Sidewalk drinking restaurants (quán nhậu, anyone?) are a dime a dozen in Da Nang, and that’s a good thing, because hanging out on the sidewalk, drinking and chatting, is fun. But what about a sidewalk bars in Da Nang? I’m talking about a place with some ambiance, maybe a bit of music and a decent cocktail menu. I went out last night with my girlfriend to check out two such places.
Violet
The first sidewalk bar was Violet, located on Hùng Vương just off of Bạch Đằng. The menu is extensive, which always makes me nervous, and a bit hard to read in the dim light. (Some Phuong-Dong style waiters wielding flashlights would have been helpful.) But the drinks were gorgeous, and tasty too. We also sampled the cheese sticks from the food menu, which seem to be gaining popularity in Da Nang despite being from *gasp* Hanoi. They even have a table with a translucent top that glows purple! Totally cool. Nice place + friendly staff = I’ll be back.
Violet
Vinh
Next on our sidewalk bar Da Nang tour was Vinh, located on Trần Phú just before Lý Thường Kiệt. I ordered a mojito with extra booze just to see what they would do. Well, they made me a stiff drink alright, but I don’t think it qualifies as a mojito. More like a couple shots of rum with mint-flavored syrup. On the plus side, my girlfriend’s milk tea was very nice, and even had the boba pearls that Taiwanese people are so crazy about. Cool place in a quiet area, but I think I’ll stick to Lido for my mojitos from now on.
not really a mojito, but oh well
To check out more sidewalk eating and drinking venues, book an Evening Food Tour.
