Favourite place to hang out in HCMC

Dear Expats & Friends,

Feeling a bit down today, missing the familiar sights, sounds, friends and family of home. What exacerbates this problem for me is the fact that with limited knowledge of all HCMC has to offer (even after being here for two months) I have yet to find a comfortable and relaxing place to hang out.

You know the place I am talking about; that favourite cafe, bar, book store, newsagents, retail shop, museum, art gallery.....whatever, we all have place that when everything else is quiet we can simply turn up and find a friendly face and burn a couple of hours relaxing. Does such a place exist in HCMC?

Please share your favourite hang out with the rest of us and the reasons why this gem works for you and we can all benefit (so will the proprietor of any business listed) because we all need some refuge from the daily chaos that is HCMC.

Maybe this mythical beast doesn't exist and I need to get on a plane.........maybe.