No ocean view, no problem: Da Nang café wins over tourists with very fat cat

It started with a few short videos. In one, the café's chubby orange cat naps on the front porch. 

In another, it sprawls lazily in a patch of afternoon sun or patiently lets visitors scratch its chin.

There is little else going on, yet the videos have been watched millions of times. As these clips spread online, more travelers began adding Dom Café, located at 22 Le Quy Don Street in Hoa Cuong Ward, to their Da Nang itineraries.

Some came to meet the famously cute cat. Others stayed because the café offered exactly what they were not expecting to find in the middle of the city: a quiet place to sit, sip coffee, and watch everyday life go by.

With just a few tables on the porch and a tiny courtyard for small groups to gather, Dom Café retains the simple, unpretentious charm of a quiet alleyway café.

Its name, Dom ('Speck'), comes from the tiny dots of warm light cast by the café's lamps after dark. And yet, the cat has become its unofficial mascot.

On the café's social media pages, clips of its daily routine regularly draw hundreds of thousands of views. 

Most show nothing more than the orange feline sleeping, wandering between tables or glancing at customers before curling up for another nap. Somehow, that is exactly what people keep coming back to watch.

Many foreign visitors say they first came across Dom Café while scrolling through Instagram or Facebook, where short videos of its chubby orange cat regularly appear on their feeds.

When they arrive, the routine is almost always the same: ordering a coffee, spending a few minutes petting the café's famous cat, snapping a handful of photos, and then continuing exploring Da Nang -- a city whose relaxed pace and easygoing lifestyle have earned it a reputation as Vietnam's most livable city.

Unlike those commonly seen in Vietnam, the famous orange cat is unusually plump, living up to its nickname, 'Map' ('Chubby'). 

The feline spends most of the day basking in the sun by the entrance or wandering leisurely around the café as if it owns the place.

"I came across a few videos of this chubby cat on Instagram before my trip to Da Nang," one foreign visitor said. "It looked so cute that I told my friends we had to come and meet it."

Many visitors also find themselves drawn to the café's character as much as its famous cat. The vintage décor, friendly staff, and relaxed atmosphere give the place a nostalgic charm.

At a time when cafés increasingly compete with elaborate interiors and flashy corners, places like Dom Café offer something different.

For many travelers, such spots provide a glimpse of everyday local life rather than a carefully curated experience.

"This place doesn't feel like a business at all," said Tiana, a 26-year-old visitor from Taiwan. 

"It feels like the kind of neighborhood café where people just drop by to hang out. That's exactly what I'm always hoping to find when I travel."

To her, the café's charm lies in how ordinary everything feels.

"Nothing here feels forced," she said. 

"Everyone's just doing their own thing. The staff are friendly without trying too hard, people are chatting, reading, or just sitting with a coffee. It's simple, and that's what makes it so nice."