Seafood Buffet at 5-star La Vela Saigon Hotel

La Vela Saigon puts a seafood buffet on the 25th floor, where crab, oysters, scallops, and lobster share the table with dumplings, roast duck, local dishes, and dessert. It is a smart way to make lunch feel like an occasion, especially if you want a city view without leaving the center of Ho Chi Minh City.

I like the seafood-focused spread, with crab and shellfish drawing the most praise, and the mix of Chinese and other Asian dishes gives you more to try than a seafood-only meal. I also like the hotel setting and attentive service, which help this work for a relaxed family lunch or a special meal.

The catch is that lunch is not a bottomless lobster feast: the lobster is a set serving, and the exact portion may vary. The lunch menu also may not include sashimi, and the range beyond seafood can feel modest if you expect a huge international buffet.

La Vela Saigon buffet at a glance

• A 25th-floor setting: Mermaid Restaurant is inside La Vela Saigon Hotel, with city views from some tables.
• Seafood leads: Expect shellfish, crab, shrimp, scallops, oysters, and a lobster serving at lunch. The dinner package includes lobster and king crab.
• More than seafood: Chinese dumplings and steamed dishes sit alongside Vietnamese, Asian, and international options.
• Lunch drinks included: Mineral water and soft drinks are unlimited with the lunch package.
• Lunch hours: The buffet runs daily from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
• Check the package carefully: Lunch and dinner have different prices and inclusions, and menus can change with ingredient supply.

Finding Mermaid Restaurant on the 25th floor

The buffet is served at Mermaid Restaurant, on the 25th floor of La Vela Saigon Hotel at 280 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward 8, District 3. The elevated setting is part of the appeal. You get a polished hotel dining room, a city outlook from the windows, and a quieter break from street-level sightseeing.

If you are not staying at the hotel, tell the hotel or concierge staff beside the lifts that you are going to the buffet. They can help you access the restaurant floor. That small detail is useful: you may not be able to head straight up without hotel staff assistance.

The lunch service runs every day from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. The exact meal duration is not specified, so plan around the stated service window rather than assuming a set seating time. If the view matters to you, ask about a window table when arranging your visit, but do not count on one being available.

What lunch brings to the table

This is a seafood buffet first, with other dishes filling out the meal. The menu may include oysters, scallops, snails, crab, shrimp, and other shellfish, alongside cooked seafood preparations. Crab and shrimp are recurring favorites, while baked scallops and oysters also get attention. Freshness is a central part of the appeal, though seafood quality can naturally vary with the day’s supply.

The lunch package includes a lobster serving, but the portion is not reliably described as the same size across all accounts. Some diners have received half a lobster, while others describe a whole lobster or a separately served portion. Treat it as a set inclusion, not unlimited lobster, and check the current package details before booking if the exact amount matters to you.

That distinction affects the value calculation. At lunch, you can sample the wider seafood selection and enjoy the lobster without paying dinner prices, but you should not arrive expecting repeated lobster servings. The dinner option is listed separately and includes lobster and king crab; it is the better fit if those are your main reason for coming.

The menu is not all cold seafood. You may find hot dishes such as seafood soup, noodles, roast duck, steak, and traditional Vietnamese selections. One much-liked noodle dish is described as having a savory crab broth. A few diners have found some hot items less impressive than the seafood, with comments about tough steak or local dishes that were not served hot enough. I would make seafood the main event and treat the cooked dishes as a chance to sample, not the reason to book.

Chinese dim sum and the wider menu

There is a substantial Chinese section, with more than 50 listed dishes across the broader offering. Examples include glass dumplings, scallop dumplings, seafood dumplings, Shanghai dumplings, steamed pork ribs with soy sauce, steamed chicken legs with Guilin soy sauce, and fried shrimp wontons. Steamed egg custard buns and roasted pepper duck dumplings add variety to the mix.

That sounds like a generous spread, but do not assume every dish appears at every meal. The menu can change with seasonality, ingredient purchases, and stock. In practice, the range outside seafood may feel smaller than the headline count suggests, especially if you are comparing the buffet with a very large luxury-hotel spread.

Japanese dishes are not a strong reason to come at lunch. Sashimi, including salmon or tuna, has been absent from some lunch menus, and the Japanese selection has been described as limited. If raw fish is essential to your idea of a seafood buffet, confirm the current menu before paying.

Dessert, fruit, cake, and ice cream round out the meal. The selection is convenient after a seafood-heavy lunch, though dessert variety may not be as memorable as the shellfish. Unlimited soft drinks and mineral water are included in the lunch package, which helps keep the meal simple to budget.

The city view and the service

The restaurant’s upper-floor setting gives the meal a sense of occasion without requiring a special excursion. From some seats, you can look out across Ho Chi Minh City while you eat. That view, the spacious dining room, and the hotel atmosphere make the buffet well suited to a family gathering, birthday meal, or a midday pause between city plans.

Service is another strong point. Staff are often described as friendly and attentive, and one server, Tu Duyen, was specifically praised for making a dinner visit feel welcoming. That does not guarantee the same staff member or service on your visit, of course, but the hotel setting appears to bring a thoughtful level of care.

If you are booking for a birthday, make the request clear in advance and confirm the details. Birthday decorations have been added after an initial oversight, but cake size may vary. It is best to treat such extras as something to confirm, not as a guaranteed part of the buffet package.

Lunch or dinner: choose for the seafood you want

The lunch buffet is the more economical choice, with listed package prices from US$27.15 and a displayed starting price of US$29.85. Because those figures differ, check the price shown for your date and package at checkout. The lunch package includes unlimited mineral water and soft drinks, as well as a lobster serving and access to the buffet.

Dinner is listed from US$58.45 for the seafood buffet with lobster and king crab. It is positioned as the more seafood-forward option, with lobster and king crab described as unlimited, and wine, beer, and soft drinks also described as unlimited in package-related dining details. Confirm the exact current inclusions when booking, since the menu and package terms can change.

The price difference is meaningful. Choose lunch if you want a hotel setting, a broad seafood meal, and a fixed lobster portion at a lower cost. Choose dinner if you plan to focus on lobster and king crab, and the higher price fits your budget. This is not a simple case of dinner being better for everyone: if you do not drink alcohol or need unlimited lobster, lunch may make more sense.

Is it good value for the price?

The best value comes when you enjoy shellfish and want the added setting of a five-star hotel. Crab, shrimp, scallops, and oysters provide a varied seafood meal, and the lobster serving makes lunch feel more special than a standard buffet. The view and attentive service add to the occasion, though they are part of what you are paying for.

The value is less convincing if you judge a buffet by sheer number of different dishes, or if you expect a large sashimi station and extensive desserts. The spread beyond seafood can feel limited, and individual dishes may vary in quality. One diner may find the crab broth noodles a highlight, while another may find the non-seafood hot dishes ordinary.

Prices can also differ between booking channels and on-site offers. Check the total cost and package inclusions before you commit rather than assuming a voucher is always the cheapest route. Klook offers cannot be combined with other Klook vouchers, in-store promotions, offers, or coupons. Additional tax or service charges may apply to other restaurant purchases.

Practical details before you book

The voucher is valid only for the date, and time if specified, that you select. Changes are allowed until 24 hours before the activity starts, with exceptions for bookings made using Klook Pass, pre-sales, freebies, SG Culture Pass, or Taiwan Culture Points. The booking also cannot be changed if the voucher has not yet been issued.

A full refund is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the activity date in local time. If you have an allergy or dietary restriction, contact the restaurant before booking. Ingredient and allergen information is not guaranteed, and the restaurant cannot promise that dishes are free of allergens.

Outside food and drinks are not allowed. Taking leftovers away may incur a fee under the restaurant’s policy, including applicable VAT and service charges. Children under 100 cm eat free when sharing with one paid adult ticket; children from 100 to 139 cm are charged 50 percent of the adult ticket directly at the restaurant; children 140 cm and taller pay the adult rate.

Who should book this buffet?

I would book this if seafood is your priority and you want a comfortable hotel meal with a city view. It also suits families and small celebrations, especially if you value attentive service and a room where you can take your time over lunch.

I would pause if your must-haves are unlimited lobster at lunchtime, a big sashimi selection, or an enormous dessert and international-food spread. For those priorities, check the current menu closely or consider the dinner package. The safest choice is to decide what matters most, then match your meal to it: lunch for a lower-cost seafood sampler, dinner for the lobster-and-king-crab focus.

FAQ

Where is the La Vela Saigon seafood buffet?

It is at Mermaid Restaurant on the 25th floor of La Vela Saigon Hotel, 280 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ward 8, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.

What are the lunch buffet hours?

Lunch runs Monday through Sunday from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

What is included with the lunch package?

Lunch includes the buffet, unlimited mineral water, and unlimited soft drinks. A lobster serving is included, but the portion should be confirmed with the current package details.

Does lunch include unlimited lobster?

No. The lunch package includes a set lobster serving. The dinner package is the option described as including unlimited lobster and king crab.

Is sashimi available at lunch?

Sashimi is not guaranteed. It has been absent from some lunch menus, and the Japanese selection may be limited.

Are children charged the adult price?

Children under 100 cm eat free when sharing with one paid adult ticket. Children from 100 to 139 cm pay 50 percent of the adult ticket directly at the restaurant. Children 140 cm and taller pay the adult rate.

Can I bring outside food or drinks?

No. Outside food and drinks are not allowed.

Can I change or cancel my booking?

Changes are generally allowed until 24 hours before the activity, with exceptions for certain booking types and payment programs. A full refund is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the activity date in local time.

Can the menu change after I book?

Yes. Menu items may change based on seasonality, ingredient purchases, and stock, without prior notice.