The Refinery Bar and Restaurant is currently one of the most popular establishments in Ho Chi Minh thanks to colonial fixtures, interesting cocktails and a bistro type menu of mostly French-style favourites. But the main reason for coming here is because it is such a pleasant space.

It looks every inch as though you could catch a glimpse of The Seine from its twinklingly lit courtyard, and inside the French bistro theme is even more pronounced with floral floor tiles, high ceilings and rows of wine and liquor displayed behind the bar. The resemblance to French design is not some contrived gimmick but a result of the opium factory that used to operate in the courtyard, and it’s also how the bar inherited its name.