With the second Michelin Guide Bangkok launched this past November naming even more eateries as the crème de la crème, there’s never been a better time to dine in the City of Angels.
From long-standing intuitions like the elegant Le Normandie at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok to new hotspots, like Mihara Tofuten launched by Bangkok’s culinary guru, Gaggan Anand, tantalising meals await throughout the city but especially in high-powered hubs such as the central business and entertainments districts of Sathorn and Silom. Home to some of the capital’s most iconic hotels, companies and venues, Sathorn and Silom are known for their influential movers and shakers with the restaurants to match.
Whether you’re in the mood for fine French fare, ready to try modern takes on traditional Thai cuisine, or want to sink your teeth into an Australian Waygu beef tenderloin, these two neighbourhoods will not disappoint...just make to sure to reserve your table in advance!
WHERE TO GO FOR: CONTEMPORARY THAI
Le Du
ledubkk.com
399/3 Silom Soi 7 Silom
A love song to Thai cuisine and seasonality, Chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn presents local ingredients and flavour combinations in new and inspired ways at his celebrated Silom eatery. Le Du's faux French name is a play on the Thai word for seasons and that tongue-in-cheek creativity extends to the restaurant’s menu. Chef Ton showcases humble ingredients like rice, snakehead fish, pig’s blood and other lesser known staples of Thai cuisine, elevating and transforming them through impeccable technique into culinary masterpieces as part of set tasting menus.
Nahm
comohotels.com/metropolitanbangkok
COMO Metropolitan, 27 South Sathorn Road
Conceived by Sydney-born Chef David Thompson, Nahm has been a hallowed hall of authentic Thai cuisine since it first debuted in London in 2001 and then in Bangkok in 2010. Now helmed by Chef Pim Techamuanvivit, who earned her chops and first Michelin star in San Francisco, the international fairy tale of this fine-dining restaurant continues. Nahm’s Thai roots go deep, and the flavours and recipes are steeped in nostalgia. While the restaurant’s sleek atmosphere and kitchen are completely contemporary, the Thai fare is no-frills and served just the way it was always meant to be.
Issaya Siamese Club
issaya.com
4 Soi Sri Aksorn
Tucked away in the depths of Sathorn’s maze of alleys, stepping into the garden of Issaya Siamese Club is like discovering a hidden treasure. The restaurant is colourful, comfortable and unpretentious, and Chef Ian Kittichai’s menu plays with Thai cuisine in innovative ways while honouring ingredients which highlight seasonal and market specials. Grown on site in the chef’s garden are aromatic herbs, which are then used in just the right proportions to create that complex harmony of aromas and flavours that are the signature of Thai cuisine.
Blue Elephant
blueelephant.com
233 South Sathorn Road
Though a mainstay of Bangkok’s vaunted culinary institutions, it might surprise many that Blue Elephant got its start in Belgium with the Bangkok branch being number 13 of the brand’s numerous international locations. In 36 years, Chef Nooror Sommany-Steppe has gone from housewife with a hobby to a global ambassador of Thai cuisine. Her Bangkok restaurant, housed in an elegantly renovated colonial-style home, has played host to diplomats and heads of state and counts the Thai Royal family among its regulars.
WHERE TO GO FOR: FRENCH
Le Normandie at Mandarin Oriental
mandarinoriental.com/bangkok
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 48 Oriental Avenue
First opened in 1958, Le Normandie has long held a top spot in Bangkok’s fine dining scene. Known for sophisticated French cuisine paired with impeccable service, Chef Arnaud Dunand-Sauthier snagged two Michelin stars two years running in the Michelin Guide Bangkok. Le Normandie is housed in the Garden Wing of the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok where floor-to-ceiling windows and views add an extra dash of drama to an all-around sensational dining experience.
Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant
pullmanbangkokhotelg.com
188 Silom Road
Sitting 37 floors above Bangkok’s streets, Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant is the Pullman Bangkok Hotel G’s rooftop bar and restaurant, lauded by many as one of the best in the city thanks to the venue’s relative casualness combined with standout French fare. The original menu was conceived by French gastronome Chef Manuel Martinez and Scarlett has seen many of Thailand Top Chefs at the helm, each bringing their own twist to the restaurant’s offerings. The city views and extensive wine cellar make Scarlett a particularly excellent choice for a sundowner or special occasion.
WHERE TO GO FOR: EUROPEAN
Mezzaluna
lebua.com/Mezzaluna
Tower Club at Lebua, 1055 State Tower Silom
A 180-degree view instantly takes your breath away at Bangkok’s highest restaurant on the 65th floor of the Tower Club at the iconic lebua, but it’s the innovative cuisine, precise techniques and exquisite plating that consistently land Mezzaluna on top dining guides. Chef Ryuki Kawasaki is one of only four Bangkok-based chefs to receive two coveted Michelin stars and it’s evident why. Come here to enjoy a creative tasting menu of seasonally inspired dishes that set the standard for Bangkok fine dining.
Il Fumo
ilfumo.co
1098/2 Rama 4 Road
What started as an Italian-inspired smokehouse has become Bangkok’s best contemporary Portuguese restaurant thanks to Chef Nelson Amorim. You can see his team hard at work in the open kitchen and enjoy the scents that waft out – the premium meats which first put the restaurant on the map are all cooked over an open flame. Like the restaurant itself, plates are minimalistic, leaving the food itself to make the most visual impact. While the menu draws largely upon Chef Amorim’s Portuguese heritage, you’ll also find popular pasta and desserts.
WHERE TO GO FOR: JAPANESE
Mihara Tofuten by Gaggan
miharatofutenbangkok.com
159/3 South Sathorn Road
The world’s first tofu omakase can be found in Bangkok thanks to Chef Gaggan Anand (of Michelin, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and Netflix’s Chef’s Table fame) and his longtime friend Takeshi Fukushima of La Maison de la Nature Goh in Fukuoka, Japan. Featuring only the finest tofu from Mihara Tofu, a 57-year-old tofu factory in Kyushu, Japan, this upscale chef’s table concept turns what – to the uninitiated – is the simplest of ingredients into the pièce de résistance of a 16-course Japanese tasting menu. While the different forms of tofu often take centre stage, courses also feature other delectable ingredients like Kobe beef.
WHERE TO GO FOR: INTERNATIONAL
Eat Me
eatmerestaurant.com
Soi Pipat 2 (off Covent Road)
Twenty years since it first opened, Chef Tim Butler and founder Darren Hausler still manage to have one of the hippest venues in Bangkok. While the ambience of the restaurant is soft, the vibe is fun and funky, and the cuisine bold as Chef Butler throws together a panoply of ingredients which marry cuisines from around the world. This culinary flair assuredly keeps diners returning year after year, but the fabulous cocktail bar is what cements Eat Me's place as a late night Bangkok favourite.
The House on Sathorn
thehouseonsathorn.com
106 North Sathorn Road
From the outside of the 128-year-old colonial mansion, you’d expect the House on Sathorn to serve classic or royal Thai dishes in its main restaurant, yet The Dining Room has come to be known for sensory experiences and gourmet Turkish cuisine. Drawing inspiration from his Turkish roots and travels throughout Asia, Chef Fatih Tutak has created an inventive menu featuring modern interpretations of his culinary childhood memories. Adding to the experience is, naturally, the stunningly renovated venue itself. Built for royalty and home to the Russian Embassy for many years, the Thai heritage home displays a unique blend of East and West as well as vintage and modern styles.
Luka
lukabangkok.com
64/3 Thanon Pan
The “ultimate neighbourhood cafe,” Luka takes Western brunch and American diner favourites to an elevated and extremely Instagram-worthy place. Their coffee is brewed to order with religious attention to detail and their devotion to teas is equally strong. Sauces, juices and pickles are all made on site and ingredients are lovingly sourced from well-known vendors and the Royal Project. Attached to a lifestyle concept store, Luka’s vibe is hip and lively, like hanging out in the living room and garden of your coolest friend’s house on a Sunday morning.
Vertigo & Moon Bar
banyantree.com/thailand/bangkok
21/100 South Sathon Road
A Bangkok dining guide wouldn’t be complete without mention of one of its iconic open-air, sky-high venues. Climb higher and higher to drink and dine at the aptly-named Vertigo and Moon Bar. Sitting atop the Banyan Tree Bangkok tower, 61 storeys high, Vertigo restaurant sits at one end of the roof while Moon Bar, known for classic cocktails, is found at the other end. Serving fresh seafood, premium steaks and a variety of international favourites revamped with an Asian flair, Vertigo is designed to delight and an excellent way to top off your Bangkok experience.
