฿฿฿฿Coffee roaster
Roots Coffee in Bangkok's Thonglor 17 is the foundational 2014 Thai third-wave roaster from Varatt Vichit-Vadakan, supplying many of the city's specialty.
TipThe pour-over flight is the way to read the bean program. Weekend mornings queue from 09:00.
฿฿฿฿Cantonese
Yaowarat Road in Bangkok's Chinatown is the city's most theatrical late-night street-food strip, with grilled seafood, noodle counters and dim sum carts.
OrderGrilled seafood, dim sum, noodle stalls
TipCash only. Start at Soi Texas (Phadungdao) corner for grilled prawns; Nai Mong Hoi Tod and Lek and Rut are the canonical seafood stalls.
฿฿฿฿Thai
Pa Aor Tom Yum Goong Noodles is bib gourmand stall on a dead-end soi off charoen phon, locals only, where the tom yum noodle bowl was invented.
TipCash only. Lunch only, 09:00-16:00, closed Sundays. The tom yum goong with whole river prawn is the canonical order.
฿฿฿฿Brunch
Sarnies Bangkok on Charoen Krung 44 is the Singapore-founded Australian cafe-bakery in a heritage shophouse, with sourdough, viennoiserie and all-day brunch.
OrderSmashed avocado on sourdough with poached egg and chilli sauce
TipWeekend brunch books out from 09:00; weekday afternoons are calm. The sourdough counter sells loaves until they run out.
฿฿฿฿Heritage Central ThaiOld Town
Krua Apsorn in Bangkok's Old Town has cooked royal-influenced central Thai dishes since 2003, the Dinso branch winning a Bib Gourmand for its crab.
OrderThe crab meat omelet (omelette nuea poo) and the stir-fried crab with yellow chilli paste.
TipClosed Sundays. Two branches; the Dinso original is the better experience. Lunch through 19:30 only, last seating 19:00.
฿฿฿฿Coffee roaster
PAGA Microroastery in Bangkok's Sukhumvit 31 is the all-white double-height micro-roastery from World Aeropress finalist Gabriel Carol, single-origin lots.
TipThe signature creative drink list (coffee plus seasonal infusions) is the move beyond standard espresso; the Geisha pour-over is the splurge.
฿฿฿฿Chinese
Nai Ek in Bangkok's Yaowarat has cooked rolled-rice-noodle kuay jab in peppery pork-offal broth until midnight since 1960, the late-night canonical Chinatown.
OrderKuay jab Yaowarat in pork broth
TipOpen 08:00 to midnight daily, cash only. Order with extra crispy pork belly; the pork offal bowl is also the local pick.
฿฿฿฿Thai
Krua Apsorn Dinso is royal-influenced thai room from 2003 in the old town with bib gourmand stir-fries, the local lunch room missed by tour groups.
TipClosed Sundays. The Dinso original is better than the newer branches. Lunch through 19:30 only, last seating 19:00.
฿฿฿฿Brunch
Issaya Siamese Club in Bangkok's Sathorn runs a Sunday brunch in the 1920s villa garden with Chef Ian Kittichai's heritage Thai sharing menu.
OrderThe Thai-tasting sharing brunch with massaman lamb shank
TipSunday-only brunch from 11:30. Reservations via own site; garden seating is the move on cool-dry-season Sundays.
฿฿฿฿Southern ThaiThonglor Ekkamai
Khua Kling Pak Sod in Bangkok's Thonglor is the canonical southern-Thai family room, dry-spiced beef khua kling, sator stir-fry and crab curry served.
OrderThe khua kling beef on rice, the sator and pork stir-fry, plus a coconut sticky-rice dessert.
TipHeat scale is real; ask the server for the western-tongue version if you cannot handle the dry spice.
฿฿฿฿Brewery
Mikkeller Bangkok in Bangkok's Ekkamai 10 is the Danish gypsy brewery's Southeast Asian flagship, 30 rotating taps of Mikkeller and Asian craft brewers.
TipThe flight of four covers the range; Friday and Saturday nights are dense from 19:00. The taproom kitchen runs late-night burgers.
฿฿฿฿Seafood
Soei Restaurant in Bangkok: Bib Gourmand 1972 family Thai seafood room in Phaya Thai, off the tourist circuit with rare horseshoe-crab egg salad.
TipClosed Sundays. Cash only, the menu is huge and only partially translated; ask the staff to point at seasonal seafood.
฿฿฿฿Brunch
Broccoli Revolution in Bangkok's Sukhumvit 49 corner is the canonical vegan brunch since 2014, plant-based Thai bowls, smoothies and the namesake broccoli.
OrderThe broccoli quinoa burger with a green smoothie
TipWalk-ins through the day. Multiple branches; the Sukhumvit 49 corner is the flagship. Weekend brunch queues from 11:00.
฿฿฿฿Southern ThaiThonglor Ekkamai
Khua Kling Pak Sod in Bangkok's Thonglor is the canonical southern-Thai family room, dry-spiced beef khua kling, sator stir-fry and crab curry on mountain.
OrderKhua kling beef on rice, sator pork stir-fry and a coconut sticky-rice dessert.
TipHeat scale is real; ask for the western-tongue version if you cannot handle full southern spice levels.
฿฿฿฿Coffee roaster
Ceresia Coffee Roasters in Bangkok's Ramkhamhaeng is a Costa Rican-Thai roaster from Cesar and Karuna Munoz, on-site cupping room and small-batch.
TipCupping sessions on Saturday mornings; book in advance via Line. Single-origin Geisha bags are the splurge.
฿฿฿฿Brewery
Chit Beer on Koh Kret island near Bangkok is Wichit Saiklao's pioneering Thai craft microbrewery from 2012, on-site brews at a riverside taproom on the Chao.
TipWeekend only. Reach via short ferry from Pak Kret pier; pair the IPA with riverside Thai-Mon street food on Koh Kret.
฿฿฿฿Seafood
Soi Texas at Yaowarat Phadungdao corner in Bangkok is the late-night grilled-seafood strip, with Lek and Rut and Rut and Lek opposite each other.
OrderGrilled river prawns, scallops, fish
TipCash only. Two competing rival stalls face each other; Rut and Lek (the queue-popular one) starts at 18:00, closes at 02:00.
฿฿฿฿Brewery
Burbrit's Phra Khanong taproom in Bangkok is the brewery's second Bangkok room, pouring nearly a dozen Burmese-British recipes brewed unpasteurised.
TipHappy hour from 17:00-20:00 (beers from 59 baht). Live music four nights a week; the outdoor terrace is the seat in cool-dry season.
฿฿฿฿Brewery
Brewski in Bangkok's Asoke is the 30th-floor craft-beer rooftop above the Radisson Blu, 30 rotating taps of Thai and international craft brews.
TipHappy hour 17:00-19:00. Weekend nights queue at the bar; reserve a table on the open terrace for sunset.
฿฿฿฿Cocktail bar
Soi Nana Chinatown bar district is six-block stretch of converted shophouses with hidden cocktail bars, the bar district most travel itineraries miss.
TipStart at Teens of Thailand for gin, then Tep Bar for Thai spirits and live mor lam music. Most rooms open from 19:00.
฿฿฿฿Brunch
Roast Bangkok in Bangkok's EmQuartier is the all-day brunch room from Roast Coffee Roasters, with Western brunch plates, sourdough toasts and Thai-accented.
OrderEggs benedict with smoked salmon and a flat white
TipWeekend brunch queue from 10:00. Reserve via Chope for weekend mornings; weekday lunch is the value play.
฿฿฿฿Heritage Thai SeafoodAri
Soei in Bangkok's Phaya Thai is a Bib Gourmand family-run Thai seafood room that has cooked Old Bangkok recipes since 1972, including the rare yum khai.
OrderYum khai mangda (horseshoe crab egg salad), the stir-fried fish maw and a sour pla too soup.
TipClosed Sundays. Cash only, the menu is huge and only partially translated; let the staff steer toward seasonal seafood.
฿฿฿฿Coffee roaster
Ristr8to on Bangkok's Song Wat Road is the Bangkok branch of Chiang Mai's competition-barista cafe from Arnon Thitiprasert, six-time Thailand Latte Art.
TipThe latte art is the headline; ask for the rosetta or the multi-stage tulip. Single-origin espresso is rotated weekly.
฿฿฿฿Fried chicken
Polo Fried Chicken in Bangkok's Soi Polo is the Bib Gourmand garlic-fried-chicken room, open until 21:00 daily with half birds blanketed in crispy fried.
OrderGarlic fried chicken (gai tod)
TipCash only. Last orders 20:30. Half a fried chicken with som tam Thai and sticky rice is the canonical late-dinner order.
฿฿฿฿Thai
Krua Aroy Aroy in Bangkok: Bib Gourmand canteen tucked off Pan Road, lunch-only, with the city's best khao soi northern Thai curry-noodle bowl.
TipCash only. Lunch only, 09:00-17:00, closed Sundays. The room is small; arrive by 12:00 to avoid the office workers.
฿฿฿฿Brunch
Rocket Coffeebar in Bangkok's Sathorn is the Scandinavian-design cafe-and-brunch room from 2014, with sourdough pastries on-site and all-day brunch plates.
OrderAvocado toast with poached egg and a cortado
TipThree branches; Sathorn Soi 12 is the original. Weekend mornings queue from 09:00; the avocado toast is the canonical order.
฿฿฿฿Brewery
The Beer Cap in Bangkok's Asoke is the American-style craft beer hall with 30 imported taps and Thai sour-ale specialists, anchoring the soi nightlife.
TipAmerican-style burgers and chicken wings pair with the IPA flight; weekend nights are busiest after 21:00.
฿฿฿฿Heritage ThaiOld Town
Mit Ko Yuan in Bangkok's Sao Chingcha is the Bib Gourmand family Thai room from 1962, central-Thai stir-fries and seafood dishes opposite the Giant Swing.
OrderTom yum kung with whole river prawn and a side of stir-fried morning glory.
TipCash only. Open 11:00-22:00 daily, the heritage building seats around 50 across two floors.
฿฿฿฿Coffee roaster
Brave Roasters in Bangkok's Ari is Aroon Boonchom's small-batch third-wave roaster with an on-site Probat, the morning institution for Ari neighbourhood.
TipThe pour-over menu lists every single origin individually. Weekend mornings queue forms by 09:00.
฿฿฿฿Thai
Thipsamai in Bangkok's Old Town has cooked the city's most famous pad Thai since 1966 with last orders at midnight, Bib Gourmand since 2018.
OrderPad Thai wrapped in egg
TipCash only. Closed Tuesdays. Open Wed-Mon 09:00 to midnight; the wrapped-in-egg pad Thai with shrimp oil is the late-night order.
฿฿฿฿Wine bar
Wine I Do on Soi Charoen Krung 36 in Bang Rak is the no-signage natural-wine bar in a converted shophouse with an orange list and a chef's-table back room.
TipClosed Tuesdays. Walk-in most nights; the back room is the chef's-table option for a sharing menu.
฿฿฿฿Brunch
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.
OrderSalted caramel pancake stack with banana and bacon
TipWeekend brunch fills from 10:00; weekday afternoons are the calmest. The salted caramel pancakes are the queue-builder.