12 BEST THAI RESTAURANTS IN BANGKOK TO SATISFY YOUR THAI FOOD CRAVINGS
Bangkok is a foodie’s heaven. There are so many good restaurants and eateries to spoil you silly, and even if you go to three per day, it would take you quite a while to tick off all the best ones from your bucket list!
It is not only the Land of All Smiles; it is the Land of Exciting Food. Thai food is colourful and very varied in tastes. Though mostly spicy and very kick-ass, Thai food is generally very flavourful and satisfying. We never say no to a good Thai meal, especially when we are at Bangkok.
No amount of trips to the city will ever get us sick of Thai food. And we are pretty sure we aren’t the only ones feeling this way. You love your Thai food too. Yes, you. We know. Here, go on and indulge in many good meals with our guide to Bangkok’s Best Thai Restaurants.
#1 BAAN YING CAFE & MEAL
This popular Thai restaurant has been around in Siam Square for many years, but the original outlet was destroyed in a fire back in 2010. It reopened with two new locations at Siam Kitty Building and Siam Center.
The Baan Ying Classics include Deep Fried Pork Belly in Fish Sauce (THB 95), Green Curry Chicken Served with Roti (THB 110), and Calamari Fried with Chilli and Salt (THB 160).
4/F, Siam Center
Rama 1 Road Bangkok
Tel: +65 2 658 1533
Daily: 10am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Siam
Rama 1 Road Bangkok
Tel: +65 2 658 1533
Daily: 10am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Siam
A perennial favourite in Bangkok is Inter Restaurant at Siam Square Soi 9. Whenever we are at the Land of Smiles, we will find ourselves returning to this humble eatery for a meal or two. Or more.
Well, don’t expect a lavish interior nor impeccable service. Inter is completely opposite. It is unpretentious, the space is simple and sufficient but nothing fancy to boast, the staff are not the friendliest. But we love it oh-so-deeply because the kitchen whips up terrific Thai dishes at super affordable prices that range from THB 65 to THB 120.
Siam Square Soi 9
Tel: +66 2 251 4689
Nearest Station: Siam
Tel: +66 2 251 4689
Nearest Station: Siam
Krua Apsorn is quite possibly the best traditional Thai restaurant in Bangkok. It serves simple but super delicious Thai food at pocket-friendly prices, and it is somewhere that only locals and foodies in-the-know head to.
The signature Stir-Fried Crab in Curry Powder (THB 350) is one of the best that we’ve had and a must-order when you dining here. We also enjoyed the Omelette with Crab, Stir-fried Green Mussels with basil Leaves and Chilli, and Deep-fried Mackerel with Mango Salad.
Krua Apson has a few branches in the city, but go to its original shop at Samsen Soi 9 – located just north of the National Library in the old town of Bangkok. If it was located near Siam or Sukhumvit, we would dine here every day.
Samsen Road
Samsen 1 Alley, Wat Sam Phraya
Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
Tel: +66 2 668 8788
Mon to Sat: 10.30am – 7.30pm
Samsen 1 Alley, Wat Sam Phraya
Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
Tel: +66 2 668 8788
Mon to Sat: 10.30am – 7.30pm
#4 LEK SEAFOOD
This no-frills roadside eatery is located just underneath Chong Nonsi BTS, and serves cheap and mouthwatering seafood. We had Garlic Prawns, Steamed Fish in Lime Sauce, Stir-fried Pork with Chilli Sauce, Thai-style Omelette, Stir-fried Kale, Stir-fried Morning Glory, Salted Egg yolk Squid – everything was to die for.
The food is just as good, if not even better, than the famous T&K Seafood in Chinatown. But if we had to choose between them, we’d pick Lek Seafood because it is much more accessible. Less touristy too, of course.
156 Soi Phiphat
Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Road
Tel: +66 2 636 6054
Nearest BTS: Chong Nonsi
Narathiwat Ratchanakharin Road
Tel: +66 2 636 6054
Nearest BTS: Chong Nonsi
#5 NARA THAI RESTAURANT
Known for its Kuay Tiew Rua (Ayuthaya Boat Noodles), Nara Thai Cuisine is a place where you can enjoy authentic Thai dishes in a comfortable and clean setting. Prices are slightly steeper – from THB 180 for Pad Thai to THB 330 for a Tom Yum Kung – than the usual restaurants, but what you get in return is classic Thai dishes that will never go wrong.
5F Central Embassy
Tel: +66 2 160 5988 9
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest BTS: Phloen Chit
Tel: +66 2 160 5988 9
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest BTS: Phloen Chit
#6 SOM TAM NUA
A craving for som tam (Thai papaya salad) can be easily satisfied at Som Tam Nua – a popular restaurant frequented by tourists and locals. The long lines during meal times are the best testament to its popularity.
This eatery in Siam Square Soi 5 specialises in Thai Issan food. The food here is very spicy, and definitely not for the faint-hearted. But a meal here will be unforgettable with that myriad of flavours.
392/14 Siam Square Soi 5
Tel: +66 2 251 4880
Daily: 10.45am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Siam
Tel: +66 2 251 4880
Daily: 10.45am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Siam
#7 SOUL FOOD MAHANAKORN
A darling of the media, Soul Food Mahanakorn has been widely recommended all across traditional and digital publications. It was started by a former food writer and the motto is to serve authentic regional Thai street food in a comfortable and trendy setting.
Prices range from THB 200 to THB 300, and it includes a selection of drinking snacks, Thai salads, meats, curries and seafood dishes.
56/10 Soi Thonglor
Sukhumvit 55 Road
Tel: +66 2 714 7708
Sun to Thu: 6pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 6pm – 12 midnight
Nearest Station: Thonglo
Sukhumvit 55 Road
Tel: +66 2 714 7708
Sun to Thu: 6pm – 11pm
Fri & Sat: 6pm – 12 midnight
Nearest Station: Thonglo
#8 SUPANNIGA EATING ROOM
Good restaurants are aplenty in Thonglor, but Supanniga Eating Room stands out for delivering honest and reliable Thai food prepared using the owner’s grandmother recipes.
Supanniaga Eating Room has a few things going for it: the restaurant is not fanciful, you get to dine in a comfortable and relaxed setting; the prices – while it is not the cheapest Thai restaurant in Bangkok – are still reasonably priced for the quality; and most importantly, the Thai dishes are cooked to a high standard
160/11 Sukhumvit Soi 55
Thonglor
Daily: 11.30am 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11.30pm
Nearest Station: Thonglo
Thonglor
Daily: 11.30am 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11.30pm
Nearest Station: Thonglo
#9 TALING PLING
Taling Pling started with the original outlet on Pan Road in Silom, and it has since opened three branches in Paragon, Central Rama 3 and CentralWorld. Even though the new outlets are all located in shopping malls, Taling Pling continues to serve its regulars – a mixture of locals and tourists – with a great variety of Thai classic dishes (prices range from THB 120 – THB 200).
Taling Pling (Paragon), Room G30
G/F, Siam Paragon
991 Rama 1 Road
Tel: +66 2 129 4353
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Siam
G/F, Siam Paragon
991 Rama 1 Road
Tel: +66 2 129 4353
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Siam
#10 T&K Seafood
Perhaps the most famous restaurant in Yaowarat (Chinatown), T&K Seafood cooks for a legion of customers who wait patiently in line for a table. Of course, it looks just like any other seafood restaurant/ eatery along Chinatown, but T&K is very popular for many reasons.
The menu is comprehensive, they use simple but really fresh ingredients, prices are most definitely competitive and the service is very prompt (albeit unfriendly staff). A meal here is ideal when you are with a big group; just order a table full of seafood dishes and pig out!
49-51 Soi Phadung Dao
Yaowarat Road
Tel: +66 2 223 4519
Daily: 6pm – 10pm
Yaowarat Road
Tel: +66 2 223 4519
Daily: 6pm – 10pm
#11 THE LOCAL
Housed in a huge hundred-year-old building in Asoke, The Local by Oam Thong Thai Cuisine is a posh Thai restaurant that dishes out an array of Thai specialities made from its secret family recipe handed down over generations. Enter the building and you will find yourself in a small antique museum and a silk shop which curates a selection of the finest Thai silk products.
The recommended dishes include Southern Style Fish Curry (BHT 250), Pork with Thai Herbs and Shrimp Paste (THB 240), Spicy Yellow Curry with Fish Coconut Milk (BHT 250), and Massaman Curry with Beef (THB 300).
While The Local caters more to expats (affectionally known as farang) and affluent locals, it is still worth a visit for the complete dining experience.
32-32/1 Sukumvit 23
Klong Toey Nue, Wattana
Tel: +66 2 664 0664
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Asoke
Klong Toey Nue, Wattana
Tel: +66 2 664 0664
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 5.30pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Asoke
#12 WHITE FLOWER FACTORY
The original White Flower Cafe & Bakery is located at Thanon Bamrung Maung, which is slightly inaccessible to get to. Naturally, we were thrilled to learn that they have a new place in Siam Square One.
Lavishly furnished with wood and flowers and low-hanging lights, the White Flower Factory is a European-styled cafe that serves both Western and Thai dishes. It is evident that the locals love it here, and we’d say ditch the Western menu. Do it like the Thais, and indulge in a Thai feast of curries and stir-fry classics.
It is impressive that the restaurant is still mostly packed with locals despite its location in a tourists-filled shopping mall. Speaks volume of how good the food is!
Siam SQ1 4th Floor
Tel: +66 2 225 4749
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest BTS: Siam
Tel: +66 2 225 4749
Daily: 10am – 10pm
Nearest BTS: Siam
