Where to eat in Bangkok, Thailand

Langsuan: Lots of smart new restaurants in this up and coming boulevard-like road. Cool and chic restaurants occupy both the main road (Langsuan) and the small sois branching off. Places like The Ninth Cafe with its modern airy decor, Calderazzo with its Italian and Fusion food (great value business lunches at 300 Baht) and Acoustic House, an unusual Mexican/Thai with live piano music give a flavour of the area. The Whole Earth Vegetarian and Peppers (low fat home cooking (Lang Suan 4) (lunch, afternoons only) can also be found along Langsuan.

Langsuan also seems to be a magnet for Italian restaurants - The new Calderazzo Bistro offers some remarkable dishes, Pan Pan is a bustling medley of steaming chili mussels chased by heaped plates of pasta, No 43 is a favourite lunch buffet choice whilst Ma Be Ba's more opulent decor is ideal for entertaining. The list is endless.

Le Notre, the chic French Cafe in Natural Ville Apartments attracts the genteel afternoon crowd and is currently the place to be seen.

The areas around Ploenchit Road, Chiltlom and Lang Suan have expensive shopping malls with sophisticated brand name shops and billboards advertising 'ultimate extravagance" with chic and smart places to eat. Around Lang Suan just off Chitlom among the high end apartments are lots of interesting little restaurants and smooth bars.

Soi Ruam Rudee Just off Ploenchit the Ruam Rudee Village offers a sort of shop and dine experience with a collection of fine dining restaurants and small shops within one area. Restaurants like Le Rendevous French and Witch's Oyster Bar - reminiscent of an upmarket classic London restaurant. Vintage British food includes items like bread and butter pudding. The oysters are flown in daily. TGI Fridays part of the successful chain known for good basic food, reasonably priced can be found at the Ploenchit Centre.

Rachadamri or Rajadamri is the main road that runs south of the World Trade Centre.

Many of Bangkok's leading hotels with exceptional fine dining are located close to here. The Spice Market restaurant at The Regent Hotel has spice filled bottles and earthenware jars, which form the backdrop to some great cooking and beautifully presented food. Biscotti, also at the Regent, is a fun, casual, contemporary and very Italian restaurant with a contemporary feel where guests can watch the food being cooked around an open kitchen. European style meals and simple, home-style cooking. Dinner a la carte menu offers Italian favourites, pizza, pastas and sauces and seafood.

Chitlom: Restaurants, cafes and several food outlets inside Central Department Store including an old established food court, recently refurbished and re-branded as The Loft is located here. Fashionable understated decor serving local favourites along with Vietnamese, Indian and Japanese food and an alluring desserts area.

World Trade Center-(WTC): Rachaprasong Intersection - Juice bars, coffee shops and a few restaurants (including a cute sushi bar with the Shinkansen Express speeding around the counter) on the ground floor. Various Chinese, Thai, Japanese and international on the upper floors. Queues of locals at the entrance usually denote great food, or a great discount deal, or both.

Lang Suan: Cool and chic restaurants occupy both the main Soi (Lang Suan) and the small streets branching off. Places like The Ninth Cafe has a well-ventilated decor. Calderazzo with its Italian and Fusion food (great value business lunches at 200 Baht) and Acoustic House, an unusual Mexican/Thai with live piano music give a flavour of the area. The Whole Earth Vegetarian and Peppers (low fat home cooking (Lang Suan 4) (lunch, afternoons only) can also be found along Lang Suan.

Bangkok's traditional heartland, the riverside, is a great place to go for a sundowner, a romantic dinner cruise, a relaxing lunch, or for afternoon tea. Alongside the old temples, warehouses, wooden houses and old buildings you'll find classy hotels serving wonderful buffet lunches and sublime afternoon tea. You'll also find local restaurants perched on old wooden piers serving seafood platters, floating restaurants and smart places to eat in Thai houses along the river banks. Choice, ambiance and great food.

After a hard days shopping or sightseeing, cruising down the river on an old teak rice barge in the cool of the evening is incredibly relaxing. As you float past Bangkok's old temples beautifully lit up against the night sky, add a bottle of wine and an excellent candlelit dinner, and it's an experience you won't forget. Wat Arun temple at sunset is quite spectacular.

Several riverside hotels operate cruises which leave at sunset or early evening. Private companies include The Pearl of Siam, Loy Nava and Wan Fah which both leave River City Pier, or the excellent Loy Nava Dinner Cruise (02 437 7329, 02 437 1932) a genuine old barge, professionally run with great atmosphere and a set dinner choice which includes vegetarian options.

Many of the riverside hotels provide a free ferry service from the piers at Tha Oriental and River City to the elegant restaurants at the Shangri-La, Peninsula, Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa, and Royal Orchid Sheraton. all offer a wonderul choice of excellent buffet lunches, seafood dinners and fine dining in both outdoor and indoor settings.

Jesters at the Peninsula Hotel has river views, impeccable service, cool music and modern Pacific Rimcuisince. Around 1,000++ for set menu per per person, or extensive a la carte menu available.

The Seafood Market at the Royal Orchid Sheraton, offers superb seafood.

Afternoon Tea For a very English afternoon tea, head for the Author's lounge at the Oriental Hotel. Traditional scones, clotted cream and a great choice of teas, can be enjoyed outside on the terrace instead where you can watch the boats (and Bangkok life) go by. Afternoon tea is available in the lobby-lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel between 3pm to 6pm. On Sundays they have a wonderful 'high tea buffet' with over 40 delicious items to sample.

Outside the Hotels The riverside is dotted with local restaurants. Some offer sophisticated dining like Supatra River House. Set in Thai style buildings, it offers exotic Thai food creations like Pomelo (similar to grapefruit) salad with shrimp and coconut flakes, soft shell crab with mango salad and grilled salmon on sticks with curried peanut sauce. Others like Ka Loang Seafood perched on a wooden pier overlooking the river, offer generous seafood platters, wonderfully tasty river prawns and great local ambiance.

Synonymous with shopping, Siam provides a huge variety of eating places to pause between shopping at one mall and the next. Inside and around the shopping malls are lots small restaurants, fast food chains (local and international) coffee shops and good value food courts. Great places to eat when you're on a shopping mission.