao and Bui Vien marked by the Chua An Lac arch on Pham Ngu Lao. 84.8.837.7679. le.pub.saigon@gmail.com. www.lepub.org
