Bangkok Restaurants

  1. 100 Ratchadamri

    Well-known in blue-blood circles, this restaurant occupies a prestigious location on the grounds of the Royal Bangkok Sports Club. But cast aside visions of bird-dog oil paintings, rather, this place sports a nightclub setting (sans the decibels) and outdoor banquettes facing the club greens. True to the educated-abroad palate, there is a Thai and Italian menu. Yam sôm oh puu (pomelo salad with deep-fried crab) earns a hole-in-one.

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  2. Arawy

    Marked by a sign that reads 'Alloy' (meaning 'delicious'), this was one of Bangkok's first Thai non-meat restaurants, inspired by the strict diet of the ex-governor of Bangkok, Chamlong Srimuang. It's still one of the best, with none of the oil spills that mar much of the city's vegetarian cuisine. Squeezing in beside the TV and a box of palm oil is well worth it.

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  3. Arroi

    Employing a variety of tasty meat substitutes and sticking to a repertoire of classic Thai dishes, even flesh-eaters will be happy at this tiny restaurant.

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  4. Atlanta Coffee Shop

    We could rave until the water buffalo come home. Not only is this the ultimate in impeccably preserved retro coffee shops but it also takes its vegetarian Thai food seriously. Don't miss the stir-fried morning-glory or the breakfasts.

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  5. Baan Khanitha & Gallery

    Baan Khanitha is one of Bangkok's classic expat restaurants. Why? It's got the formula down pat: outstanding food, high-class setting and impeccable service.

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  7. Baan Khun Mae

    Welcome to Mama's House, a homey little spot for respectable Thai food at hospitable prices. Order till your heart's content and try all the dishes you've never heard of, because the final bill won't wound your adventurousness.

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  8. Baan Klang Nam 1

    Near Khlong Toey Port, this rustic wooden house is a favourite of the Thai matriarchs and guests at nearby Montien Riverside. The seafood is a little more expensive here than other riverside restaurants, but so is the quality. Crab, prawns, and whole white fish are among the hits that make people swoon.

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  9. Baan Phra Arthit

    When only air-conditioning will do, why not do it in style? This classy café features a few basic Western-Thai fusion dishes, decent coffee, and even better cakes and sweets. And all of this for less than the price of a latté back at home.

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  10. Baan Suan Pai

    This vegetarian food centre offers a huge selection of meat-free meals served up by several vendors. Everything is strictly vegetarian, even lacking the ubiquitous fish sauce. Most plates offer the choice of three stir-fries, but there's also sushi and noodles. Don't miss the handmade ice cream of such exotic flavours as passionfruit, lemon grass and lotus root.

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  11. Baanya

    You might lose hope as you walk past the bratwurst-and-pasta joints of Sukhumvit's girlie-bar scene but deep inside this soi is a genuine Thai restaurant known by a handful of office workers and nosh-explorers. The menu seems straightforward but there are many unique twists: lâap k?ayt?aw (a spicy meat salad stuffed into rice-flour noodles) and plaa tub tim (tilapia).

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  13. Bali

    With the proprietors living directly above the dining room, homely atmosphere takes a literal interpretation at Bangkok's only Indonesian restaurant. Despite the name, the food here is not Balinese, but rather pan-Indonesian, and the restaurant serves all the expected standards (satay, gado-gado, rijstaffel ), as well as a few, slightly more unusual dishes (young jackfruit salad, a variety of sambels (spicy Indonesian/Malaysian dips).

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  14. Ban Chiang

    Named after the archaeological site in northeastern Thailand, Ban Chiang is a tourist spot that deserves referrals. Traditional Thai and Isan cuisine fills the menu in a cosy wooden house with eclectic décor.

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  15. Bed Supperclub

    Bed has basked in the limelight for a few years now, but has yet to lose any of its futuristic charm. Arrive at a decent hour to squeeze in dinner, or if you've only got dancing on your mind, come on Tuesday for the hugely popular hip-hop night.

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  16. Bed Supperclub

    When it comes to the much lauded 'fusion' fare, Bangkok is splitting wood not the atom. Thankfully Bed will rescue educated eaters from the mad scientists. Within this sleek and futuristic setting - beds instead of tables and projected art films instead of mood music - the food stands up to the distractions with a changing menu described as New American with Asian accents. Reservations essential.

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  17. Bei Otto

    Claiming a Bangkok residence for nearly 20 years, Bei Otto's major culinary bragging point is its pork knuckles, reputedly the best in town. A good selection of German beers and an attached delicatessen with brilliant breads and super sausages make it even more attractive to go Deutsch.

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  19. Blue Elephant

    Set in a refurbished Sino-Thai colonial building with service fit for royalty, the Blue Elephant promises fine dining within striking distance of the city's luxury hotels. Instead of the set meals, try choosing from the extensive menu of modernised ancient dishes. The Blue Elephant is near St Louis Hospital at the Surasak Skytrain station.

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  20. Boon Tong Kiat Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice

    The unofficial national dish of Singapore is treated with holy reverence at this humble eatery. After taking in the exceedingly detailed and ambitious chicken rice manifesto written on the walls, order a plate of the restaurant's namesake and witness how a dish can be so simple, yet so delicious. And while you're there you'd be daft not order rojak , the spicy/sour fruit 'salad', which is referred to here tongue-in-cheek as 'Singapore Som Tam'.

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  21. Bourbon St Bar & Restaurant

    Although the 'spicy' reputation of New Orleans cuisine will probably make most Thais chuckle at most, any restaurant run by a man who owns a crayfish farm, stuffs his own andouille , and has written a cookbook on spicy food is obviously serious about eats. Stop by on Monday, when the traditional New Orleans dinner of red beans and rice is served buffet-style. It's behind the Washington Theatre.

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  22. Bussaracum

    Recipes once reserved for royalty are made available to all at Bussaracum (pronounced boot-sa-ra-kam ). Intricate dishes and curry pastes made from scratch are presented so much like works of art that it (almost) breaks your heart to dig a spoon into your delicate purple dumpling flowers and dramatically carved squash overflowing with seafood.

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  23. Cabbages & Condoms

    The motto of this place is 'Be fed and be sheathed', run by a sex education-AIDs prevention organisation. Using familiar vegetables the chefs create sufficiently complex flavoured dishes for those 'wading' into Thai food. Dishes such as yam wún sên (mung-bean noodle salad) provide a source of raw vegetables. Instead of after-dinner mints, diners get condoms.

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  25. Café Primavera

    If the coffee was just a tad better, this dark wood and marble-topped table trattoria is just the kind of place we'd like to make our local café. The pizzas and homemade gelati offer more hope, and the friendly and efficient staff seal the deal.

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  26. Chennai Kitchen

    This thimble-sized restaurant near the Hindu temple puts out some of the most solid southern Indian vegetarian around. Yard-long dosai (a crispy southern Indian bread) is always a good choice, but if you're feeling indecisive (and/or exceptionally famished) go for the banana-leaf thali that seems to incorporate just about everything in the kitchen.

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  27. Chiang Kii

    Chiang Kii's khâo tôm plaa (rice soup with fish) is among the most expensive in town. Before balking at the price, witness the care that the elderly Thai-Chinese owners put into every bowl, not to mention the generous amount of exceedingly fresh fish, and it begins to make sense.

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  28. Chote Chitr

    Antique family-owned restaurants adorn Banglamphu, the old section of town, where middle-class Thais eat the way their parents and grandparents did before them. Chote Chitr is famous for mee krob , sweet-and-spicy crispy fried noodles, and the banana flower salad ( yum hua plee ). New York Times food reviewer RW Apple ate here and loved it. It's located off Th Tanao.

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  29. Circle Of Friends

    This unpretentious café shares space with Saeng-Arom Ashram and exudes a gentle tranquillity that self-help books champion. There are lots of veggie options and all the Thai standards along with an eclectic group of bookish Thais.

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