M-01
V60
Conical pour-over. The control variable — bright, crisp, built for acidity and aroma.
slow bar
27 Ngô Đức Kế · Quận 1 · est. 2013THE COFFEE
THE COFFEE
LABORATORYSAIGON'S THIRD-WAVE ORIGIN POINT
Behind a hidden street door and up a century-old staircase: a cathedral-ceilinged industrial loft, a grid of glowing dome lamps, and a copper bar island where every brew is performed live.
4.4★4,126 Google reviews
08:00–20:30Open daily
10Brewing methods
+84 28 3824 6801Phone
01 · the benchTen methods.
Ten methods.
Zero guesswork.
Pick a bean, pick a method — the bar works it like an instrument bench. Nine methods run on the card; the tenth is the barista’s rotating experiment.
M-02
Chemex
Thick paper, heavy filtration. Clean, tea-like body; the elegant outlier.
slow barM-03
Kalita Wave
Flat-bed dripper, three-hole drawdown. Even extraction, forgiving sweetness.
slow barM-04
Syphon
Vacuum pot theatre. Full immersion meets vapour pressure — dramatic, full-bodied.
slow barM-05
Aeropress
Pressure-assisted steep. Sweet, concentrated, the traveller's lab.
slow barM-06
Cold Brew
Hours-long immersion, served cold. Smooth, low-bite, built for the Saigon heat.
slow barM-07
Cold Drip
Tower drip, one drop at a time. Syrupy, intense — the slowest instrument in the room.
slow barM-08
Immersion
Full steep, then release. Round and uncomplicated — the baseline measurement.
slow barM-09
Espresso
Pressure extraction at the La Marzocco end of the bar. Pick your blend — origins on the card.
espresso barM-10
Barista's Whim
The rotating tenth slot. Seasonal builds and house experiments — ask the bar what's on.
ask the bar02 · the data sheetOrigins, chalked.
Origins, chalked.
Not marketed.
Vietnamese arabica alongside international lots — every origin carries its altitude, harvest and farmer on the table card. Roasted in-house; retail bags on the shelf.
Đà Lạt
LÂM ĐỒNG · VIETNAM
| ALTITUDE | on the card |
| HARVEST | on the card |
| FARMER | on the card |
Lâm Đồng
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS · VN
| ALTITUDE | on the card |
| HARVEST | on the card |
| FARMER | on the card |
Sơn La
NORTHWEST · VIETNAM
| ALTITUDE | on the card |
| HARVEST | on the card |
| FARMER | on the card |
Hà Giang
FAR NORTH · VIETNAM
| ALTITUDE | on the card |
| HARVEST | on the card |
| FARMER | on the card |
World Shelf
INTERNATIONAL LOTS
| ORIGINS | rotating |
| STATUS | ask the bar |
| RETAIL | bags to go |
Lab discipline: no tasting-note poetry invented here — the full spec (altitude, harvest, farmer, roast date) is printed on the table cards at the bar, in English with Vietnamese alongside. Take a bag home; the retail shelf is stocked with the same lots.
——TDS · ppm
——pH
H₂OFILTERED DAILY
03 · precision waterWater is filtered and held to a laboratory spec — TDS and pH posted on the board at the bar. Coffee is 98% water; the Workshop treats it like a variable, not a given.
The menu
Lab-sheet precision, café soul
Origins and tasting notes on every card, ten brewing methods on the bench, and a Baristas' Collection of house signatures.
SAMPLE S-01
ACTIVESalted Iced Coffee
- Espresso
- condensed milk
- plant-based creamer
- Himalayan pink salt.
SAMPLE S-02
ACTIVEClarified Espresso
- Milk-washed earl grey tea
- espresso
- honey & citrus
- served over ice.
SAMPLE S-03
ACTIVECitrus Cold Drip
- Ethiopian blend
- dripped 2.5 hours through fresh lemon.
SAMPLE S-04
ACTIVEGolden Elixir Spark
- Milk-washed rooibos tea
- honey
- lime
- black pepper
- sparkling
- on the rock.
SAMPLE S-05
ACTIVENero Tropico
- Pineapple & passion fruit purée flash-blended with espresso and ice.
SAMPLE S-06
ACTIVECoconut Fanatic
- A coconut-milk & dairy-cream cloud over iced espresso.
The story
A hidden door started it all
Opened when Saigon's specialty scene was barely a murmur — a rickety staircase, a laboratory-grade bar, and over a decade later, still a real original.
01
Find the hidden door
A nondescript doorway at 27 Ngô Đức Kế — easy to miss, guarded by two statues and marked only by a small die-cut metal “The Workshop” sign.
02
Climb the old staircase
Take the building's central staircase up, past the other businesses. It's a teensy bit spooky and perfect for photos.
03
Follow the light
Daylight spills from the top floor into a cavernous, bright industrial hall — exposed brick, steel girders, glowing dome lamps, the copper bar.
“If you want to work, go to the Workshop. If you want to shoot some pictures, go to the Workshop… If you don't know what you want, go to the Workshop then you get some ideas!”— Visitor review
06 · guest voices
What people say
Real reviews, unedited. (Even the dissents are kept — a lab logs all readings.)
★★★★★
“The central bar is a fantastic spot to watch the skilled baristas in action.”
— Visitor review★★★★★
“A cool, high-ceilinged open-plan space with a modern yet colonial-industrial vibe.”
— Visitor review★★★★★
“Don't be discouraged by the street appeal of the entrance… climb the four flights of stairs… an attractive, brightly lit space with an industrial-chic esthetic.”
— Visitor review★★★★★
“If you want to work, go to the Workshop. If you want to shoot some pictures, go to the Workshop… If you don't know what you want, go to the Workshop then you get some ideas!”
— Visitor review★★★★★
“The view from stretching windows embellished with colonial balconies that pan out to the walking street below makes it worth it.”
— Visitor review“Slightly disappointed that their coffee wasn't all that great — but the experience made up for it.”
— Visitor reviewVisit
At the top of the stairs
Top floor of a ~100-year-old French colonial building, steps off Nguyễn Huệ Walking Street. Climb the central staircase toward the light.
Visit protocol
Address27 Ngo Duc Ke, Ben Nghe, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
HoursOpen daily · 8:00 AM – 8:30 PM
Phone+84 28 3824 6801
Coordinates
The address27 Ngô Đức Kế, District 1
Google rating4.4★ · 4,126 Google reviews
Brewing methods10