One thing I love about Vietnam is their café culture. Aside from the coffee quality, the quirkier and hidden ones have extra points in my book. I found a list of the best cafés in Vietnam, and one that stood out for me was Grandmum Café in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

@replikate #grandmumcafe #vietnam #saigon #hochiminhcity #KateWasHere ♬ My Coffee – Megan Yagami

This cozy spot is so hidden that my taxi driver couldn’t find it. He dropped me off on the wrong street and I had to walk around the area before I spotted Grandmum Café tucked away in a small alley in District 1.

When you find this place, you’ll most likely run into the owner, Thi Lê, Vietnam’s first AeroPress Champion (source: Sprudge), and the cutest little senior Chihuahua that she named after herself. Ask about her adoption and rescue story.

As I waited for my order, I had a look at the café’s collection of paintings, postcards, vinyl albums, and other vintage mementos that gave the place a homey, lived-in vibe. I was one of the four customers that day—all of them sat outside, so I had the indoor place to myself.

Your coffee of choice will be made slowly and lovingly, using a diverse selection of beans sourced from roasters around the globe. It was great to watch Thi in her element as she prepared my coffee.

I got an iced latte with a made-from-scratch, freshly baked chocolate croissant that was so warm, chocolatey, and chewy that it did remind me of the days my cousins and I would visit our grandmother’s house in the Philippines for freshly baked pastries and coffee.

I’d go back for that chocolate croissant with latte—and to pet the dog.

Grandmum Café is located at 67B Dinh Cong Trang, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.