Where to eat in Bangkok – My favorite restaurants

There are so many great restaurants in Bangkok, so picking just a few favorite spots for this list was very difficult. To keep this task manageable, I’ve decided to focus primarily on Thai restaurants (except for Eat Me, there’s no way around that one). I’ve tried to add places for all budgets, but if you’re after pure street food spots, maybe my blog post about street food will be more helpful.

Ban Rie Coffee

Really cozy restaurant just opposite Ekkamai Bus Station. The restaurant primarily caters to tourists, but that doesn’t change the fact that they make what could easily be the best grilled chicken in town. Outdoor seating and live music further add to the awesomeness of this place.

Ban Rie Coffee, 4 Sukhumvit Soi 63, Ekkamai, Bangkok

Rung Rueng

Rung Reung is nothing but is a hole in the wall, but I’m telling you, they have some of the best noodles in Bangkok. First you decide what kind of noodles you want, then you decide if you want the noodles with or without soup and at the table, you season the noodles with sugar, fish sauce and chili according to your preferences. The soup gets its nice flavor from entrails, so you might spot a slice of liver or a piece of tripe here and there among the meatballs and fish balls.

Rung Rueng (Rungraeng), Sukhumvit Soi 26, Sukhumvit, Bangkok, Nearest BTS: Phrom Phong

> Read my blog post about Rung Rueng

Bo.lan

The Thai fine dining options in Bangkok are few, but exquisite and Bo.lan is as good as it gets. I love the innovative, playful approach to fine dining, not to mention the focus on locally sourced ingredients (they have their own garden on the premises). Bo.lan only offers tasting menus.

Bo.lan, Sukhumvit Soi 53, Thonglor, Bangkok, Tel: +66(0)22602962/ +66(0)22602961, Nearest BTS: Thong Lo

> Read my blog post about Bo.lan

P’Aor

P’Aor kind of ruined it for me, when it comes to tum yum soup, because after I’ve tried the tom yum at P’Aor, I don’t want to eat it anywhere else. The soup is made in a big pot outside the restaurant and it might easily be the best tom yum you’ve ever had. The creaminess comes from what’s inside the shrimps’ heads, but before you think too much about this, to some people unappetizing, fact, just order that soup and let the flavor speak for itself.

The shrimp tom yum is cheap and tasty, but if you want to treat yourself (and impress your Insta friends), consider ordering the lobster tom yum.

P’Aor, The alley between Petchaburi Soi 5 and 7, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, Tel: +66 2612 9013, Nearest BTS: Ratchathewi

> Read my blog post about P’Aor

Issaya Siamese Club

Issaya Siamese Club is another favorite of mine. With authority and a spirit of adventure, Issaya Siamese Club provides its take on modern Thai cuisine within the same category of casual fine dining in which Bo.lan navigates. Issaya Siamese Club is located in a beautiful old villa surrounded by a lush garden in a residential area, and the restaurant’s stunning interiors are the work of Danish designer Hans Bøgetoft Christensen.

As for the food, I’m a tiny bit more attached to Bo.lan, but as for the location, Issaya Siamese Club wins. It looks like it’s close to a metro station, but because of closed alleys and missing sidewalks, it’s quite a walk, and I strongly recommend that you take a taxi or a GrabCar/Uber. Most dishes are in the 250-700THB range and there’s also a tasting menu. I don’t remember the exact price, but it was cheaper than the one at Bo.lan.

Issaya Siamese Club, 4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chua Ploeng Road, Sathorn, Bangkok

Som Tum Der

The fiery papaya salad, som tum is one of the Thai dishes I never get tired of, and at Som Tum Der, it’s made to perfection. In addition to the plain version, you can have your som tum with raw crab, grilled pork and a number of other options. The rest of the menu isn’t bad either, so try to make room for a couple of other dishes such as the marinated grilled pork or the Isan sausages, which are both quite amazing.

Som Tum Der, 5/5 Saladaeng Road, Silom, Bangkok 

> Read my blog post about Som Tum Der

Eat Me

Eat Me is one of the first fine dining restaurants I’ve tried in Bangkok, and through the years my love for this place has only grown stronger. Since I visited Eat Me for the first time back in 2011 the menu has become more international, and today you’ll have to look carefully to spot any Thai references.

Eat me is a wonderful place, not just for dinner, but for spending an entire evening, and the food is the best non-Thai food I’ve had in Bangkok. It’s also one of the most expensive (mains are 800THB and up), but if you want to splurge on delicious non-Thai food, this is the place to do it.

Eat Me, 20 m off Convent Rd. (in Soi Pipat 2), Silom, Bangkok, Tel: 02-238-0931, Nearest BTS: Sala Daeng

> Read my blog post about Eat Me