Upstairs Tasting Room sits on a quiet stretch of Nguyễn Bá Huân in Thảo Điền, running dinner service six nights a week plus a Sunday lunch sitting — Tuesday is the only dark night. The format is fixed: a 13-course menu built around the chef's central Vietnamese roots, each dish a precise reinterpretation of something familiar. A bowl of hến xúc bánh đa becomes a composed plate; the ambition is always to preserve the flavor memory while tightening every element around it. One optional add-on course extends the meal for those who want it.
The kitchen's involvement doesn't stop at the pass. Chefs carry the courses to the table themselves and explain the thinking behind each dish, so the meal moves at a conversational pace rather than a transactional one. The sommelier manages wine pairings, but the non-alcoholic option is a genuine alternative — purpose-built juice compositions that shift with each course rather than a single beverage stretched across the evening.
The room is small and intentionally quiet, with sightlines into an open kitchen. Guests tend to arrive with a reason: a birthday, an anniversary, a deliberate decision to spend several hours at the table. The 13 courses are designed to fill that time; reviewers consistently note that fullness arrives around course eight, and the desserts still hold attention. Sunday's noon-to-3 PM sitting is rare for a restaurant at this level in the neighborhood, offering a daylight alternative to the standard dinner format.
Within Thảo Điền's dining scene — dominated by casual bistros, weekend brunch spots, and international comfort food — this is the outlier operating at the formal end of the spectrum. There is no à la carte option, no drop-in flexibility, and the kitchen expects the full duration.
We had a very lovely dinner here. The staff were very welcoming and made us feel at ease all the time. Each dish was well explained and the sommelier made sure we had the right wines to match. Nice to have the live view on the kitchen. Vietnamese kitchen on the highest level!
I had a wonderful experience. Everything was perfect. I’d highly recommend going for the ‘wine’ pairing. I opted for the non-alcoholic version because I needed to stay off alcohol for the moment. I initially thought it as a way of not feeling left out while my friend had her drinks. Thinking it was going to be like receiving a consolation prize, I was pleasantly surprised by how marvellously the different juice concoctions paired with each of the dishes and never failed to enhance the already vibrant flavours. It was an excellent food and drinks pairing experience. Kudos to the chef and his staff.
To date, THE BEST FOOD WE HAVE HAD IN OUR LIFE! We have done quite a few tasting menus in our time, but from the service, variety, wine choices, atmosphere, music, every single thing hit the spot exceptionally.
5 star experience. The cuisine is modern Vietnamese with a focus on the central / Hue region where the chef is from. Every dish was a rendition of a fairly popular Vietnamese food. But done so perfectly - immaculate and very well balanced. For an elevated experience, it'll be a bonus to have tried the "common" dish before. From the amuse bouche to the delicate deserts and everything in between we were blown away by the intricacy, execution and service. Favourites include Hen Xuc Banh Da, Goi Muc, Chao Nam, Tra Vai and Tao Pho. Been a while we had a fantastic meal. All for VND2.6M per person which is value compared to other similar standards around the region. Well done Upstairs!!
Absolutely loved my dining experience at Upstairs. It’s hard to describe how good the food was — everything just felt perfectly balanced, thoughtful, and surprisingly comforting at the same time. Each course was like a small story, and you could really feel the chef’s heart and creativity in every bite. The ambiance was intimate yet refined, and the service team was attentive without being intrusive. Truly one of the best meals I’ve had in Ho Chi Minh City — I’ll definitely be back!
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 +84 859 800 586 to book — recommended for weekend dining.
Best for: birthday dinner, date night, anniversary dinner, special occasion.
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