When researching my own travels, I’m always looking for top places to eat in a destination. But I’ve found that some bloggers have this nasty habit of regurgitating whatever they find on TripAdvisor, without having actually eaten at these places themselves, and I’ve been burned a few times by really bad recommendations (I’m looking at you, Rick Steves).
Instead of a list of places from other lists, I’ve actually been to each of these Bangkok restaurants and tried all the dishes I recommend here.
So if you want some top restaurants in Bangkok, I’d 10/10 say to try these!
Traditional (and cheap!) Thai food
Baan Tha Tien Cafe
If you’re near: Pak Klong Flower Market, Grand Palace, or Wat Pho
This little cafe was so worth the stop! For me, after tons of street food and eating outside, I always miss just sitting down in a nice indoor space for a meal.
This cafe ticks that box, plus has free wifi and great curries.
What I’d recommend: Red or green Thai curry
Cost: For one red and one green curry with rice, our meal came to 175 THB ($5.80)… so cheap!
Old Siam Market
If you’re near: Chinatown
We happened upon this little place on our first day exploring Bangkok, and were pumped about the prices (so cheap), the fact that it was filled with locals, and the delicious food.
If you head to Old Siam Market, this little spot is outside (much of the market is inside) with a few stalls selling hot foods. You’ll notice loads of Thai people sitting at the tables between the various food vendors. This one was on the very edge near the street.
What I’d recommend: Pad Thai with egg. They’ll produce an English menu for you when you walk up to the counter, which is incredibly nice.
Cost: One Pad Thai with egg costs 40 THB ($1.33) and is enough to fill you up. If you want to add meat to yours, you’ll be looking at about 60 THB ($1.99).
Pantaree
If you’re near: Nana Plaza, Terminal 21, Nana or Asok BTS station, Sukhumvit Metro Station
As you can see, the food was so good we ate most of it before I could take a picture!
This little spot hides right off the main Sukhumvit Road on Soi 8. From its place down a little alleyway, it serves a huge assortment of dishes and holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I first had fried rice with pineapple.
What I’d recommend: Fried rice with chicken and pineapple
Cost: Items range from 40-150 THB ($1.33-$5). Our three dishes, which included the fried rice with pineapple, rice with a pork and onion mix, and fried mo, came to 226 THB ($7.49) for two of us.
Krua Ov
If you’re near: Dusit Zoo… other than that, this is in a random spot but well worth the trip! The nearest metro is Victory Monument BTS Station, from which you’ll probably need to catch a taxi or walk for about 20-30 minutes like we did.
Serving royal Thai food, Krua Ov is said to have pilgrimage worthy food – at least by this article. I can say I wholeheartedly agree.
We arrived and the manager came up to us and helped us choose our dishes in his very good English. We left it up to him and were not disappointed, and they even gave us a free dessert (just as delicious as the mains) at the end.
What I’d recommend: let them pick for you, but definitely try the fried catfish!
Cost: 20-150 THB per dish
For breakfast or brunch
7-Eleven
If you’re near: Literally anything… they’re everywhere!
If you’re unfamiliar with 7-Eleven, it’s a convenience store chain that’s worldwide but particularly massive in Asia. Almost every city block has one (sometimes two) of these and they serve more than bags of chips, sodas, and cold sandwiches.
You can get hot foods and items that they’ll heat up for you like my recommendation below as well as microwave meals.
What I’d recommend: They’ve got these incredible ham and cheese sandwiches that they’ll toast for you. My only regret is not finding out about them until the end of the trip!
Cost: The sandwiches were about 50 THB, so a great cheap option to start the day.
Paris Mikki
If you’re near: Nana Plaza, Terminal 21, Nana or Asok BTS station, Sukhumvit Metro Station
According to our friend, Little Wandering Wren, her Parisien friend said that the pastries here are the only ones she’s found in Bangkok as good as the ones in Paris.
So if you’re craving a taste of France, you can find this tiny, cute patisserie near Nana BTS station. Just expect to pay Parisien prices for your pastry.
What I’d recommend: Literally anything + one of their specialty teas.
Cost: It’s a pricey place. Expect to spend 150+ and up on your Parisian delicacy.
Punjab Grill
If you’re near: Nana Plaza, Terminal 21, Nana or Asok BTS station, Sukhumvit Metro Station
Swap out Thai curries for some Indian ones on a Sunday afternoon in Bangkok at this swanky all-you-can-eat brunch buffet.
Our expat friends in Bangkok tipped us off to this place and it’s still one of the most memorable meals I had in Thailand.
We walked into an air-conditioned dining room with waiters in white collared shirts and black pants. Once we were seated, they brought the ladies pashminas to keep warm and explained the process to us.
The buffet is all-you-can-eat, with amazing appetizers, mains, and a huge dessert array. They’ll start by asking if you want to add on the alcohol package, which is all-you-can-drink wine or beer with your meal (for an additional 600 THB).
You can spend hours eating here (which we did), and for the price (1000 THB per person, or $33), it’s worth it as a brunch that turns into lunch that keeps you satisfied through dinner time.
Go with friends, and spend your time chatting over lassis (an Indian yogurt drink), tandoori delicacies, freeze-dried ice cream, and incredible curries and naans.
What I’d recommend: EVERYTHING. Literally, we tried it all, and since it’s all-you-can-eat, we tried it all more than once.
Cost: 1000 THB per person + 600 THB if you want the all-you-can-drink alcohol package added on.
Pastries
Insider tip: Get pastries from the posh hotels after 6 pm, when they get rid of all their old ones and save them for breakfast the next day!
Need coffee to complement them? My friend and Bangkok-based blogger, Little Wandering Wren, covered the best coffee shops in Bangkok.
If you’re craving Western food
Daniel Thaiger
If you’re near: Nana Plaza, Terminal 21, Nana or Asok BTS station, Sukhumvit Metro Station
This burger stand will satisfy your beef craving and is rated in the top cheap eats in Bangkok (though I don’t agree with that claim, it’s cheap as far as burgers go).
They put a special sauce on the burgers that’s super tasty and after a few weeks of Thai food, I won’t lie, it was nice to eat a juicy burger again.
What I’d recommend: Get a burger, skip the fries, which are a tiny portion (think a McDonald’s small) for almost $5.
Cost: Our burgers were 278 THB each ($9.22). Like I said, not really one of the cheapest spots in Bangkok, but still delish!
Afternoon tea
Little Wandering Wren has raved about afternoon tea at the Mandarin Oriental. You can read about her experience if you’re craving a cuppa.
Hopefully with this list, you can find some great places to eat in Bangkok. If you plan on exploring between meals, check out my 1, 2, or 3-day itinerary for Bangkok!