The room
The cobalt banquette beneath tall windows
Deep cobalt channel-tufted velvet with grey-blue cushions, along tall black-framed windows over greenery — against panelled walls and cream-and-blue encaustic tiles with a Greek-key border.
The shop sits at 9 Trần Cao Vân, Sài Gòn ward, District 1, in a room with French-colonial villa bones: tall shuttered windows, pale grey-white panelled walls, cream encaustic tiles with blue-grey floral motifs and a Greek-key border. The cobalt velvet banquette runs along the windows, worn dark wood tables, cross-back chairs with blue seats and cane-back chairs around the large communal table mid-room.
Light is mostly bright daylight through tall multi-pane windows over green foliage — fresh and airy — with warm accents: a black multi-arm chandelier with warm shades and black ceiling track spots. One wall holds a dark wood bookshelf stocked with books; the wide back doorway opens to an area with a black metal-railed staircase. The dark forest-green branding, serif “THE VAGABOND” wordmark and arched capsule logo appear on illustrated boards and takeaway cups with white Parisian-building line art.
The recorded menu centres on the cabinet and the épi line: épi young corn, ube yam and pandan leaf cakes; croissants, canelé, biscotti, matcha tart, the pink shell-shaped dessert, cherry-topped cake slices, latte and tea — all unpriced in evidence, ask at the counter. The room stays quiet all day, uncrowded in the photos — a slow sit with small cakes and drinks.
