If you live around An Thuong or My Khe for a few weeks or a few months, you soon learn that Da Nang has two kinds of cafés. There are the loud ones, with music, big groups and motorbikes pulling up every minute. And there are the small places where you can sit with a book or a laptop, hear yourself think, and stay a while without anyone hurrying you along.

Café de Lee is one of the second kind. It is a small, family-run café at 20 Le Huu Khanh in Ngu Hanh Son, on the quieter south-east side of the city. This post is for anyone looking for a calm table: what the place is like, what to order for a long sit, and how to get there.

What "quiet" means here

Quiet is the word guests use most often when they write about Café de Lee. Not quiet as in empty, but quiet as in calm: a small room, conversations kept low, and in the morning you can often hear birds outside. Guests also mention the family who run it, and that they are friendly without fussing over you.

It suits people who want to:

  • read a few chapters with a coffee in the morning;
  • write, plan the week or work through email for an hour or two;
  • meet one friend and actually hear each other;
  • slow down before or after a day at the beach.

It is not an office and does not try to be one. Think of it as a small neighbourhood café where a laptop is welcome and nobody hurries you.

When to come

Café de Lee opens at 6 am every day. Early mornings are the gentlest part of the day in Da Nang: the air is still cool, the streets are calm, and the café is ready for breakfast. Afternoons are quieter, a good time to settle in with a laptop. Free Wi-Fi is available all day.

If you have a routine, such as reading before work or writing first thing, a 6 am opening makes it easy to fit the café into it rather than the other way round.

What to order for a long sit

The menu is short, which is part of the appeal. A few good choices if you plan to stay a while:

  • Black Coffee or Milk Coffee, brewed in a Vietnamese phin. The coffee is a dark roast of Vietnamese robusta and arabica, served hot or iced. It drips slowly, so it is a coffee you sit with rather than gulp.
  • Bac Xiu, the milkier, softer version, if you want something gentler.
  • Matcha Frappe, which guests often mention, for a cold drink on a hot afternoon.
  • Chrysanthemum Tea or Honey Lemon if you have had enough coffee for the day.
  • Croissant with your first coffee, or a Beef Hamburger if you came for breakfast and stayed into lunch.

You can see everything on the full menu, including the espresso drinks (Americano, Latte, Cappuccino) and the house Salt Coffee.

A few small courtesies

Because the café is small, a little consideration goes a long way and keeps it pleasant for everyone:

  • take calls outside or keep them short;
  • use headphones for videos and music;
  • order something again if you stay through the morning;
  • if you are coming as a group, call ahead so the family can set a table.

None of these are rules written on the wall. They are just what keeps a quiet café quiet.

Getting there from An Thuong and My Khe

Café de Lee is in Ngu Hanh Son district, between the city centre and Hoi An. From My Khe or Non Nuoc beach it is about 10 to 15 minutes by motorbike, and the Marble Mountains are about 4 km away, roughly 10 minutes. From the city centre allow 15 to 20 minutes.

The location page has the map, directions from the airport and Hoi An, and a few answers to common questions. For Grab or a taxi, use the address below.

Visit Café de Lee

Bring a book, take a corner, and slow down.