Rocket Coffeebar in Bangkok's Sathorn is the Scandinavian-design coffee-and-brunch room from 2014, with a sister branch on Soi Methiniwet and Asok. Sourdough pastries on-site.
Tip: All-day brunch menu but mornings are the calmest window. The espresso tonic and the avocado on toast are the canonical orders.
Address: 147 Sathorn Soi 12, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500
Ink and Lion Cafe in Bangkok's Ekkamai 2 is a designer-led siphon and slow-bar coffee room with bookshelves and copy of original Penguin Modern Classics around the room.
Signature drink: Slow-bar siphon coffee
Tip: No laptops by house rule. The siphon brew is the slow-bar order; pair with a cardamom bun from the counter.
Luka Cafe in Bangkok's Pan Road is the all-day cafe-bistro from chef Mark Carter, with house-roasted coffee, brunch all afternoon, and a small-plate evening menu.
Signature drink: Specialty espresso and salt-bomb pastries
Tip: Weekend brunch books out; weekday afternoons are the calmest window for the work-friendly tables in the back room.
Factory Coffee in Bangkok's Phaya Thai is a competition barista cafe from World Brewers Cup competitor Sarisa Kanakam, espresso flights and a custom Probat roaster.
Signature drink: Single-origin espresso and brewed flight
Tip: The flight option lines up espresso, milk and brewed coffee from the same bean. BTS Phaya Thai is two minutes away.
Brave Roasters in Bangkok's Ari is Aroon Boonchom's third-wave coffee cafe with a small roaster on-site, the canonical morning stop for Ari neighbourhood regulars.
Signature drink: Pour-over with Thai-roasted beans
Tip: The pour-over menu lists every single origin individually. Weekend mornings the queue forms by 09:00.
Pacamara in Bangkok's Sukhumvit 49 is a Thai specialty roaster brand on its own counter, with the Champion Of Champions barista program turning out its bean menu.
Signature drink: Single-origin pour-over and espresso
Tip: The Geisha lot is the splurge; the Thai Doi Chaang single origin is the local pick. Espresso and filter both available on the day's bar.
Roots Coffee in Bangkok's The Commons Thonglor is the city's foundational third-wave roaster cafe, opened 2014 by Varatt Vichit-Vadakan with a multi-origin program.
Signature drink: Single-origin pour-over
Tip: The single-origin pour-over flight is the way to read the bean program. Closes at 19:00 daily; weekend mornings queue.
