Updated December 23rd, 2021 If you wanted somewhere to hang out with a steaming bowl of brisket phở and a gin cocktail while listening to jazzy music in moody darkness, that’s a very specific request, but it can be a reality. Ba Bar, a classic spot in the Central District, is our HQ for Vietnamese food and partytime. The first thing you notice when you walk into Ba Bar is the slick-looking bar. It’s so tall that it requires a ladder to get to the Grey Goose, and is backed by a huge poster depicting the cover of a Vietnamese rock album from the early ’70s. The whole place feels like you’ve been transported to a dark alley, but with expensive furniture, candles, and no stray animals or mysterious puddles. Ba Bar works well for a sit-down lunch, but it’s in its true element at dinner, when you’ll really be part of the action. The dining room has a buzzy energy that makes a random Tuesday not feel so much like a random Tuesday, and fantastic bar snacks and cocktails to match. Take advantage of the $6 Old Fashioneds on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays, which you can cradle while eating great bites like crunchy pork-stuffed imperial rolls, chicken wings tossed in a tangy-sweet nước chấm-spiked caramel, or charred beef wrapped around stalks of lemongrass (a.k.a. nature’s skewer). Beyond appetizers, the noodle soups here are excellent, too. You’re in good hands with the phở tái nạm, complete with rare shaved eye of round, buttery slices of brisket, and a comforting, cinnamon-forward broth. When your bowl is empty, the fun is certainly not over—you’ll pass a small pastry window near the host stand on your way out, where you can (and should) grab a couple of chewy macarons to enjoy during your trip home. Or, a wafer cone piped with pandan soft serve for your burnt tongue. Even better.