For the best views in Saigon, head up to the Chill Skybar. Designed by the same firm as Bangkok’s Sirocco, it is the highest open-air bar in the city complete with a clubby sound and lighting system. The drinks are great but skip dinner, as there are better options throughout the city. Make sure you dress to impress—as this is one of Saigon’s hot spots.

Located in a large colonial villa in District 1, Mandarin is best known for its authentic but refined Vietnamese cuisine. The atmosphere is inviting, and beautiful dark woods and traditional decoration define the villa. Large groups should consider dinner in the cellar where guests are surrounded by hundreds of bottles of wine, candles and receive intimate service.

Specializing in Seafood, Nam Phan is located in a four-story villa within District 3, an 8-minute drive from the main hotels of District 1. The restaurant is one of the endeavors of the Khai family, who are well known purveyors of silk, and own restaurants throughout Vietnam. Decorated in a modern Asian inspired style, the atmosphere is relaxed yet elegant and the service is spot on.

The more casual restaurant at the Park Hyatt Saigon is a great spot for breakfast, brunch or lunch. Ask to be seated on the terrace, which is enclosed by glass, so you can watch the buzzing traffic and life outside but don’t have to be privy to its scents and sounds. The breakfast buffet is one of the city’s most extensive, with croissants, baguettes and café au lait that taste like you took a wrong turn and ended up in Paris. The lunch menu is primarily focused on Italian dishes (soups, sandwiches, pasta, pizza), making Opera a good destination if you’re traveling with kids (or partners) who have reached their Asian-food limit.

Launched by entrepreneur Phuong Anh Nguyen, who was born in Vietnam but grew up in Los Angeles, Q Bar is one of the city’s best-loved hot spot for cocktails. It’s an intimate space, with low ceilings, blue and red lights and clubby seating areas. During summer months, you can also sit on the terrace out front, with a prime view of the Opera House.

It make sense that the concept of this restaurant, with an outpost in Hanoi, has taken off: gather some of the best street food and serve it in a restaurant setting where foreign travelers will feel more at ease with trying local specialties. Tables occupy a breezy courtyard and several dining rooms, while numerous food stalls line the edges of the space, each displaying a different type of Vietnamese dish, from crunchy spring rolls to sweet tapioca desserts.

Diners are encouraged to take a walk past the offerings before settling at their tables and ordering. Though not encouraged, it’s best to ask your waiter to accompany you as you take the tour and point to the dishes you would like.

The rooftop bar of the Rex Hotel is on every HCM City list, but you go mainly for the sense of history: the hotel was the place of the U.S.’s infamous military briefings during the Vietnam War (known as the “five o’clock follies”) and many a journalist congregated at the bar after they were done. It’s a massive place with quirky design touches (think topiary animals and tons of bird cages), a soundtrack that heavily features Abba and Ace of Bace (unless there’s a live band playing) and a long list of mixed drinks.

The award-winning Square One restaurant (in the Park Hyatt Saigon) is, according to many, the best restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s a large restaurant, but a clever floor plan, with several open kitchens and cooking stations breaks it up, giving each section a more intimate feel. The menu splits evenly between upscale Vietnamese cuisine and Western-style grilled meats and seafood, without dumbing down any of the flavors, as is sometimes the case in hotel restaurants, especially with local dishes. The cool-yet-elegant interiors, rich with lattice detailing, Vietnamese lacquer and brick patterns, were designed by Super Potato (a Japanese team of hip go-to designers, akin to New York’s AvroKO).

The unhurried pace of the meal is classically French, as is the restaurant’s Mediterranean-inspired menu, with dishes such as scrambled eggs with black truffles and homemade locust-wood smoked salmon. There is, of course, an extensive wine list, a hearty selection of homemade cheese, and vanilla-infused desserts made from fresh vanilla farmed by Chef Giles. The affable French chef even takes time from behind the hot stoves to chat up his guests, preferably in French, and to introduce several small courses.

Owned by the son of designer Mai Lam, the restaurant’s downstairs lounge is chic and relaxing. It’s worth a look and a drink if you have time but the food can be inconsistent.