--- title: "Booking a Vietnamese Restaurant in Saigon: Five Things" description: "Tables held 15, 20 or 30 minutes, deposits from how many guests, parties of 8 or more, private rooms. Numbers from restaurants we read, and our own rules." canonical: https://nhahang.thenexova.cloud/en/journal/booking-a-vietnamese-restaurant-ho-chi-minh-city lang: en last-updated: 2026-10-05 --- [Booking and groups](/en/journal/topic/booking-and-groups) · Start here # Booking a Vietnamese Restaurant in Saigon: Five Things > Tables held 15, 20 or 30 minutes, deposits from how many guests, parties of 8 or more, private rooms. Numbers from restaurants we read, and our own rules. Nguồn / Source: https://nhahang.thenexova.cloud/en/journal/booking-a-vietnamese-restaurant-ho-chi-minh-city Tables held 15, 20 or 30 minutes, deposits from how many guests, parties of 8 or more, private rooms. Numbers from restaurants we read, and our own rules. [Nguyễn Đức Thịnh](/en/team/nguyen-duc-thinh) · Reservations and private room manager · Published 5 Jun 2026 · Updated 5 Oct 2026 · 8 min read ![A handwritten reserved card on a wooden restaurant table in a warm, softly blurred room](/_astro/journal-booking.BmFfocEX_Z1SKGQT.jpg) Before you send a booking request at a Vietnamese restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City, find out five things: how long the table is held, from how many guests a deposit applies, whether a party of 8 should call or message, whether the private room has a minimum spend, and what to say about vegetarian needs or allergies. I am Thịnh, the reservations manager at Bếp Rơm. I confirm every request by Zalo or phone myself, so this is written from the other side of the table. A word on sources. I could read three reservation policies from upscale restaurants on TableCheck, and those are the only outside numbers in this piece. Three pages are not enough to describe “the city norm”, so I won’t. Anything about Bếp Rơm is our own rule, set for this demo site, not an industry standard. ## One: how long is the table held A table hold is the number of minutes a restaurant waits after your booked time before giving the table to someone else. Booking pages usually carry one small line about it. Read that line before you pick a time. The three restaurants I read say three different things. An’s Saigon holds tables for up to 15 minutes if you are late. Villa Song holds for 20 minutes from the booked time, after which the booking is cancelled and the table released. Si Dining gives no hold time; it says that if you will be more than 20 minutes late you should tell them as soon as you can, and that they may rearrange tables if they cannot reach you. At Bếp Rơm the hold is 15 minutes from the booked time, and 20 minutes from 8 guests, because larger parties tend to arrive in pieces. If you message us on Zalo to say you are late, we hold the table once more, up to 30 minutes. Once. After that the table may already be promised to the next seating. So the thing to do is message, not hope. “We are 10 minutes late” takes ten seconds to type and usually keeps the table. ## Two: from how many guests, and how much A deposit is money paid ahead to hold a table. The real question has three parts: from what party size, how much per person, and what happens to the money whether you turn up or not. | Restaurant | Deposit | Taken off the bill | Cancelling | | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Si Dining | VND 500,000 per guest from 5 guests (on peak days, for every booking) | Yes | Not stated on the page I read | | An’s Saigon (chef’s table) | VND 1,000,000 per person | Not stated on the page I read | Full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead; at least 72 hours if you book all 8 seats. A 3% transaction fee is mentioned | | Villa Song | Not stated on the page I read | Not stated on the page I read | Not stated; table held 20 minutes | | Bếp Rơm (our own rule) | Under 8 guests: none. From 8: VND 100,000 per guest. Private room: VND 1,500,000 flat | Yes | Cancel at least 24 hours ahead (48 for the private room) for a full refund; later, or a no-show, and we keep it | The first three rows come from each restaurant’s own TableCheck page, read on 5 October 2026\. The first two are upscale: a chef’s table and a multi-course dinner. Do not set them next to a family rice restaurant as a price comparison. They show only that a deposit can be a serious sum. Ours is much lighter, for a reason. An 8-person party at a round table for 120 minutes takes a whole table out of service, but we do not want the deposit to put people off booking. The detail is in [a separate piece on deposits](/en/journal/restaurant-deposits-how-much) and on the [reservation policy page](/en/reservation-policy). Questions worth asking anywhere, us included: - Does the deposit come off the bill? - What is the last moment I can cancel and get it back? - Am I penalised if fewer people turn up? At Bếp Rơm, reducing the party up to 24 hours ahead costs nothing; the deposit follows the new number, though never below the amount for 8 guests. - How do I pay, and by when? At Bếp Rơm, once we confirm, a bank transfer QR code comes by Zalo; if it is unpaid after 12 hours, the hold is released. ## Three: a party of 8 or more, call or message Messaging is convenient, calling is certain. For parties of 8 and up, many restaurants step off the online form. Si Dining says groups over 8 should contact them directly. An’s Saigon asks for an email for groups of 8 and above or special requests. The reason I see from the floor is plain. Eight people need a whole round table, or two tables pushed together, or the private room. The kitchen needs warning so the dishes go out evenly and one table does not receive all the grill while the next one waits. At Bếp Rơm, online booking takes parties up to 14, with different rules at each size: | Guests | Where | Time | Deposit | Hold | Book at least | | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------- | --------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------- | | 1 to 4 | Table for 2 or 4, veranda, fire counter | 90 minutes (fire counter 75) | None | 15 minutes | 2 hours ahead | | 5 to 7 | Round table for eight | 90 minutes for 5, 120 for 6 to 7 | None | 15 minutes | 6 hours ahead | | 8 | Round table, or the private room if you ask | 120 minutes (private room 180) | VND 100,000 per guest | 20 minutes | 24 hours (private room 48) | | 9 to 14 | Private room | 180 minutes | VND 1,500,000 flat | 20 minutes | 48 hours | | 15 to 40 | Whole veranda and yard, plus the private room above 32 | By arrangement | By arrangement | By arrangement | 7 days, by phone only | From 15 guests we take bookings only by phone, on 0963 929 241, because the kitchen has to reset the whole veranda and yard. You can book up to 60 days ahead; same-day bookings are open from 2 hours ahead for parties up to 4. An illustration with an invented guest: Huy books the round table for 8 on a Wednesday lunch, a day ahead. The deposit is 8 × VND 100,000 = VND 800,000\. He turns up 10 minutes late and messages us on Zalo; a party of 8 is held 20 minutes, so it is fine. He orders one mâm tròn (a set for six, VND 1,290,000), plus tiger prawns grilled with chilli salt (VND 248,000), beef stir-fried with thiên lý flowers (VND 178,000), 2 extra bowls of rice (VND 30,000), 4 roasted brown-rice teas (VND 152,000) and 4 coconut waters (VND 220,000). The total is VND 2,118,000, about VND 264,750 a head; after the deposit he pays VND 1,318,000\. Prices include 8% VAT. An illustrative story for this demo site; the figures are assumed. ## Four: the private room and the minimum spend A minimum spend is the least a party must order in a private room; if the bill ends lower, the difference is added. None of the pages I read published one, and I have not found a mid-range Vietnamese restaurant that does. So when you ask anywhere, ask three things straight: is there a room fee, is there a minimum and does it include drinks, and how long is the seating. Our own rule: the private room seats 12 (14 with extra chairs), one shared table, no room fee. The minimum is VND 3,000,000 at lunch (start window 11:00 to 14:30) and VND 3,600,000 at dinner (from 17:00), drinks and VAT included. Three hours a seating. A VND 1,500,000 deposit comes off the bill. These numbers are ours, not a market norm. A second invented example: Hân books the private room for 12 on a Saturday evening, for her mother’s 70th birthday, with two small grandchildren who eat rice and soup. Two mâm tròn (VND 2,580,000), one lẩu mắm (fermented-fish hotpot, VND 458,000), two grilled bananas in coconut cream (VND 116,000), 6 coconut waters (VND 330,000) and 6 roasted brown-rice teas (VND 228,000) come to VND 3,712,000, above the VND 3,600,000 dinner minimum. After the deposit she pays VND 2,212,000\. The birthday cake comes in free of charge. An illustrative story; figures assumed. The working for a party of 10 is in [the private room piece](/en/journal/private-room-for-10-minimum-spend), and the room itself is on the [private dining page](/en/private-dining). ## Five: say vegetarian and allergy needs when you book Whoever takes the request needs this before you arrive, not when the dish is on its way. All three pages I read carry a line like that: Si Dining says to put food allergies in the special requests field, Villa Song says to tell them at booking. At Bếp Rơm, the booking form asks about vegetarian eating, the spice level for the table, and nine allergen groups: crustaceans, fish, molluscs, peanut, soy, egg, gluten, sesame and milk. We repeat exactly those groups in the confirmation message. Nine groups is everything the kitchen tracks; tree nuts, celery and anything else are not tracked. The kitchen is shared, so we cannot promise that any dish is free of traces. If you or someone in your party has a serious allergy, ask your doctor about the level of risk first, then call 0963 929 241 so we can tell you what is in each dish. How to read the nine-group table is in [the menu-reading piece](/en/journal/reading-a-menu-vegetarian-spicy-allergy); the full table is on the [allergen page](/en/menu/allergens). ## What we do at Bếp Rơm - You choose a date, time, party size and seating area. No account needed. - Under the send button you see the rules for that party size: deposit, hold time, cancellation deadline. - The request is held as pending. I or someone at the desk confirms by Zalo or phone, usually within 2 hours during opening hours. We open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 to 22:00, closed Monday; last order 21:15. - From 8 guests, once confirmed, the deposit QR code is sent by Zalo. - The confirmation page has your booking code and an .ics calendar file. If the table includes older relatives or small children, read [choosing a family restaurant for three generations](/en/journal/family-restaurant-ho-chi-minh-city-three-generations). For what a meal costs there is [the piece on prices](/en/journal/vietnamese-restaurant-prices-ho-chi-minh-city-2026), and for a celebration, [booking a family birthday](/en/journal/birthday-family-gathering-restaurant). Once you know your party size and time, [book a table](/en/reserve). All the rules are on the [reservation policy page](/en/reservation-policy). _Updated 5 October 2026\. Prices include 8% VAT, valid until 31 December 2026\. Figures for other restaurants come from their public booking pages, read on 5 October 2026; their rules may have changed._ ## Hold a table Pick the party size, see free times, note diets and allergies in one form. [Reserve](/en/reserve) ## Sources checked 1. [TableCheck: Si Dining, reservation policy](https://www.tablecheck.com/vi/si-dining-vietnam/reserve) (read 5 Oct 2026) 2. [TableCheck: An's Saigon, reservation policy](https://www.tablecheck.com/en/an-saigon/reserve) (read 5 Oct 2026) 3. [TableCheck: Villa Song Saigon, reservation policy](https://www.tablecheck.com/vi/villa-song-saigon-vietnam/reserve) (read 5 Oct 2026) ## Dishes in this article - [![Three charred whole snakehead fish grilled in the straw-fire style, on banana leaves beside a rice pancake, a basket of herbs and a clay pot of rice](/_astro/dish-ca-loc-nuong-trui.CB89TZpY_Z4zPmP.jpg)Snakehead fish grilled in strawA whole snakehead of about 800 g grilled in burning straw, rolled in rice paper with herbs, fermented anchovy dip.358,000 VNDMildFish](/en/menu/ca-loc-nuong-trui) - [![A turmeric-yellow bánh xèo with prawns and bean sprouts on a bamboo tray, with shredded green mango, herbs, a chilli fish-sauce dip and a sheet of rice paper](/_astro/dish-banh-xeo.5CeM49pf_1mtJuS.jpg)Bánh xèo with prawn and porkOne large crisp turmeric and coconut rice crêpe with prawn, pork and bean sprouts, wrapped in wild greens, fish sauce dip.138,000 VNDShellfishFish](/en/menu/banh-xeo-tom-thit) - [![A fish hotpot seen from above, topped with fresh chilli, fried shallots and herbs, on a small tabletop burner with rice paper beside it](/_astro/dish-lau-mam.DG527oQy_ZSJ9Wk.jpg)Lẩu mắm hotpot (for 2 to 3)A fermented gourami broth with snakehead, prawn, squid, pork belly, aubergine, field greens and fresh noodles.458,000 VNDMediumFishShellfishMolluscs](/en/menu/lau-mam) ## Read next - [Booking and groupsVietnamese Restaurant Prices in Saigon 2026: Dish, HeadMain dishes roughly VND 90,000 to 360,000 and about VND 150,000 to 330,000 a head, from the pages we read. A source table, dates, and where Bếp Rơm sits.](/en/journal/vietnamese-restaurant-prices-ho-chi-minh-city-2026) - [Booking and groupsA Family Birthday at a Restaurant: How Far Ahead to BookHow far ahead for 12 guests, bringing a cake, round table or private room, how the bill works. Example: a 12-guest dinner at VND 3,712,000 for Ngọc Hân.](/en/journal/birthday-family-gathering-restaurant) - [Booking and groupsFamily Restaurants in Saigon: Grandparents, Parents, KidsRound or long table, soft dishes for older guests, mild dishes for children, high chairs, quiet hours, parking. Booking for 6 to 12, with a sample menu.](/en/journal/family-restaurant-ho-chi-minh-city-three-generations)