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Sidewalk Coffee & Phin Filter

Rating: 4.4

Plastic stools, a dripping phin, 20,000₫ — how locals actually drink coffee

City centre

Illustrative photo · Souradeep.Dasgupta · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Illustrative photo · 하나두리 · CC BY 2.0 kr · Wikimedia Commons

Address
Throughout the central district — densest around Nguyen Thien Thuat, Hoang Hoa Tham and Bach Dang
Opening hours
From around 6:00; many close after lunch
Price range
15,000 – 30,000₫/drink
Best time to go
6:30 – 9:00 in the morning
Open in Google Maps

Overview

Alongside the sea-view places charging 100,000₫ a glass, Nha Trang has another layer of coffee: plastic stools on the pavement, an aluminium phin dripping into a glass, free iced tea alongside, and a price of 15,000–30,000₫. This is what locals drink every day.

They're thickest around Nguyen Thien Thuat, Hoang Hoa Tham and Bach Dang streets. Ordering "cà phê sữa đá" is the safe move — strong, sweet, and enough to carry a whole morning.

Ordering and sitting have their own rhythm, and knowing it saves fumbling. You sit, name the drink, and it arrives as a glass with an aluminium filter dripping on top plus a free glass of iced tea — which is normally refilled at no charge. Wait the four or five minutes for the filter to finish before stirring; stir early and the top is weak while the bottom is syrup. You pay when you get up, and cash is simplest.

This is a morning thing, not an afternoon plan: many stalls pack up after lunch. And because it is a category rather than one address, this page has no pin and no street number — walk into Nguyen Thien Thuat, Hoang Hoa Tham or Bach Dang in the morning and you will find them, and pick whichever one the locals are sitting at.

What to order

  • Phin-brewed iced coffee with condensed milk — strong and sweet
  • Free iced tea served alongside
  • 15,000–30,000₫ a glass
  • A front-row seat on the city's morning rhythm

Practical tips

  • Say "cà phê sữa đá" for sweet, "cà phê đen đá" for black
  • Let the phin finish dripping before you stir — about four or five minutes
  • Vietnamese coffee is strong. One glass will do for the whole morning

Frequently asked

What does a street coffee cost?

Around 15,000–30,000₫, with a free glass of iced tea. That is what locals pay every day.

What should I order?

Ca phe sua da for sweet and strong, ca phe den da for bitter. Both are filter-brewed and both are potent — one glass covers a morning.

Are they open in the afternoon?

Far fewer — many pack up after lunch. The reliable window is 6:30–9:00 in the morning.

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