Bars and restaurants
The Commons, Watthana
When Vicharee Vichit-Vadakan and her brother, Varatt, opened The Commons they dreamed about creating a “neighbourhood institution” in their home district of Thong Lor. They achieved just that in 2015 and today the food hall continues to be a vibrant community hub. Order an iced coffee from Roots or an ice cream from Guss Damn Good, then secure an outdoor table and see how the day unfolds.
Charmkrung, Samphanthawong
A sixth-floor Chinatown hangout, Charmkrung is a “Thai tapas bar” from the team behind curry restaurant Charmgang. Chef Aruss Lerlerstkull’s menu of small plates pairs well with wine and works just as well as a second dinner or late-night snack. Charmkrung pays homage to the 1960s and 1970s, when Thai-Chinese chefs used their experience making European food in hotel kitchens to create new fusion dishes for their own small “cookshops”.
Café Craft, Watthana
Set in one of Bangkok’s most popular drinking-and-dining districts. This one-of-a-kind courtyard café, cocooned inside a furniture showroom specialising in Scandinavian and Japanese design, is a handy spot for a restorative coffee or bite to eat.
Eat Me, Bang Rak
Australian siblings Darren and Cherie Hausler opened this spacious three-storey restaurant and bar in the late 1990s to serve comfort-food classics in a comfortable setting. Close to 30 years later, Eat Me’s Thai-flavoured international menu has become a Bangkok staple and the type of place that expats and frequent visitors return to for a favourite dish or tipple.
Appia, Watthana
A previous Monocle Restaurant Award winner, Appia’s simple regional Italian cuisine is brought to life by Paolo Vitaletti, a butcher’s son from Rome’s Testaccio district and a former Aman Resorts executive chef. A significant chunk of the meaty recipes at this 50-seater Roman trattoria on Soi Sukhumvit 31 originated in Vitaletti’s mother’s kitchen.
Kaenkrung, Bangkok Noi
Kaenkrung opened in 2024 with a menu that draws on the flavours (and funky *mor lam* music) of Isan, Thailand’s northeastern province. The converted shophouse on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya river is the second restaurant by Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat and Kanyarat “Jib” Thanomseang. The two chefs have drawn crowds with their first site, Kaen, a culinary destination in Khon Kaen.
Dusit Gourmet at Baan Dusit Thani, Bang Rak
When the Dusit Thani flagship was bulldozed for redevelopment, the Thai hospitality giant moved its popular Thai and Vietnamese restaurants to this heritage house and gardens in nearby Sala Daeng. The idea was to move back once the new hotel was ready but the concept’s success warranted a change of plan.
Sundry, Bang Rak
Sundry is a grown-up cocktail bar that dispenses with speakeasy gimmicks that continue to occupy other drinking dens. Housed in a four-storey, orange-hued building at the southern end of Lumpini Park, cocktails are served on the top floors while a restaurant serves Asian tapas lower down.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT), Pathum Wan
A working press club as well as a penthouse bar with a terrace overlooking downtown Bangkok, The FCCT is open to all comers. The committee of seasoned hacks and well-travelled reporters puts on an impressive programme of talks and debates throughout the week, from politics and current affairs to book launches and film screenings.
Erawan Tea Room, Pathum Wan
Loyal fans of this Bangkok institution were thrilled to learn it would be returning to the renovated Erawan shopping mall. Though the new look mall is a little shiny for our liking, the Erawan Teas Room has stuck with a traditional interior and a menu of Thai classics. For a coffee or more casual meeting, head to the nearby Erawan Bakery.
