Little Bear Wine Bar occupies a warm, thoughtfully designed space on Nguyễn Bá Huân, open only four evenings a week—a schedule that signals intention rather than convenience. The kitchen is built around local seafood and seasonal produce, with Chef Duy drawing on years of experience working internationally to produce dishes that guests with fine-dining backgrounds in Napa Valley have called one of a kind.
The menu is deliberately short. Grilled prawns arrive at a level of execution that reads more fine-dining than neighborhood bar. Cuttlefish noodles have become the dish regulars push on first-timers. Shrimp tartare is a draw for the raw-food converts. Honeycomb cake with coffee ice cream and egg cream foam closes meals with something genuinely different from the standard dessert rotation across Thao Dien. Blood cockles prepared in a house style and fried chicken round out a list where every dish earns its position.
Bar seats facing the open kitchen fill first—watching the small team move through service is part of the draw for visitors who appreciate craft. Staff adjust preparations for guests who do not eat raw food, without making it a production, and wine recommendations land well enough that guests who came primarily for the food leave talking about what was in their glass.
The tasting menu works as a complete statement of what the kitchen does, but guests who have done both report that a single visit cannot cover the full range of the à la carte menu.
Little Bear draws international travelers who get a tip early in their trip and come back before flying out, as well as Saigon residents who treat the four-night window as something to plan around.
Had an incredible dinner at Little Bear in Ho Chi Minh City. The space feels warm and thoughtfully designed, and the team makes you feel taken care of from the moment you walk in. The food was the real highlight—beautifully executed and clearly built around amazing local ingredients. One of those meals where everything just clicks: great room, great people, and seriously delicious food.
One of the best food experience on our Vietnam trip. Book a seat on the Bar and watch these young talents cooking.What a show! The entire restaurant has nice tables to sit with a cool atmosphere. The creation of dishes is excellent. This place is perfect for enjoying a culinary experience with real good food and very professional staff. Great job guys!!
Little Bear is a special place. We started our 17 day trip through Vietnam, and sure enough, we ended our wonderful trip with Little Bear. The tasting menu was amazing, we did that for my partners birthday. The flavors were so unique and the menu itself had no misses. We came back and ordered pretty much everything that wasn’t on the tasting for our 2nd visit. We both work in the restaurant/hospitality industry in the Bay Area, CA (Napa) and this place is one of a kind. Watching them work in the kitchen was a true experience in itself. They all move graciously working intertwined with each other, they are all in sync with Duy (exec chef). Each of their young crew took the time to present the dishes they made to us, in English, and they all blew us away, much much love to everyone in the kitchen. From the Sous chef to the youngest guys working the cold station. Everyone was top notch and it shows that Duy is a great leader. Also our server/waitress on both occasions were top notch, guiding through the menu and making sure we had our water glasses filled. The sommelier was great, we loved the wines that were provided for the tasting. The food speaks for itself and was easily our favorite Michelin guide restaurant in Vietnam. In my opinion, what sets this place apart from the rest, is the people. We fell in love with everyone working. I hope to see them get a star or two in the near future, they deserve it. I have so many nice things to say about this place and the experience we had. The music playlist was perfect too! Great vibes all around. If you haven’t booked your reservation yet, please do so. Your palate will be pleased and your heart will be touched just watching this young crew do the dance. Truly a special place and will forever hold a place in our culinary hearts. We LOVE YOU LITTLE BEAR.
we ordered everything on the menu here, and honestly, every dish was delicious; everything was fresh and offered a completely different experience. I rate the seafood here very highly; the grilled prawns are like something out of a 5-star restaurant, but at a very reasonable price. The blood cockles were also a surprise, prepared in a very "Little Bear" style. Fried chicken is also a must-try.And what's special here is that the restaurant has a very wide variety of wines, offering many choices. However, there aren't many types of beer, only Huda. I hope they'll add more craft beers so the upcoming summer days will be more refreshing. Overall, everything here is perfect for a date for two or a large group. Must visit in Thao Dien , a good Michelin Wine Bar
Came for the food, but will visit again because of the cozy atmosphere and lovely staff. Raw shrimp and honeycomb cake are must-tries — 10/10. The raw squid might need a slight reduction in sweetness and a rethink of the serving portion. It felt more like having a dessert, haha. The first 1–2 scoops were very enjoyable, but it became less appealing toward the end when the ice cream started to melt. Finishing the dish within 5 minutes feels a bit rushed for a date pace. Cassava cake with guava can be skipped based on our personal taste. The guava’s sandy texture and the variety used aren’t aromatic enough to complement the cassava cake’s typical sweetness and dense texture. The staff were lovely and attentive, which really elevated the whole experience.
Open late: Doors stay open past 0 AM on at least one day — handy for after-work dinners.
Breakfast available: Opens by 6 AM — a viable breakfast stop in Saigon.
Reservations: Call +84 862 512 086 to book — recommended for weekend dining.
Best for: date night, birthday dinner, wine pairing dinner, special occasion.
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