It’s impossible not to find good food in Bangkok, Thailand’s buzzing capital. The city has a plethora of mouthwatering bites on every corner. It is a place where you can chomp on pad thai hot-off-the-wok or follow the foodies lining up for a taste of beef broth that’s been simmering for 50 years.
But if sit-down dining is more your thing, you should treat yourself to a meal at one of these chic, modern restaurants that dish up classic Thai food.
1. Am Dang Typhoon By The River
For a feast of succulent seafood cooked in the Thai-Cantonese style, head over to Am Dang Typhoon, a mid-range riverside restaurant that was awarded a Michelin Plate in 2020.
Sink your teeth into juicy morsels of giant river prawn grilled to perfection and savour tom yam pla, a spicy-sour soup with mackerel and ginger. Another highly recommended dish is the stir-fried spicy crab with copious amounts of crispy garlic bits.
You can enjoy these on their own, with white rice, or, for extra zest, go for the simple yet tasty pork crackling fried rice – one of their signature dishes.
Am Dang Typhoon has both indoor and al fresco dining. If you prefer the latter, the place boasts scenic views of the Chao Phraya River and Bhumibol Bridge, which lights up in a spectrum of hues at night.
2. River Vibe Restaurant & Bar
Bangkok is known for its many rooftop bars, and River Vibe Restaurant and Bar offers both scenic sunset views and a selection of Thai food alongside Western fare like pasta and pizza.
Items from the chef’s recommendation list include red curry with pork and pineapple, pla tod samun prai (fish deep-fried with herbs), and gai yang (grilled chicken with chilli dipping sauce).
The restaurant also serves a range of individual rice and noodle sets – perfect for solo diners.
Portions are on the large side, and each dish is beautifully garnished with local ingredients. Wash down your scrumptious meal with ice-cold local beer as you enjoy the breeze and river views from the 8th floor.
River Vibe Restaurant and Bar is nestled within a labyrinth of homely alleyways in Talad Noi, one of Bangkok’s oldest neighbourhoods, filled with street art and mom-and-pop shops.
3. Yang Gao Gorn
Yang Gao Gorn, which means ‘like how it used to be’, is a family-run establishment famed for its delectable menu based on time-honoured recipes.
Most dishes here hark back to an era before chillies became a staple ingredient in Thai cooking.
These include delicacies like nua khem pad khati (salted dried beef) and khai palo (boiled eggs in pork stew), which go perfectly with white rice. You can also have a pick of various salads on offer, including yam man gaew (yam bean salad) and yam ke sorn dok chompoo (pink rose apple salad).
Come here between February and May for a taste of khao chae, a summer dish with a regal history. A bowl of rice soaked in ice-cold, fragrant water is enjoyed with various relishes, including stuffed shallots, shrimp paste balls, and chilli peppers stuffed with minced pork.
Tucked within a leafy compound in Phaya Thai, Yang Gao Gorn even took home a coveted trophy from the Iron Chef Thailand TV show in 2023.
4. Shall We Meet&Eat
Yaowarat Road may be the go-to for street food, but if you’re looking for a less chaotic experience and fewer tourists to rub shoulders with, head over to Ban That Road in Pathum Wan district.
Along the bustling 2.2-kilometre stretch is a hodgepodge of humble stalls dishing up local favourites, as well as funky hip eateries like Shall We Meet&Eat.
Here, you won’t want to miss out on the sizeable bowls of boat noodles generously loaded with beef or pork. There are six types of noodles on offer, and you can also choose from five levels of spiciness, from non-spicy to extra hot.
You can also indulge in shabu-shabu hotpot or go for steak, pasta, or salad while watching live football matches on TV or hum along to live music performances by talented locals.
5. The Gingerbread House
Those with a sweet tooth should make a beeline to The Gingerbread House, a dessert paradise named after the vintage teakwood gingerbread homes that were popular in Thailand more than a century ago.
Inside the majestic two-storey teak house, built in 1913 by a Thai noble, you can sink into a range of cakes, muffins, and shaved ice treats within a charming, cosy space bedecked with antiques and old photographs.
An especially Insta-worthy order here is the tray set, featuring an assortment of Thai sweet treats, including bua loy (rice balls in coconut milk and ice cream), chao guay (grass jelly, egg yolk threads and ice cream), and mango sticky rice served in decorative crockery.
Opened in 2019, The Gingerbread House offers a selection of tea and coffee – perfect if you want to relax and refresh after a day out exploring Bangkok Old Town.
This story by Irvin Hanni was originally published on AirAsia. Zafigo republished this story in full with permission from the publisher, simply because good stories should be read by as many people as possible! If you have stories that will be of interest and useful to women travellers, especially in Asia, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
