The Continental Shelf makes a modest return

Other pre 1975 icons flourish - the rooftops of the Caravelle, Majestic and Rex Hotels, Givral and Brodard cafes and other spots. But the bar that more than any embodied the excess, sleaze, scandal and intrigue of pre 1975 Saigon, the Continental Shelf, has remained closed.

Today though, more than thirty four years after the bar closed its doors and the city's new communist rulers took over the hotel, without fanfare, three tables were placed outside marking a modest rebirth of an icon. Passing by, I took the opportunity to have a drink.

Actually, tables have been placed on the street on a few occasions over the past couple of years. I am told however that city traffic authorities - the people who have engineered some of the worst traffic and pedestrian disasters imaginable - object to the use of a small piece of a large footpath for outdoor drinking - even though it presents no obstacle to pedestrian movement. You would think they would have better things to do given the miserable state of Saigon's pedestrian spaces.

The Continental Shelf bar - it's not called that again yet - has views across Lam Son Square to the the French era Opera House and the Caravelle Hotel. It's also a good vantage point for viewing the passing parade of Dong Khoi St - the city's most famous strip formerly known as Rue Catinat and Tu Do St.

Anyway, with any luck, this simple piece of history with its very reasonable prices will be able to remain open and expand.

Make sure you stop for a refreshment on your visit to Saigon. Like the Continental itself, you'll need to use your imagination to get a sense of the old ambience - but it's a quest of the imagination worth taking!