Our favourite Bangkok restaurants – A baker’s dozen
We love pounding BKKs hot pavements for street food bargains and the city is heckin’ jammed with them. Sitting in grungier corners and inhaling pad thai with a side-serve of tuk tuk fumes is one of our City of Angels highlights. And we love the thrill of a chugging ferry ride to an obscure, river-side alley for some rumoured, X-factor hawker stall, then feeling incredibly proud when hours – and not a few barneys with Google maps – later, we actually find it. But there’s something to be said for a lovely interior, a spot of AC, polished service and some thoughtfully plated food too. So, without further ado, here’s where we get fancy in one of our all- time fave cities.
BAAN PHAD THAI
21-23 Soi Charoen Krung 44, Sathon Nuea, Bang Rak District
21-23 ถนน เจริญกรุง 44 แขวงสาทรเหนือ เขต บางรัก
11am-10pm, daily
Groovy little Baan (‘house of’) Phad Thai, with its clever, vintage interior, has elevated pad Thai to full restaurant status. They serve other dishes, such as miang, but it’s the luxe pad Thai that gets juices jumping. From vegetarian, grilled chicken, grilled pork and jumbo prawn, right up to their astonishing mega-mud crab version, pad Thai here, served on oversized enamel trays, is a-mazing. That’s down to careful selection of ingredients– they make their own organic tofu and use best-quality meats and seafood.
THE LOCAL
32 32/1 Soi Sukhumvit 23, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana District
32 32/1 ซอย สุขุมวิท 23 แขวง คลองเตยเหนือ เขต วัฒนา
11.30am-2.30pm & 5.30pm-11pm, daily
This polished fine diner in a lovely old villa features a menu filled with beloved family recipes, plus some hard-to-find Thai royal court dishes too; the dishes traverse the entire country. With more than 70 to choose from, it’s hard to put a foot wrong with anything you order (the curries are stunning!) but do try the beautiful khao yum pak tai, or spicy rice salad.
SRI TRAT
90 Sukhumvit Soi 33, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana District
90 ซอย สุขุมวิท 33 แขวงคลองตันเหนือ เขต วัฒนา
12pm-11pm, Wed-Mon
Anything you eat at this fabulous restaurant will be a winner. Dishes are from the southern city of Trat where seafood is predominant, and herbs and fruits are used liberally. The consultant chef is the owner’s mum who was a beauty queen in her youth – it’s her likeness painted on the restaurant wall. But ok, back to the menu. Food here is rich, full of vibrant flavour and throws up some spectacular combos, such as the extraordinary herb salad with flaked, vinegar-cooked barracuda, with an intriguing, super-sweet dressing made of peanuts and sugar. If the chicken and young durian Mussaman curry’s on the menu, don’t think twice.
LON LON LOCAL DINER
150 Soi Naratiwas 3, Silom, Bang Rak District
150 ซอย นราธิวาส 3 แขวง สีลม เขต บางรัก
11.30am-2.30pm & 5.30pm-10pm, Mon-Sat
Cute as a button, Lon Lon is exactly the kind of modern Thai diner you were hoping to find. Attracting lunching office workers and a discerning hip crowd, it’s a buzzing, modern space with a neighbourhood feel. Dishes on the extensive menu are beautifully presented; we really love the selection of 10 or so salads, including versions of wing bean, banana blossom, mixed seafood and spicy lemongrass.
THE NEVER ENDING SUMMER
41/5 Charoen Nakhon Road, Khlong San, Khlong San District (The Jam Factory)
41/5 ถนน เจริญนคร แขวง คลองสาน เขต คลองสาน
11am-11pm, daily
Occupying a renovated ice factory right beside the Chao Phraya River, and dangerously close to ICONSIAM shopping mall, this smart-casual eatery serves classic Thai faves, using superlative ingredients and modern presentation. The food comes from a slick open kitchen and co-owner (and celebrity Thai architect) Duangrit Bunnag is all over the pared-back, industrial interior with its soaring rafters. The menu champions seasonal Thai ingredients in recipes collected from old cookbooks; be sure to order the grilled Kurobuta pork collar or the stellar khanom jeen.
ERR URBAN RUSTIC THAI
394/35 Maha Rat Road, Tha Tian, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon District (The Grand Palace)
394/35 ถนน มหาราช ท่าเตียน แขวง พระบรมมหาราชวัง เขต พระนคร
11am-4pm & 5pm-9pm, Tues-Sun
Err could well be the perfect Bangkok eatery. Smack by the river in a converted shophouse, it serves memorable, mod-rustic food, is unpretentious, affordable and has a quirky vibe. The drinks, with their focus on local spirits and tropical flavours, are out of this world and the tight menu isn’t far behind. Pristine local ingredients, no MSG and in-house ferments are the USPs and no matter what you order (from a menu sectioned into Preserved, Picked, Crunchy & Crispy, Clay Pot etc), you’ll be thrilled. Textbook khanom jeen with some mighty fine curries (red curry of chicken on the bone with summer melon, anyone?) are worth beeline-ing for. Handily, Err is right near Wat Pho.
LAY LAOS
65 Soi Phahon Yothin 7, Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai District (at Soi Ari 2)
65 ซอย พหลโยธิน 7 สามเสนในเขต พญาไท (ใกล้ ซอย อารี 2)
11am-10pm, daily
The owner of this trendy eatery is from the coastal resort town of Hua Hin, not far from Bangkok – hence the fabulous piscine offerings. Even so the fare is firmly Isaan in style, so that spells good news for grilled chicken and som tam (green papaya salad) addicts who happen to be kicking around laid-back, upmarket, pretty Ari. They’re known for their beef as well as their stellar seafood, which they source from a particular farm.
BAANNAI
Baannai The Reminiscence Hotel, 102/13 Kampangpetch 5 Road, Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai District
โรงแรมบ้านใน 102/13 ถนน กำ แพงเพชร 5, แขวง สามเสนใน เขต พญาไท
11am-9pm, Tues-Sun
Thank us later because you’d never find this gorgeous, old, antique-furnished boutique hotel on your own. The restaurant features some hard-to-find dishes, many from the owner’s family recipe collection. Such as pla haeng taengmo (watermelon with dried fish flakes, fried shallots and sugar), and praram long song (beef smothered in satay sauce with chilli jam and garlic fried rice). And delicious miang (betel-leaf wrapped ‘bites’). The restaurant is pretty; the owner is also an interior designer and it shows.
SUPANNIGA EATING ROOM
392/25-26 Maha Rat Road, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon District
392/25-26 ถนน มหาราช แขวงพระบรมมหาราชวัง เขตพระนคร
11.30am-10.30pm, daily
The third Supanniga outlet, this chic eatery right on the river is unmissable. Don’t be fooled by the schmick interior, fab cocktails and slick service; the fare is resolutely rustic and derived from family recipes. The menu includes dishes from Isaan as well as southern fare from Trat, so there’s something for everyone. Made using the best produce, there are some killer curries, dips, salads (the crispy fish one is awesome) plus snacks, and a standout weekend breakfast too.
ISSAYA SIAMESE CLUB
4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Thung Maha Mek, Sathorn District
4 ซอย ศรีอักษร ทุ่งมหาเมฆ เขตสาทร
11.30am-2.30pm & 6pm-10.30pm, daily
Lauded as one of Asia’s top 50 restaurants; celebrity chef Ian Kittichai, who started life as a street-food cook then worked his way up from there, is the owner. The stunning old building is gorgeously fitted out and if you come here for no other reason than to eat the kaeng massaman kha khae (lamb shank massaman curry), so be it. The silky meat melts off the bone and the curry sauce, with its slightly sweet, cinnamon notes, is revelatory. Be prepared to splurge.
THAN YING
10 Pramuan Road, Silom, Bang Rak District
10 ถนน ประมวญ สีลม เขตบางรัก
11.30am-10pm, daily
Plenty of restaurants tout ‘royal’ cuisine but few can legitimately lay claim. This place can, as the owner is the son of a princess who was once a palace cook. Really, all ‘royal cuisine’ means in practice is better ingredients, daintier presentation, no bones and everything cut up so you never need to use any force. Set in a lovely old house with a shaded terrace, this is an unmissable spot serving top-notch fare. And if you can’t decide which of the sensational curries to try, they do a ‘set’ of four. Bingo!
THIPTARA
The Peninsula Bangkok 333 Charoen Nakorn Road, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San District
โรงแรมเพนนินซูล่า กรุงเทพ 333 ถนน เจริญนคร แขวง คลอง ต้นไทร เขต คลองสาน
6pm-11.30pm, Sat-Thurs, 12.30pm-4pm & 6pm-11.30pm, Fri
In lush greenery right by the Chao Phraya, Thiptara’s setting is dreamy and the service and food, as you’d expect from a five-star hotel, are utterly top notch. There’s plenty to entice from the extensive menu of Thai specialties and either way you skew it, it’s hard to go past mango sticky rice to finish, with plating that’s off-the-charts pretty. What’s really cool is The Peninsula put on a free shuttle boat service between the hotel and Sathorn Pier, so you can arrive in true Rich and Famous style.
TEP BAR
69-71 Soi Nana, Maitrijit Road, Yaowarat District
69-71 ซอย นานา ถนน ไมตรีจิต เขต เยาวราช
6pm-1am, daily
We’re stretching the definition of ‘restaurant’ here but hey. Tep do have a fabulous little menu. Down an alley near Hua Lamphong station, Tep’s the coolest, tiniest bar you’d ever hope to see; it maxes out on the weekends and booking ahead is recommended. A big draw is the live traditional music from central Thailand – and the pair of resident ginger tabbies! One of their popular drinks is house-infused yadong (ยาดอง), a herb-steeped rocket fuel made using distilled white spirit that’s long been a popular street drink. Thailand’s own Phraya rum also features heavily, while the food is in the style of Thai tapas. Expect fish cakes, spicy beef salad with lemongrass and mint and deep-fried silk worms with herbs, all perfect drinking fare.
This story touches on the food of the City of Angels. If you’re thinking of travelling to Thailand, the culinary travel guide Bangkok in 12 Dishes (disclaimer: Lazy Sunday Club’s Leanne and Antony published it… that’s why it’s so awesome!) will have you eating the best food Bangkok has on offer. We have a few guides left, if you’re interested click here.
Let’s go traveling…
