While Saigon is one of the best destinations in the world for Asian food, it can be tricky to find a place that truly celebrates good Italian cooking. If you’re looking for more than just a comforting pizza or pasta for a special dinner occasion, check out this list of some of the best Italian restaurants in Saigon.
Image credit: Vicolo1
Pick Vicolo1 eatery for its ample space and a convivial, exciting vibe since the restaurant is located in Bui Vien, home to a hodgepodge of bars and pubs. It has a retractable roof, so you can enjoy the evening breeze that comes through.
Diners can expect a wide variety of hand-made pizzas, including vegan and plant-based pizzas, at an affordable price.
Image credit: Vicolo1
Small eaters can order pizza by the slice from only VND24,000 (~USD1.03) per slice, and won’t have to worry about ordering more than they can eat. It’s hard to find a place in town to get a single slice of pizza, so a place like this is worth bookmarking on your Google Map.
Vicolo1 hasn’t forgotten about those of us with larger appetites too: the catch-of-the-day pizza (VND450,000, ~USD19.37) is a generous 60x40cm of marinara sauce, prawns, octopus, clams and scallops, and the same-sized contadina pizza (VND390,000, ~USD16.79) is vegetarian-friendly, with mozzarella, rosemary, potatoes, and red onions.
Image credit: Vicolo1
It’s not just the food that draws people to Vicolo1, but also the good karma. The restaurant lets diners pay it forward by exchanging VND20,000 (~USD0.90) for a Post-It, write their well-wishes on it, then stick it on the wall. Homeless children or beggars who drop by can pick one and exchange it for a pizza slice, no questions asked.
Price range: VND50,000-VND275,000 (~USD2.15-USD11.83)
Address: 232 Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 12PM-2AM, Daily
Telephone: 0903 808 005
Website
Image credit: Pasta Paradise
Specializing in hand-made pasta, Pasta Paradise PXL has 4 main categories of pasta for you to choose from: shape pasta, long pasta, traditional pasta, and special pasta. Pastas here are delectable and nicely cooked from outside in.
Alla Carbonara – a creamy Italian pasta dish cooked with eggs, pecorino romano, guanciale and black pepper
Image credit: Pasta Paradise
Order the Italian all-time favorite delight, alla carbonara (VND99,000, ~USD4.25), a pasta dish containing egg, bacon, and cheese which bursts with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel in every bite. Rich and comforting, the baked seafood conchiglie with tomato sauce (VND129,000, ~USD5.55) has all the scrumptious texture of a seafood pie, yet with scrumptious conchiglie pasta shells for extra consistency.
Price range: VND180,000-VND600,000 (~USD7.75-USD25.85)
Address: 213 Phan Xich Long, Ward 7, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 10AM-10PM, Daily
Telephone: 028 3823 1080
Website
Image credit: Basta Hiro – Pasta & Pizza
Founded by leading Japanese chef Hiromi Yomada, Basta Hiro Pasta & Pizza looks exactly like a Japanese BBQ restaurant with a modern setting.
With decor steeped in black, its use of pendant lighting makes it a cosy and intimate space to dine in. This restaurant serves Italian dishes cooked with Japanese recipes or ingredients, so expect lots of fusion combos such as spaghetti cooked in Japanese wafu sauce, or a layer of shredded seaweed sprinkled over your pasta.
Hanasaki spaghetti – spaghetti cooked with Japanese wafu sauce and served with hanasaki crab and mizuna greens
Image credit: Basta Hiro – Pasta & Pizza
Make sure you try their hanasaki spaghetti (VND380,000, ~USD16.35), to taste the combination of fresh, chewy hanasaki crab and the thin, al dente spaghetti.
The teriyaki chicken pizza dish (VND170,000, ~USD7.32) is also worth a try, with the sweet and salty flavor of teriyaki sauce lending a flavorful foundation for the succulent marinated chicken, topped with slightly creamy cheese and placed on a thin pizza crust.
Price range: VND60,000-VND600,000 (~USD2.58-USD25.82)
Address: Level 3, Saigon Center, 65 Le Loi, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 10.30AM-10PM, Daily
Telephone: 028 3821 8849
Website
Image credit: TRANDUCDANTHINH
Ciao Bella is a small, homey space with cosy muted lighting, convivial décor, vintage-looking photos on the walls, and exposed brick. Diners get a prosecco on the house when upon arrival, which you’ll want to pair with its Nonna-approved food.
Posh carbonara, made from cheese wheel, topped with prosciutto and slow-cooked egg
Image credit: @hungrychopsticks
This restaurant is a big hit among the Italian community in town, so you know it’s legit. Try the posh carbonara (VND355,000, ~USD15.28) with silky and creamy spaghetti topped with an egg for a richer mouthfeel, or the spaghetti alla puttanesca (VND205,000, ~USD8.82) – tomatoes, olive oil, anchovies, olives, capers, and garlic, in addition to pasta.
Price range: VND50,000-VND275,000 (~USD2.15-USD7.16)
Address: 11 Dong Du, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 7.30PM-11PM, Daily
Telephone: 028 3822 3329
Website
Image credit: La Hostaria
Decked out like an old-school Italian eatery, this restaurant uses muted lighting as well as signature white and red tablecloths.
Image credit: Ciro Gargiulo
Its pastas are hand-made from fresh ingredients – delicate and aromatic, while its pizzas are renowned for being crispy on the crust with a soft and chewy center. Befitting its Italian menu and setting is the porcini mushroom pasta (VND180,000, ~USD7.75), featuring nicely cooked pasta served with the slightly smoky, meaty tasting porcini mushroom.
Price range: VND180,000-VND600,000 (~USD7.75-USD25.82)
Address: 17B Le Thanh Ton, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 10.30AM-3PM, 5.30PM-11PM, Daily
Telephone: 028 3823 1080
Website
Image credit: Carpaccio – Italian Restaurant
Walking into this restaurant, you’ll feel as if you’re in an underground wine cellar with vintage photos of Italy on the walls. It’s not just the wine here that people come for though – according to Tripadvisor reviews, this is the best place in town for pasta. Here, the pasta is firm and consistent, cooked evenly outside in, and comes in generous servings – one portion can be enough for two.
Fettuccine norcina – fresh homemade pasta cooked with tasty mushroom and Italian sauce.
Image credit: Carpaccio – Italian Restaurant
Make sure you try the restaurant’s fettuccine nere pasta (VND320,000, ~USD13.77), which is squid ink pasta served with anchovies and tomato. The pasta has a rich and briny flavor with a light hint of saltiness, making it perfect with anchovies.
Price range: VND50,000-VND275,000 (~USD2.15-USD11.83)
Address: 79 Hai Ba Trung, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Sun-Thu, 11AM-10PM | Fri-Sat, 11AM-11PM
Telephone: 0902 951 099
Website
Image credit: R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant
Wine is best enjoyed in a classy ambiance, with live music. R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant showcases elaborate marble floors and wall mosaics, fancy furniture, and quality recommendations from the staff that will impress your dinner company.
Come here on a Tuesday night for a live jazz performance to accompany your glass of wine. Or if you need a little more privacy as you plow through your entrees, the restaurant also has a number of private rooms, suitable for family celebrations as well as to entertain business guests.
Wagyu with truffle, purple potatoes, porcini, and baked Australian-imported Wagyu beef brisket.
Image credit: R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant
Diners will be spoilt for choice with a variety of antipasti, pastas, wood-fire Neapolitan pizzas, and a decadent dessert selection. You’ll want to try the restaurant’s Wagyu (VND688,000, ~USD29.61) – which masterfully incorporates the earthy flavour of truffle, purple potatoes, and the soft bites of porcini with the imported Australian baked beef. Pair with a glass of Suoi Barolo DOCG 2012 from Piedmont, Italy to enhance the experience.
Meanwhile, its Cartoccio (VND498,000, ~USD21.43), made of lobster, squid ink tagliolini, and flavored with cherry tomato, garlic, and chili, is filled with the delicate freshness of seafood.
Price range: VND198,000-VND3,288,000 (~USD7.23-USD141.49)
Address: Level B1, The Reverie Saigon, 22-36 Nguyen hue Boulevard, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 5PM-12PM, Daily
Telephone: 028 3823 6688
Website
Image credit: Basilico – Italian Cuisine
For those who want to see their pizza being carried out of the wood-fire oven right to your table, Basilico is the place to visit, with its convivial atmosphere and hardwood decor.
Pizza Burrata e Prosciutto, made with Italian dry-cured ham, asparagus, Italian cow milk cheese, and Parmesan cheese
Image credit: Basilico – Italian Cuisine
You’ll want to try the restaurant’s hand-made arrosticini (VND280,000, ~USD12.05), which is grilled black angus beef striploin, arugula, onion, mozzarella, and red wine vinaigrette. The quality beef striploin has a smooth texture, which comes from the flesh and fat that melts during the cooking process, then enriched with the hearty flavor of red wine vinaigrette.
There are over 9 different pizzas and 13 types of pasta to choose from. On top of that, customize your own pizzas (standard and gourmet) by picking your favourite protein, cheese, and veggie topping.
Price range: VND75,000-VND430,000 (~USD3.23-USD18.50)
Address: InterContinental Residences Saigon, Hai Ba Trung & Le Duan frontage, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 6.30PM-10.30PM, Daily
Telephone: 028 3520 9099
Website
Image credit: NAMO Italian
The restaurant boasts wood decor, abundant lighting, an open kitchen, and exposed brick, giving off a modern and industrial feel. Choose from its impressive collection of esoteric wines, ranging from petit verdot (made from Bordeaux red grapes) to barons de rothchild (from family vineyards also in Bordeaux).
Image credit: NAMO Italian
For a decadent seafood treat, order grilled seafood platter (VND650,000, ~USD27.96) – fresh scallop, prawns, sea bass, oyster, squid, and clams smothered in cheese. Vegans can order the velvety and creamy pumpkin soup (VND140,000, ~USD6.02).
Price range: VND50,000-VND675,000 (~USD2.15-USD69.71)
Address: 74/6 Hai Ba Trung, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: Sun-Thur, 11AM-10PM I Fri-Sat, 11AM-11PM
Telephone: 028 3822 7988
Website
Image credit: Park Hyatt Saigon
Opera Restaurant has a separate bar where guests can have a light meal or drink, a separate dining room, and a terrace for outdoor dining. Its floor-to-ceiling windows give the space plenty of natural daylight, with a luxurious and modern feel.
Image credit: Park Hyatt Saigon
For folks who’re watching their waistlines, this is a great place to dine, since it uses only a minimal amount of sauce or cheese to keep its dishes light, healthy, and also highly authentic.
You’ll want to try the capesante e pappa al pomodoro (VND340,000, ~USD14.63), a thick Tuscan bread soup prepared with fresh tomatoes and bread, flavored with olive oil, garlic, basil, and other ingredients.
Pop by for an Italian-styled afternoon tea from 2PM to 5PM, when the place is at its most laid-back and tranquil.
Price range: VND250,000-VND550,000 (~USD10.76-USD23.67)
Address: Park Hyatt Saigon, No.2 Cong Truong Lam Son, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 6AM-10.30PM, Daily
Telephone: 028 3520 2357
Website
Whether you’re craving a decadent slice of Italian pizza, or want to take your pasta-craving date to a charming and romantic restaurant for a change, these are some of the most beloved Italian restaurants in Saigon that the city has to offer.
Also check out:
Cover image adapted from: R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant, NAMO Italian, Carpaccio – Italian Restaurant & Basta Hiro – Pasta & Pizza
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