Sample Bangkok’s foodie delights
For many, Bangkok is sheer overload, but if you know where to look, you’ll find pockets of deliciousness, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it hawkers, sky-high culinary prowess and fine dining in award-winning restaurants. Read on to find the best places to experience Bangkok’s mouth-watering foodie scene.
Succulent Street Food
It’s impossible not to take notice of the many street food vendors that line Bangkok’s busy thoroughfares. More often than not, it’s the visual drama of the food production with accompanying sizzles and clangs that catch our eye. But is it any good? The answer is usually yes – pick a stall that looks busy and watch what everyone else is ordering. We can’t promise it won’t be colossally spicy though.
In recent years, one street food hawker, in particular, has caught the attention of worldwide food media. Located in Maha Chai Road, chef Raan Jay Fai is a Bangkok intuition known for her khai jiao poo, aka the best crab omelette you’ll ever eat. Recognisable by her trademark goggles, hungry diners are happy to queue for Raan Jay Fai’s tasty treats and the set-up stays true to the street vendor format with just a handful of plastic chairs and tables. This hasn’t stopped Raan Jay Fai from receiving a Michelin star for her high standard of ingredients, commitment to Thai cuisine and her sheer hard graft working six days a week despite being in her 70s.
Top-Notch Thai Food
As much as we love everyday Thai fare, sometimes it’s fantastic to be on the receiving end of food that’s made and presented with modern verve, a dollop of distinction and a garnish of style. At Sorn restaurant, recently placed at number 38 in the World’s Best Restaurants 2024, you’ll be in the company of perhaps the fanciest Thai food you’ll ever eat.
Within a two-storey, 90-year-old traditional house, Sorn offers an exceptional dining experience, focusing on the hot and spicy southern regions of Thai cuisine. An amazing 22-course tasting menu covers a raft of culinary inspiration from the south and includes incredible attention to detail and hyperlocal ingredients including lemongrass, ginger and coconut. One of its most celebrated dishes is crab stick doused in fiery yellow curry, plus a simple yet delectable deconstructed rice salad that will send your tastebuds into a frenzy.
Rooftop Repast
Wherever you are in the world, getting up above a city helps you to get your bearings. No more so than Bangkok where rooftop bars and restaurants give a dazzling view of the city, far above the hubbub of daily day. From this serene vantage point, you can sit back and enjoy excellent service, cocktails, perhaps a DJ in the background and often some great nibbles to accompany your experience.
Our recommendation for rooftop dining has to be Above Riva restaurant that sits atop Hotel Riva Arun alongside the Chao Phraya River. Facing atmospheric temple and river views, enjoy a cocktail as the sun sets on Wat Arun and another busy day in Bangkok. Surrounded by the well-dressed Bangkok in-crowd, pick from the sophisticated Thai menu with a twist including duck confit green curry, Thai salad with salmon, miso glazed seabass and tamarind lamb cutlets. Live the high life!
Tuck In by Tuk-Tuk
In a city so crammed with foodie options, and particularly if you’re short on time, consider taking one of the fun tuk-tuk tours which will take in a few different spots for drinks, snacks and eating. Saving yourself the hassle of getting from A to B, this nippy tuk-tuk tour is the perfect way to experience Bangkok’s foodie scene by night.
Let us arrange your tuk-tuk tour with our trusted providers on the ground, ensuring that the tour takes in the places you want to go to, unless you’re happy to be in the hands of our experienced local food guides. Alongside foodie pitstops such as Northern Thai-Isan Food, Michelin-starred guay tiew gai (rice noodles) and an in-the-know pad thai, you’ll visit some of Bangkok’s sights by night including the illuminated Wat Pho, the flower market and numerous snack vendors. End the night at a hidden-away bar on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, sipping an icy beer while the Temple of Dawn glitters mesmerizingly. Your tuk-tuk will drop you at your hotel afterwards, with both your stomach and your mind filled with the joy of Bangkok’s foodie scene.
