Speakeasies to tiki bars, there’s more to Central Vietnam’s coastal hub than beaches and resorts.
Da Nang spent decades as Vietnam’s overlooked middle child – a functional port city between Hanoi’s chaos and Ho Chi Minh’s sprawl, known mainly for beaches tourists passing through en route to Hoi An. Over the past decade, that’s shifted. Digital nomads have discovered reliable internet and affordable beachfront living, which brought cafés that actually understand flat whites, contemporary restaurants that love fusion, and a bar scene that no longer closes at 10pm.
Nowhere demonstrates this transformation better than Da Nang’s cocktail circuit. The city now runs the full spectrum: clandestine speakeasies hidden behind Vietnamese street scenes, proper tiki bars with flaming garnishes, bespoke cocktail offerings using local ingredients, and in our ever fanciful age, mercifully straightforward spots serving perfectly balanced classics theatre-free. Here are our favourite cocktail spots in Da Nang, Vietnam.
The Craftsman
The Craftsman operates as Da Nang’s reliable answer to ‘where can I just get a proper drink?’ – the kind of bar equally suited to a straightforward beer at the counter or working through their signature cocktail menu. Prices remain sensible, classics are executed correctly, and the atmosphere shifts depending on the night: live jazz some evenings, vinyl sessions on others, always busy without feeling chaotic.
Cocktails start at VND150K (US$6) and the menu leans local where it matters, featuring Vietnamese spirits and house-made ingredients without a manifesto behind them. Service runs knowledgeable and dedicated – staff who’ll talk technique if you’re interested but won’t lecture if you just want your Old Fashioned made right. It’s craft bartending without the self-importance that often accompanies the term – just a damn good drink.
Who’s it for: Classic cocktail purists.
What to order: Rum Martinez, an old-world spin on the martini.
Tê Bar
Tê Bar hangs from a third-floor perch as Da Nang’s answer to big city cocktail sophistication – dim lighting, minimalist setup, the kind of intimate space where you actually taste what’s in your glass. It’s Japanese-influenced mixology is thankfully without the ceremony, focusing on whisky-based cocktails and premium sake alongside signatures that translate Vietnamese ingredients into something drinkable rather than decorative.
Drinks average VND200K (US$7.50), and their Pho Cocktail here is famed: gin built around star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom – national soup served upscale in a glass without resorting to gimmicks. Other signatures follow similar logic, using local herbs and spices as components rather than Instagram props. House, techno, and deep melodic sets keep the atmosphere more nightlife than lounge, while bartenders execute technique properly without lecture.
Who’s it for: Mixology enthusiasts.
What to order: If Pho isn’t your thing, try their other ‘noodle’ signatures: Mì Quảng (with tumeric vodka) or Bò Kho (with gin).
Makara
Makara bills itself as a Vietnamese tiki speakeasy, which sounds like marketing nonsense until you step inside the century-old house on Nguyễn Chí Thanh. The concept actually works: tropical drinks reinterpreted through Vietnamese tribal history, handcrafted décor featuring antiques and traditional artwork, rum-based cocktails leaning sweet-sour at decent prices.
The entrance runs deliberately subtle – easy to miss if you’re not looking. Inside splits into two floors, both decorated with enough detail to justify the tiki label without going full theme park. Signature drinks are reasonable, from VND180K (US$7), most are perfectly balanced – which matters more than it should where tropical drinks often mean sugar bombs with umbrellas. It’s ambitious without overreaching – a proper programme that happens to be Vietnamese rather than forcing it into tiki moulds.
Who’s it for: Tiki freaks.
What to order: The Noisy American (bourbon paired with local juices), inspired by Greene’s classic novel of Vietnam.
Bar Flow
Bar Flow imports the Japanese vinyl bar format to Da Nang: warm wood, moody lighting, shelves of curated records, and the kind of sound system that justifies sitting still to actually listen. It’s the antidote to Da Nang’s louder nightlife options – no blaring Vinahouse, just analog audio and cocktails executed with proper attention.
Cocktails start at VND150K (US$6) and are mostly bespoke: fill out a little form selecting your base spirit, flavour profile, aroma, and strength for something that skilled mixologists will whip up personally. Classics are also available, and sitting at the counter lets you watch the bow-tied bartenders work their precise magic. It’s the small Japanese-inspired touches that matter here: printed cocktail cards, bills arriving in sealed envelopes, and of course, the deep cuts on a perfectly pitched sound system.
Who’s it for: Vinyl nerds and Japanophiles.
What to order: Hard to say as it’s bespoke, but as it’s Japanese-inspired, we’d recommend something whisky-based.
Kêt High
Set right on the riverside, Kết High commits to its concept harder than most – a cave-themed space complete with fake rock formations you’ll absolutely smack against at least once. The name might sound cheeky, but it plays on the Vietnamese word for cave, which explains the interior if not the clubby atmosphere. It works best as a social spot: locals pack in, R&B and smooth jazz rotate through the sound system, and the energy runs higher than your typical cocktail bar.
Cocktails start at VND160k (US$6) and the menu focuses on classics executed properly, while signatures take Vietnamese regional themes – drinks based on cities and provinces rather than generic tropical references. Herb-infused cocktails feature prominently, using local ingredients without overcomplicating the builds. It’s the kind of place that delivers better drinks than the cave gimmick might suggest – just watch your head.
Who’s it for: Social schmoozers.
What to order: Huong River Symphony, a local take on the martini made with Vietnamese rice wine.
United Bar
United Bar is just about to approach its 10 anniversary as Da Nang’s go-to cocktail spot – the city’s worst-kept secret, hidden behind a fake bánh mì stall that’s fooled precisely nobody for years. Step through the prop cart into a small, low-lit space where Japanese founder/DJ Kazuho Miura curates nights that blend music, cocktails, and a touch of theatre without tipping into performance art territory.
The menu plays with Vietnamese street food references: signature Bánh Mì cocktail translates the sandwich into vodka with coriander, cucumber, lime, and green chili – oddly compelling. Other playful signatures use house-infused spirits and fresh fruit, and all drinks are priced incredibly reasonably, from just VND100K (US$4). Drinks do sell out, so try to arrive early. It’s the scene’s granddaddy, proving Da Nang could support serious cocktail culture before anyone else bothered trying.
Who’s it for: Speakeasy veterans.
What to order: If the Bánh Mì is sold out, try a Cơm Gà (chicken rice), a local take of the vodka sour.
