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Thais are passionate about food, and love discovering out-of-the-way shops that prepare unexpectedly tasty dishes. Nowhere is this truer—or more feasible—than in Bangkok. The city's residents always seem to be eating, so the tastes and smells of Thailand's cuisine surround you day and night. That said, Bangkok's restaurant scene is also a minefield, largely because the relationship between price and quality at times seems almost inverse. For every hole-in-the-wall gem serving the best sticky rice, larb (meat salad), and som tam (the hot-and-sour green-papaya salad that is the ultimate Thai staple) you've ever had, there's an overpriced hotel restaurant serving touristy, toned-down fare. In general, the best Thai food is found at the most bare-bones, even run-down restaurants, not at famous, upscale places.
If you want a break from Thai food, many other world cuisines are represented. Best among them is Chinese, although there's decent Japanese and Korean food as well. The city's ubiquitous noodle shops have their roots in China, as do roast-meat purveyors, whose historical inspiration was Cantonese. Western fare tends to suffer from the distance, although in the past few years many upscale and trendy western eateries have opened, some of them quite excellent.
As with anything in Bangkok, travel time is a major consideration when choosing a restaurant. If you're short on time or patience, choose a place that's an easy walk from a Skytrain or subway station. The easiest way to reach a riverside eatery is often on a Chao Phraya River express boat.
The Michelin-award-winning Paste, an upscale, intimate eatery run by the experienced Australian-Thai husband-and-wife team, Bee Satongun and Jason Bailey, elevates traditional Thai food and flavors to a whole new level with fresh produce and technical flair. It's on the top floor of the high-end Gaysorn Village shopping mall, and open for lunch and dinner, with à la carte and multiple tasting menus available.
Luxurious and utterly unique, this restaurant upends conventional wisdom about Thai cuisine and technique. Chef Henrik Yde-Andersen's tasting menus, priced starting at B1,850 for dinner, represent a veritable catalog of Thai flavors and dishes, though through the iterations of foams, emulsions, powders, and plenty of smoky liquid nitrogen.
Close to Lumpini Park on Withayu Road, Baan takes recipes that have been handed down through generations and takes them up a notch by using top-line ingredients and fine-dining presentations. Signature dishes include braised beef curry, spicy five-spiced egg stew, and stir-fried, minced dry-aged beef in spicy holy basil.
Casually upmarket and aimed at tourists, this decades-old restaurant formerly in Siam Square serves authentic Thai cuisine in an atmosphere a few notches above that of the simple family restaurants. What's best about Ban Khun Mae is a large dining area filled with big round tables, warm wood, and a few antique decorations, offering a comfortable and airy feel perfect for post-shopping relaxation.
The food court on the fifth floor of the Big C shopping mall offers a staggering selection of authentic Thai (and a few Chinese and Korean) dishes at rock-bottom prices, with virtually nothing exceeding B80. Prepay at the cashier station and get a debit card, then order at whatever counter you wish; the balance is refundable at the end.
This restaurant has long been a favorite among government ministers and corporate executives, both for its outstanding Cantonese cuisine and its private areas, perfect for business lunches or romantic dinners. The main dining room is elegant, with crimson carpeting, carved screens, lacquer furniture, and porcelain objets d'art.
A romantic, candlelit outdoor patio and a sleekly contemporary indoor dining space set a stylish tone that's echoed in the equally refined Italian cuisine served at Jojo. Traditional antipasto, pastas, and so on are gussied up with modern flourishes and high-quality products imported from Europe and beyond, perfectly befitting the luxe surroundings of the prestigious St. Regis hotel where the restaurant is located.
A real hole-in-the-wall where friends gather to enjoy great meals together, this long-running eatery turns out excellent Thai-Chinese cuisine in a simple dining room. All the classics everyone should try at least once on a Bangkok trip are served here at reasonable prices, making it a favorite among the Thais and expats who live and work on laid-back Soi Lang Suan.
You'll want to be spotted at this so-called "neoclassic Chinese” restaurant in the Hilton hotel, where the contemporary-focused concept and design come from the creator of the equally snazzy Green T. House in Beijing. The natural light and wood interior create a soothing effect, enhanced by the superior service you'll receive despite a large dining room that’s often packed, especially for dim sum lunches.
This legendary restaurant has been delighting diners with its fried chicken seasoned with black pepper and plenty of golden-brown garlic for more than 50 years. The restaurant is a bit hard to find—as you enter Soi Polo (Soi Sanam Khli), it's about 50 yards in on your left.
In the ultramodern Velaa Sindhorn community mall on Soi Lang Suan, Vaso has an oval-shaped bar—no tables—surrounding an open kitchen that serves modern Spanish tapas and shared plates, including fresh oysters and imported Iberico jam. The short, well-curated wine list includes cava, Spain's bubbly equivalent to prosecco or Champagne.
Hotel restaurants in Bangkok often disappoint, but this casual street-kitchen–inspired spot at the Grand Hyatt Erawan serves high-quality Thai food—particularly northern Thai dishes—at reasonable prices. Come for the good range of noodles, curries, and congee, served à la carte or as buffet options, with premium add-ons such as lobster, crab, and braised beef available. There's a curry buffet at lunch and dinner for B550 and B650 respectively.
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