Wandering weekends: best kid-friendly coffee shops in Saigon

There are numerous nice coffee shops throughout the city that cater to a wide range of needs, from work to recreation. Taking your kids to a coffee shop should be enjoyable for both parents and children. If you enjoy coffee time and want to bring your children along, here are some kid-friendly coffee shops in Saigon you don't want to miss.

THE CRITERIA:

• Comfortable seating
• Safe surrounding
• Attentive and handy staff
• Kids are welcome
• Appropriate menu
• Kid playground (optional)
• Diaper changing room (optional)
  

THE SNAP CAFÉ

• Address: 32 Trần Ngọc Diện Street, Thảo Điền Ward, District 2, Thủ Đức City.
• Opening hour: 7:30am - 10:00pm
• Prices: from 100,000 VND ($4.50)

The Snap is a café located in a complex of cafes, restaurants, and shops. The café is thoughtfully designed, with a reading garden for book lovers, a cozy space for friends to gather, and, definitely, a large outdoor playground for kids. The café, and specifically the playground, are designed in a rustic style, with wooden materials and simple structure for children to play within a huge sandbox. Parents can both enjoy coffee, delicious dishes under covered seats and watch their children playing outdoors. They also have couches for babies to rest on if necessary.

The Snap too is a family-oriented eatery; they provide an extensive menu, from food to drinks, which cater to not only adults but also children. There are also lovely shops nearby for parents to browse after their coffee break.

Because this coffee shop is open air, there is no air conditioning, so you may struggle with hot weather or mosquitoes. Parents should bring extra clothes or a towel for their children to clean and change after playing in the sand.

BAMA KIDS CAFE

• Address: Level 4, No.41, Street 41, Thảo Điền Ward, District 2, Thủ Đức City.
• Opening hour: 9:00am - 5:00pm (closed on Wednesday). From 1st August, operating hours change: 9:00 - 6:00pm from Monday to Sunday
• Prices: 35.000VND - 75.000VND (~$1.50 - $3.30)

BAMA kids cafe is a hidden kid-friendly coffee shop in Saigon, situated inside a building in Thảo Điền area. This place, which is specifically designed for children, provides a safe environment with padded benches, cushion fences, lots of toys, and plenty of natural light. They offer a proper menu for both parents and children, including coffee, soda, smoothies, juices, tea, and so on, as well as snacks and light food. The cafe is also acceptable for little babies or newborns because they have a diaper changing private space with supportive staff. Just remember to bring your own diapers because they don't supply.

Even then, there are two things about this spot that may bother you. First, they only accept cash, which is inconvenient for card users. Then, parents need to pay an hourly play fee if the kids are over a year old, costing 85.000VND (~$3.60)/hour/child. If your babies are under a year, you can skip this fee.

LILLIPUT KID CAFE

• Address: G floor, Oxygen shopping mall, inside An Phú Vista apartment, 628C Xa Lộ Hà Nội Street, An Phú Ward, District 2, Thủ Đức City.
• Opening hour: 9:30am - 8:00pm
• Prices: from 80.000VND (~$3.50) for the drink menu, from 100.000VND (~$4.30) for the food menu.

Lilliput claims to be Korea's number one premium kids' café franchise, and this is their first location in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The cafe is situated inside the Oxygen shopping mall. You can catch the cafe right outside the building, with a dark classic blue tone decoration. If you arrive by your own vehicles, you need first enter the parking lot and then go up on the right to Lilliput (free parking fee with Lilliput's bills). Lilliput is a wide space which is carefully allocated for both parents and children. The playzone is divided by themes such as Lego, kitchen, cosplay room, camping model, interactive ball house and so on, which are suitable for kids from one month old and up to 5 years old. To ensure the safety of children, playrooms and toys are cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. Food and beverages are varied and enjoyable.

The fee for playing is 100.000VND ($4.30) per hour per child. Considering each adult is required to order 1 drink or 1 item of food, the total cost of a coffee date in Lilliput is quite high. Besides, it could be busy on weekends; make sure you reserve in advance on Lilliput's Facebook page to have a good seat.

LA ROSA BISTRO - COFFEE & PUB

• Address: 74-76-78, Street 66, Thảo Điền Ward, District 2, Thủ Đức City.
• Opening hour: 7:00am - 8:00pm
• Prices: from 55.000VND (~$2.40) for the drink menu, from 65.000VND (~$2.80) for the food menu.

La Rosa Bistro was previously a La Rosa apartment diner that primarily catered to residents and was located at the intersection of Streets 66 and 47. This location was recently renovated to accommodate visitors. If you arrive by bike, you can park in the basement of the apartment; otherwise, cars must be parked along the street. There is an adult café and restaurant on the main floor with comfortable turquoise chairs and beautiful classy decor. The downstairs area (basement) is a kid club with a play area, complete with a safe play structure, a soft mat-covered floor, and a long bench on the side for parents to rest. Parents can sit back and relax while their children play. There's no extra charge for visiting the playroom. Generally, the room is tidy for children to play in, but the mini houses are not well cleaned and a bit messy. Regarding food and drinks, La Rosa Bistro's menu is also extensive, serving from breakfast to dinner at reasonable prices in comparison to the services provided.

BIN’S HOUSE COFFEE

• Address: 40 Thảo Điền Street, Thảo Điền Ward, District 2, Thủ Đức City.
• Opening hour: 7:00am - 8:00pm
• Prices: from 55.000VND (~$2.40) for the drink menu,

By the outer look, this is just a simple place that is not too crowded apart from the morning rush time. There is nothing unique about its appearance, but quite often there's a fragrant fresh coffee roast that is luring the caffeine lovers in us. Without any dispute, this place has one of the best coffee in town that could satisfy even the grumpiest. And within the hour of sitting there, there are waves of families coming to the store, greeting and hugging everyone else which give a sense of joyful love in the air. Perhaps the best characteristic of Bin's House Coffee is the one that is hardest to look for, which is the cheerfulness of the owner and the tight knit community, in which everyone knows everyone around. Parents, kids, pets, all are welcome at Bin's House Coffee with smiles that span to the ears from the staff.

At Bin's, there's no playground or spacious rooms for kids to play around. The coffee shop has just a few couches in a cozy area for guests to have a sip of great coffee that was freshly roasted, engage in the stories of the local community while watching your kids make friends with their peers and local pets. This is truly one of the most memorable experiences to tell the ones at home.