96B cafe & roastery sits on Phan Ngu in Tan Dinh, just north of central District 1's busiest tourist loop and close enough to plan as a dedicated coffee stop rather than an incidental cafe break. The address works well for a first Ho Chi Minh City specialty-coffee route: tucked into a quieter neighborhood street, but still connected to the city center by a short ride.
The reason to come is unusually clear. 96B is a cafe, roaster, coffee education centre, green bean producer, and exporter focused on Vietnamese Liberica/Excelsa, Robusta, and Arabica. That gives the visit a strong point of view: drink Vietnamese coffee treated as specialty coffee, then leave with a better sense of the producers, species, processing choices, and brew formats behind it.
Coffee
Coffee is the spine of 96B. The roastery side covers direct-trade Vietnamese coffee, Probat roasting, espresso service, and fresh roasted coffees for drip, espresso, phin, and cold brew. The result is a menu that can satisfy a straightforward espresso drinker while still giving coffee people something less common to chase.
Start by asking what Vietnamese lots are on bar. The most distinctive move is to taste across species rather than default to the most familiar Arabica order. 96B has built much of its identity around Robusta, Arabica, and especially Liberica/Excelsa, so a short black, milk drink, or house cold-brew expression can become a small lesson in what Vietnamese coffee can be when it is sourced, roasted, and brewed with modern specialty discipline.
Filter
Filter is the strongest reason to slow down. Beans are treated by brew use - drip, espresso, phin, French press, and cold brew - and the cafe works more like a roaster-led coffee bar than a one-note espresso counter.
Order filter when the bar has a lot that explains the roastery's range: a Liberica/Excelsa project coffee, a clean Arabica from Vietnam, or a Robusta that challenges the assumptions many visitors bring with them. The best cup here is not just about tasting notes; it is about context. A filter at 96B can make the difference between buying Vietnamese coffee as a souvenir and understanding it as a serious, evolving specialty category.
Food
Food is support, not the headline. The cafe keeps a vegan-friendly lane with alternative milk, and the surrounding offer points more toward pastries and light cafe food than a full meal. Treat 96B first as a roaster visit: come hungry enough for something beside the cup, not hungry enough to make lunch the test.
That restraint works in the cafe's favor. A pastry, small bite, or alternative-milk drink gives the room a softer rhythm without pulling attention away from the beans. If you are building a morning route through Ho Chi Minh City, use 96B as the coffee anchor and let food decide how long you stay rather than whether the stop is worth making.
Service & Room
The room reads as a working roaster-cafe more than a decorative concept shop. Expect a practical counter, retail beans, brew gear energy, and a staff rhythm shaped by customers who may be ordering anything from a simple iced drink to a more technical filter. It is a good place to ask questions because education is part of the brand, not a side project.
For visitors, the tradeoff is that 96B is most rewarding when you give it a little attention. It can handle a quick takeaway, but the better visit is slower: look at the retail shelf, ask what Vietnamese coffees are tasting best, and leave with beans or a brewing idea. Laptop time is plausible when the room is calm, but the page's recommendation is coffee-first rather than workspace-first.
Why Filter Notes shortlisted 96B cafe & roastery
Filter Notes shortlisted 96B cafe & roastery because it gives Ho Chi Minh City a coffee stop with a thesis. It is a cafe, roaster, education centre, and Vietnamese coffee advocate in one address, with enough espresso and filter structure for serious drinkers and enough warmth for a curious first visit.
Go for the Vietnamese coffee range, especially the chance to taste beyond the usual Arabica frame. Know before going that the food is secondary and the most memorable version of the visit is conversational: order coffee, ask what is on bar, browse beans, and let 96B show why Vietnam's specialty scene is much broader than the sweet dark-roast stereotype.