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Food and Drinks
Lifestyle100 Top Tables

Unsung Eats: 5 best places to eat – and drink – in Bangkok

Besides Bangkok’s Michelin-starred tables and famed street food are intimate supper clubs and ‘social kitchens’ that are reinterpreting Thai flavours

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Bangkok’s cuisine is vibrant and multifaceted, like the city itself. Photo: Handout
Gayatri Bhaumik
A reflection of the city itself, Bangkok’s gastronomic scene is vibrant and multifaceted, spanning beloved street food, like Jay Fai’s crab omelette and Thipsamai’s pad thai, to Michelin-starred tasting menus at fine dining destinations like Sühring and Haoma.

This is just one reason why Bangkok ranks among the best food cities in the world. Yet the city’s real culinary charm lies between these extremes, in thoughtful concepts blending Thai traditions with contemporary creativity. From eclectic supper clubs and architecturally arresting brunch spots – and a vibey bar celebrating Thai culture – these off-the-radar establishments are definitely worth seeking out on your next visit.

Khao San Sek

Khao San Sek, set in a restored shophouse, is helmed by chef Pichaya Soontornyanakij. Photo: Handout
Khao San Sek, set in a restored shophouse, is helmed by chef Pichaya Soontornyanakij. Photo: Handout
Chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij gives full rein to her Thai roots at this refined restaurant set in a restored Chinese shophouse. The concept was shaped by a journey across Thailand to explore the essence of Thai gastronomy, which was distilled into five ingredients: coconut, fish sauce, chilli, palm sugar and rice. These are reimagined in inventive dishes like mackerel with seven kinds of rice and Thai sweet chilli with pork stuffing and red curry.
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Location: 1121-1123 Song Wat Road, Samphanthawong

Must-order: Khao San Sek slow-cooked and roasted suckling pig – pre-order required

Tep Bar

Tep Bar, located in Bangkok’s Chinatown district, features Thai drinks, snacks and traditional music. Photo: Handout
Tep Bar, located in Bangkok’s Chinatown district, features Thai drinks, snacks and traditional music. Photo: Handout

In this cosy Chinatown shophouse, patrons sit shoulder to shoulder sampling authentic Thai drinks and snacks while enjoying traditional Thai music performances. Expect local alcohols like Mekhong (molasses-based rum) and sato (sweet fermented rice wine) blended into clever signature cocktails – or neat in tasting flights – alongside dishes like sai krok kwan (sausages) and moo sarong (deep-fried wrapped pork meatballs).

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