Mooneys

MOONEYS · HẺM 40 · SAIGON

live music nightly

Mooneys is a small Irish pub hidden in Hẻm 40 off Bùi Viện — a cozy room, live bands every night, and sports on TV. The owner is Irish, and regulars call it a hidden gem in the middle of the backpacker strip.

An evening at Mooneys starts at 6 PM: doors open, a band takes the small stage, and the compact room fills up. No rooftop, no music drowning out conversation — just live music, a few sports screens, and talk around the bar.

Guinness is what visitors mention most: poured properly, served cold, the Irish way. Gin & tonics and ice-cold Saigon Special round out the bar — and if you're lucky, you might be offered a Barry's tea, as one visitor recounts.

The pub opens 6:00 PM–2:00 AM daily, evenings only. Come after 6 PM, order a Guinness, and stay for the whole set — that is how Mooneys is remembered: a small, quiet corner of Ireland, calmer than Bùi Viện outside.

The door

Hẻm 40

No big sign — just a small alley off Bùi Viện. Find the alley door and you've found the pub.

The owner

Liam

The Irish owner, described by regulars as a great bloke — a very chilled bar, a true hidden gem.

The pour

Guinness

Poured properly and served cold — the drink mentioned most at Mooneys, from imported cans to the bar pour.

A live acoustic set in the compact room, guitar up front and regulars watching — Live music in the small room

A band playing to a standing crowd under the woven lamps — The band and the crowd

Musicians setting up drums and speakers before the night's set — Setting up for the night