Dalat is a place where art seems to breathe with the air itself, where the walls whisper stories carved in wood and stone. Among the many buildings alive with creativity, the Maze Bar, also known as the 100 Roof Bar, stands out as a hidden marvel, perhaps the most intriguingly unique bar I’ve ever encountered.
Nestled just west of the lake and a stone’s throw from the city center, the Maze Bar invites visitors with a simple price of admission: the purchase of one drink. But that single token grants entry into a labyrinth unlike any other.
At first glance, the bar’s modest façade belies the world within. Inside, the space unfolds like a secret garden, compressed yet sprawling from the dim cellar up through multiple floors. The rooms snake and twist, corridors narrowing and widening, each corner revealing new surprises. The air carries a mix of cool stone, aged wood, and the faint scent of old paint, a sensory tapestry of a place aged by layers of time and creativity.
Walls and ceilings are alive with carvings of creatures and abstract shapes, surfaces crowded with tales in relief. It’s easy to see why the name “Maze” fits. Each turn risks getting delightfully lost, the intricate sculptures pulling the eye like magnets.
Small alcoves provide intimate seating, with stylized benches carved from wood or stone that invite pairs or small groups to linger, sharing drinks and conversation. On the evening of my visit, the hush of empty spaces lent the place a contemplative stillness. The unmanned bars teased the promise of livelier times, perhaps later in the night.
Certain areas bear distinct themes folded into the maze. One corner submerges you in oceanic fantasy, walls alive with octopuses and starfish that seem to swim in the subdued light. On another floor, delicate bridges arch over narrow gaps, and winding steps spiral upwards, each ascent a small adventure.
Reaching the top floor reveals why the bar is also known as the 100 Roof Bar. The ceiling lifts away, opening onto a mosaic of rooftops stretching beyond the building’s bounds. Here, under the open sky, a small group gathered around a barbecue, golden light flickering across faces, and loud conversation floating on the breeze.
The maze extends even here on these rooftops, an intricate puzzle of levels and passageways. Pressing onward to the summit, I found the highest point, where the city’s lights draped themselves in a glittering cloak beneath the night sky. From this vantage, I could trace the market I had wandered earlier, a vibrant heartbeat pulsing softly in the distance.
Reluctantly leaving my perch, I felt the pull of the night ahead. I wanted somewhere busier, with livelier crowds and a beer with a bit more bite. But the Maze Bar had already left its mark: a quiet sanctuary of discovery, art, and mystery nestled in the heart of Dalat.
