Where to eat in Bangkok, Thailand - Page 2

Siam Square: Lots of small local restaurants and tiny cafes catering largely to young students from Chulalongkorn University nearby making it a cool place to hang out for Bangkok's teens and twenties. Ambient music (Thai as well as western) low key, low cost decor, international beer. Thai food plus the usual western dishes like spaghetti. Some cafes overlook the street from the first floor, providing a great spot for people watching. Nearest Skytrain: Siam

Siam Center & Siam Discovery Shopping Malls; These large modern malls offer some of the nicer fast food chains like Au Bon Pain. Great value Italian serving a good range of pasta dishes and the usual Starbucks on the ground floor of Siam Discovery. Plus lots of ethinic restaurants like Chinese, Japanese Ramen, etc., on the upper floors of both shopping malls. You won't go hungry. If you like Vietnamese cuisine try Pho on the 4th floor of Siam Center. Nearest Skytrain: Siam

MBK Center (Shopping Mall): Seven floors of shopping also mean a good choice of places to eat. Food courts, local, ethnic and theme restaurants (one called Oldies has an old fashioned jukbox, comfort food and great milkshakes, plus international and local fast food chains, inbetween Karaoke sessions in the booths located on the top floors near the cinemas. Just wander around. Nearest Skytrain: Siam or National Stadium.

Sukhumvit Road stretching east to west across central Bangkok to the suburbs, is home to many of Bangkok's established hotels, restaurants and expat favourites. Alongside the old noodle shops and street vendors that still remain, are many ethnic restaurants hidden away along Sukhumvit's many side streets (Sois) as well as those on the main road around the hotels. You'll find English pubs, Japanese Sushi bars, Egyptian and Indian restaurants, Health food places, Thai expat favourites, Chinese and western restaurants, and excellent hotel dining. If there's a particular kind of cuisine you fancy, chances are you'll find it somewhere around Sukhumvit. Here's a quick guide along the sois.

Soi 3 (Soi Nana Neua) known as "Little Arabia" you'll find a few medium and expensive restaurants serving arabic food. These range from Al Hussain, an outdoor cafe (Soi 3/5) serving mutton and fish curries, to the more expensive Shiraz, which, in addition to the food serves its male customers a traditional hookah or pipe. Also Mehmaan, Akbar's, Al Hamra and Shaharazad.

Soi 4, Nana Plaza, This well known entertainment complex also has a number of local good value eating places. Try Jool's Bar & Restaurant a British-style just past Nana Entertainment Plaza has a dining room above the downstairs bar serving hearty English food. Soi 8 Excellent French cooking at Le Banyan located along Soi 8 in a charming Thai style house. French classics and excellent wine list. Not cheap but good quality. Maharajas also on Soi 8 offers top notch Indian dishes at half the price found elsewhere. Lots of Thalis and a good vegetarian selection.

Sois 11 and 12 have a number of smaller local Indian restaurants. Mrs Balbir's, (02 253 2281) hidden away on Soi 11 next to the Swiss Park Hotel serves home cooked north Indian dishes with lots of masalas, vindaloos and vegetarian food. (You can also take cooking lessons there.) (Closed on Monday)

Pasand (02 253 2281) on Soi 12 also has northern Indian food.

Govinda (Soi 11) (02 253 4465) an unusual Italian vegetarian restaurant, serves the standard Italian fare, plus vegetarian dishes catering also to vegans. Pizzas come fron a genuine brick kiln oven.

De Meglio, opposite the Grand President Tower, on Soi 11 also offers Italian regional food with a good selection of vegetarian entrees.

Soi 12 also contains one of Bangkok's most famous restaurnts - Cabbages & Condoms, an established attraction on the Bangkok dining circuit with its imaginative menu and free condoms. Profits go towards family planning and AIDS prevention programmes in Thailand.

In the same Soi, Crepes & Co has crepes (of course) continental breakfasts, and Mediterranean, Moroccan and Spanish for lunch and dinner. Nearest Skytrain: Asok

Sois 16 - 20 Sukhumvit has many first class hotels that offer excellent dining options.

Soi 18. At the Rembrandt Hotel on Soi 18, is Senor Pico's, a cheerful looking restaurant that offers tex-mex favourites like fajitas, carnitas, nachos and combination platters. Also at the Rembrandt, Rang Mahal (02 261 7100) a rooftop restaurant, offers a combinatin of city views and Indian Royal cuisine. Sumptuous Indian buffets from 11.30am to 3pm on Sundays. Still up there with high views is the rooftop Tycoon Fine Indian at The Windsor Suites Hotel (02 663 5523-4) on Sukhumvit Soi 20.

Soi 22 The well estblished US expat favourite Bourbon St Bar & Restaurant (02 259 0328) (behind the Washington Theatre) with its Cajun and Creole cooking, great service and US Sports. It's also open for breakfast. Larry's Dive Center, Bar & Grill (02 663 4563) located in a bright yellow building has more US favourites plus a touch of humour in the kitch decor and newspaper menu.

Soi 23 Sukhumvit naturally has its fair share of Thai restaurants including places specialising in seafood where your dinner is freshly caught from the holding tanks and cooked any way you choose. For a gargantuan feast try the Seafood Palace (opposite Soi Asok) or the huge seafood restaurant way down Soi 24. For tasty Thai, Laicram (02 204 1069) on Soi 23 offers house specialities like "haw mok" a delicious kind of fish mousse, and "Gai hor bai toey" chicken wrapped and cooked in pandanus leaves. For great Vietnamese try Le Dalat (02 258 4192) which has established quite a reputation among locals also on Soi 23.

Soi 24, is home to the upmarket yet unpretentious Emporium Shopping Centre - with several good value restaurants on its 4th, 5th and 6th floors, including an excllent food court with a wide choice of Asian and Western food. On the 4th floor, the Greyhound Cafe has become a cool place to hang out for local expats with a menu that includes Thai, Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Also on Soi 24, Thailand's first microbrewery, Brauhaus-Bangkok (02 661 1111) located on the ground floor, At the President Park Hotel, German food and draught beer are available in a huge air-con dining room or at outdoor tables.

Thinking of a special night out? Thai food and ambience can be found at restaurants like Lemongrass (02 258 8637) (Soi 24) and Baan Khanitha (see review) (02 258 4181) (Soi 23) Both are located in old Thai houses with interiors full of artifacts and antiques.

Soi 33 and 33/1 The Japanese community in Bangkok has quietly settled in over the last few years making their mark on Bangkok's culinary map. You can find clusters of Japanese restaurants all over Bangkok but here on Sukhumvit Sois 33 & 33/1 you find Japanese restaurants, Karoke places and sushi bars patronised largely by expat Japanese. Close to Soi 33 is the Londoner Brew Pub and The Bull's Head Pub serving a diet of British standard pub grub plus sports and beers on draught.

Sois 34 & 36 If you've already tried the incredibly spicy food from north-east region often found around the markets, try some new specialities in the Lao restaurants around Sois 34 and 36. You'll find favourites like Larb (minced pork/chilli/mint/lime salad) among some of the more esoteric dishes at places like Vientienc Kitchen (Soi 36) accompanied by "Mor Lam" - rythmic north-eastern Thai country music every evening. If you just want to eat outside for a quick snack, there are lots of "quick stop" places around Hualampong Railway Station located on Soi 34, but easier to access from Soi 26.

Soi 55 (Soi Thonglor) with its cool clubs, trendy bars and small eateries is becoming a local alternative to the city centre. The Soi stretehes a few kilometres so take a taxi to The Witches Tavern - pub grub and good rock & roll bands, The Tasman Pub - aussie fare and lager and a number of local restaurants in the small Sois.