The designer guide to Bangkok: where to stay, eat, shop and stroll
From converted riverside warehouses to hip hotels, Bangkok has a flourishing design scene. The creative team at Bangkok-based design consultancy Farm Group share their insider tips for a break in the Thai capital.
BEAUTIFUL STAYS: Bangkok doesn’t suffer from a lack of hotels. Creative director at Farm Group, Vorathit Kruavanichkit (‘Tap’ to his friends) has three favourites, the first of which is The Cabochon, which he describes as “small, tasteful and with great service. ” It’s a secret retreat with the architecture of a Shanghainese colonial villa (although it’s a new build) with interiors that are a riot of Victoriana curiosities and well-curated antiques. There’s a cosy library bar full of design books and an excellent small restaurant serving E-San and Laotian dishes. Book early because there are only eight rooms.
Books at the Cabochon Hotel Library in Bangkok.
At the other end of the scale is the Edward Tuttle-designed, 210-room Sukhothai – a five-star old-school paean to the elegance and culture of Thailand’s ancient capital with rooms of teakwood and courtyards of Chedis and water features. It’s one of the older hotels in town and over the years has built up an international following of loyal guests.
If you’re after something more modern, then the W Bangkok’s blazing disco glitz and glitter awaits.
The House on Sathorn.
The hotel’s real draw, however, is The House on Sathorn – a 1914 standalone mansion in front of the main hotel and formerly the Russian embassy. Meticulously restored over three years, it now houses a fine restaurant, lounge and central outdoor space run by Chef Fatih Tutak. The poetic menus are a mix of his favourite dishes found travelling the world, with specials added daily. In a city not short of fantastic food, it remains a highlight and is justifiably popular.
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The entrance to Surface, in Bangkok’s Thonglor district.
Fashionable foods
Among Tap’s favourite haunts is Knock Kitchen and Kicks, a narrow building in the scenic Thonglor district, which opens up as you ascend the staircases. “I love the concept of the place, on one floor it’s a sneaker shop and then on another there’s a restaurant,” says Tap. The sneakers in the store are often sourced outside Bangkok, many of them from Japan, meaning their selection is unique for the country. Chef Chalee Kader’s menu in the downstairs restaurant is devoted to American comfort classics with a bistro twist.
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Mellow, in EmQuartier, serves Mediterranean flavours and cocktails.
Surface, in the same area feels initially like walking through a street-art filled garden centre. “You will find me hanging out and having dinner here regularly. It’s somewhat hidden and private, but the food is amazing, the drinks are well prepared and the staff are super friendly.” It gets very popular on the weekend with their family brunches.
