I truly believe that the best food in the world is in Thailand. I´ve lived in Paris, Bangkok, Milan, Mexico City, and Wisconsin (lol, that one is a joke), and I would still pick Thailand and Thai food every day over anywhere else. Luckily, I lived in Thailand for three years and had the time to explore all the amazing Thai food. The Bangkok restaurant landscape is constantly changing, so this is based on my past experience, but also my recent visit there. Many of these are local favorites that have stuck around for a long time. Here are all the best restaurants in Bangkok from my viewpoint.
To start, let´s put some guidelines around cost. I truly believe you can have great food in Bangkok for $5 or for $50, and what changes is the experience. This should also be an ever-evolving list. For the best restaurants in Bangkok, here are my price point ranges without alcohol, which is often costly in Bangkok.
- $ – $10 – $20/person
- $$ – $20 – $50/person
- $$$ – $50 – $100/person
Best Thai Food in Bangkok
Let´s start with the basics, Thai food. Obviously, this is a controversial and ever-changing list, as the food scene in Bangkok is evolves constantly. Here are some Thai restaurants in Bangkok that I absolutely love.
- Haawm BKK ($$$) – A local supper club from Thai/American chef Dylan Eitharong, the experience is intimate and stunningly delicious.
- Charmgang ($$) – An excellent curry restaurant in Talad Noi, this was my husband´s favorite restaurant on our last trip.
- Khao So-i ($) – Khao Soi is my #1 favorite Thai dish, and this new place dedicated solely to this dish opened recently. The portions are slightly smaller than typical and they do non-traditional variations on the dish, but I still would eat two bowls.
- Sri Trat ($$) – A classic Thai semi-fancy restaurant. It´s elegant and always good. It´s a great place to go with family or for an elegant lunch with colleagues.
- Gedhawa ($) – A northern Thai restaurant that is a great lunch stop. This last time I went wasn´t as good as previously, but it´s a solid spot
- Samrub Samrub Thai ($$$) – I haven´t been to this restaurant, but it was recommended by the chef of Haawm and I will absolutely be booking it for my next trip to Bangkok.
- Supanigga Eating Room ($$) – Another classic, amazing Thai restaurant that just hits.
- Jay Fai ($$) – There are mixed reviews, and getting a table or waiting for one is a journey, but the one thing that´s worth it is the crab omelet – it´s actually phenomenal.
- Err Urban Rustic Thai ($$) – This restaurant is the casual restaurant from the owners of Bo.lan (which is now closed). I´ve never been, but I´ve been to Bo.lan, which was amazing, and would definitely try this place.
- Issaya Siamese Club ($$) – Go for the ambiance as much as the Thai food. It´s located in an old Thai villa and it´s a great Thai food spot.
- Gapaw Tapae ($) – This little restaurant is my absolute favorite pad grapao ever. It is on no lists. It´s a place I used to go with my coworkers that I love.
- Suda Restaurant ($) – Another little nowhere spot that I used to go with my coworkers. I love their fried chicken and som tam papaya salad. This is a basic place, but delicious.
- Khao Soi Nam Neow ($) – Another Khao Soi place that I used to go to with my coworkers. You won´t find these places on any lists but they´re bomb local Thai spots.
Best International Food in Bangkok
Beyond Thai food, there is so much good international food in Bangkok as well. Sometimes, at least when living there, I needed to switch it up. So these are the international restaurants that made it to my best restaurants in Bangkok list.
- Appia ($$) – If you´re craving Italian, this place is classic and so good. It always hits the spot.
- La Dotta Pasta ($$) – Also Italian, La Dotta does homemade pasta that is as close as you can get to Italy in Bangkok.
- Eat Me ($$$) – Eat Me is a relatively fancy restaurant well-known for their epic cocktail list. They also have great steak and various cuts of meat.
- El Mercado ($$) – El Mercado is a great place to go with friends. They have a fresh food deli and you can order many things for the table and share. I´ve always gone to the Phaisingto location.
- Ba Hao ($$) – This is a Chinese restaurant in Talad Noi. It´s one of my favorite spots, but it´s pretty hard to get a table!
Best Brunch in Bangkok
Going to brunch was a regular weekend activity for me in Bangkok, and there are so many amazing brunch places in the city. These are some of my favorite brunch staples that earned their way onto my best restaurants in Bangkok list.
- Toby´s ($$) – An Australian brunch restaurant that I´ve been to more times than I can count. They now have several locations.
- Roast Coffee & Eatery ($$) – They have a great brunch and good coffee and several locations throughout the city. It´s a great, vibey spot to go with friends. I love their almond milk latte with espresso ice cubes.
- Luka Cafe ($$) – Another classic brunch spot with several locations.
- Simple.Natural Kitchen ($$) – As it sounds, they have great, simple, natural food and an excellent brunch.
- Sarnie´s ($$) – Sarnie´s is originally from Singapore and opened a few locations in Bangkok several years ago. They´re known for their sandwiches and coffee.
- Rocket Coffee Bar ($$) – A classic brunch spot to go with friends.
Best Riverside Sunset Drink Spots in Bangkok
One great thing to do in Bangkok is get drinks at sunset. The view is amazing, you can watch the boats float down the river and enjoy some peace in the chaos. These are the best restaurants in Bangkok for sunset drinks.
- Naam 1608 ($$) – A great spot in Talat Noi for drinks before dinner in the same area. We checked this place out on our most recent trip. They also have food if you want to eat dinner there.
- Jack´s ($) – An absolute classic spot where you´ll find the expats. This dinghy little riverside bar is one of my favorite places. I´ve spent many an afternoon there drinking a bottle of rose with friends.
- The Deck by Arun Residence ($$) – A slightly fancier place, but very well known as the spot where you can see the best view of Wat Arun at sunset or by night when it´s lit up.
- Baan Rim Naam Thai ($) – I love this little spot in Talat Noi where you can lay on straw mats, and get drinks or food and watch the sunset. I even like going there during the day.
Best Food Courts in Bangkok
Food courts are an amazing way to eat in Bangkok and they´re often very affordable. Even the food courts in the fanciest malls will be affordable. There are both normal food courts and more high-end ones, but they´re also great because everyone can get whatever they want and you can all eat together.
- The Commons Thonglor/The Commons Saladaeng ($$) – The Commons is a high end food court with an aesthetic look that´s great for meeting up with friends.
- W Market ($) – I probably went here once a week when I lived here. They have all different types of food stalls with Indian, Thai, Japanese, American, etc. so it´s a great place to go with a group of friends.
- Emquartier Food Hall ($) – I went to the Emquartier food hall for lunch during work a lot. It´s inexpensive and easy to navigate and there are tons of options. Enter Emquartier Mall and go to the basement, this is where the food hall is located.
- Literally any food court in any mall
