The Workshop in Da Nang, Vietnam. A different kind of pub

This place has been around for a really long time and I had been to it before. In the past though, it just kind of seemed like a place where people sat around and smoked weed, which isn't exactly my cuppa. Whether or not this changed because the Vietnamese government's stance on being accepting about marijuana use has changed or because they wanted to overhaul their image, I do not know. A friend asked me to join a group there yesterday though and I have to say that I was nicely surprised at how improved this place is now.

This place is a lot more like a real pub now with the front area, which just used to be a mosquito pit including upholstered outdoor furniture - which is really gross - but now it looks more like a real pub, restaurant, and coffee shop.

This establishment attracts are more artsy sort and they regularly host events there that involve actors or improv or just some sort of open-mic night vibe. That could be fun. This weekend they have a "Life of Brian" event where they have actors as well as the film going on at the same time. I don't know what to expect out of that and I am not even sure if I am going to go.

I did like the very powerful portable AC unit that they had out front though. Trust me when I say that this is a very necessary thing to have in Vietnam in the summer. The rest of the place is pretty nice, although they do have a real lack of AC unless you book the conference rooms upstairs. I didn't go into them, but I did like the hallway that leads up to them.

I commend them for having unique artwork all over the place that was apparently painted by customers or the owners. I would like to mention to them one day that they really need to take a scrub brush to the corners of those stairs though, a mop just isn't doing a good enough job.

I didn't take advantage of it while I was there but they had a load of boardgames in the main area up front. They had multiple sets of a game called "Catan" and I keep hearing about how amazing that game is but just have never gotten around to playing it. Maybe I will join some of my non drunk friends for a round of that one day. The only downside is I think that it takes many hours to complete one game and I don't think any of my friends are patient enough for something like that.

There is a rather large book exchange here in the back as well and it kind of speaks volumes about the trustworthiness of their customer-base that these are organized, not defaced, and also not stolen even though nobody was watching any of this stuff while I was there.

I would comment about their food but they didn't have any while I was there. Instead we ordered Indian food from the place next door and it was pretty fantastic so no complaints from me about that.

Their location could be part of the reason why I haven't spent more time here than I have. It is sort of in a residential area away from the tourist spots and well, to me that is actually a plus not a minus. They could be not so busy because of this though but that also might be why they can be so trusting of their customers and have relative peace and quiet. The narrow road leading to it doesn't have a lot of traffic so this is honestly one of the only places I have been in quite some time that didn't have a bunch of beeping going on the entire time I was there.

If you want to play a boardgame or see an unusual event this might be the place for you. I have been looking for some activities that involve more than just sitting around and drinking so I think I will start to spend a bit more time here than I have in the past...which has been almost zero time at all!