A Gastronomic Guide to Bangkok
Southern Thai fire, riverside grandeur and Chinatown street food: where to eat and stay in Bangkok.
Bangkok is one of the world's great food cities, equally rewarding at a plastic stool on the pavement and at a tasting-menu counter. This guide brings together the essential restaurants and the hotels that make the most of the river.
Street food first
Bangkok’s food culture begins on the street. Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road comes alive at night with stalls selling noodles, seafood and desserts, while every neighbourhood has its specialists in boat noodles, khao man gai or pad kra pao. Regional Thai cooking, from the herbal north-east to the fiery south, is represented across the city.
Destination restaurants
Sorn has put southern Thai cuisine on the world stage. Sühring shows how far a foreign cuisine can flourish in Bangkok, and Le Normandie keeps the tradition of grand French dining alive by the river.
Where to stay
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok and Capella Bangkok define riverside luxury, each in its own register. Rosewood Bangkok is the choice for a central, contemporary base.
Practical notes
Leading restaurants open reservations weeks or months in advance. Use river boats to avoid traffic between the riverside and the old city. Chinatown street food is best after dark.