Best food, cafés & bars in Bangkok

ISUNG Asoke serves Korean-style Chinese food in Asoke, including familiar noodle dishes like jajangmyeon and jjamppong, as well as tangsuyuk. The menu centers on jajangmyeon with a rich black bean sauce, spicy seafood jjamppong, and crispy tangsuyuk with a sweet-and-sour sauce. It’s a small restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere.

A humble neighborhood spot serving Thai pork noodles. Choose minced pork and fish balls in a clear pork-bone broth, tangy and spicy tom yum soup, or a dry mixed version. The atmosphere is relaxed and lively.

Taling Pling’s Sukhumvit 34 branch serves traditional Thai dishes in a relaxed setting with a garden and pond. Try the tangy pomelo salad and prawns with tamarind sauce; tropical plants add to the calm atmosphere.

A café and restaurant tucked into a lane off Sukhumvit Soi 12 in Asok, serving Doi Chang coffee alongside breakfast and Thai dishes. Korean travel reviews say it can also be found on maps as Doi Chang Coffee, though the current sign may show Doi Soi 12 Cafe.

A minimalist café in Talat Yot Alley, about a 7-minute walk from Khao San Road, with a white-and-wood interior. Its signature Black Orange combines coffee, orange juice, and brown sugar jelly; matcha, Thai milk tea, and cakes are also popular. There are work tables in the garden area at the back, and French bulldog mascots greet visitors.

A café and bakery inside Mahatun Plaza. Pair its rich, smooth coffee with a smoked salmon bagel or croissant. The spacious interior has comfortable spots for working.

A small live music bar tucked into a Charoen Krung alley, founded by musicians. Expect blues, jazz, funk and rock from the ’60s to the ’90s. It’s often praised for its sound, and the Saturday Chicago blues show is a local favorite. Known as a sister venue to Adhere the 13th Blues Bar.

A live bar in Thonglor with striking red lighting and dark interiors. Local bands take the stage nightly, moving between jazz, soul, indie rock, blues and more. Its distinctive lineup, strong sound and cocktails made with Thai ingredients earned it a place on BK Magazine’s “Best Live Music Bars 2026” list.

A tiny blues bar named for its location at No. 13 Samsen Road. With only a few tables in its narrow interior, you’ll be almost knee-to-knee with the band. Blues legends’ photos and LPs decorate the room, where backpackers, expats, and Thai blues fans mingle.

A Bangkok jazz and blues institution since 1987, with the stage at the center of the room and a second floor overlooking the show, making the music feel close from almost anywhere. Bands take turns on stage every night, playing everything from jazz and soul to funk, reggae, and Latin, in a lively crowd of locals and travelers.

Bangkok’s first jazz bar, opened in 1953 inside the Mandarin Oriental. In a 1950s-inspired room dressed in dark wood and rattan, vocal-led jazz bands play classic standards. The bar is also known for signature cocktails made with Thai ingredients.

A neighborhood jazz bar in a 1960s three-story townhouse on a Suan Phlu alley, styled with a Parisian touch. Since opening in 2014, it has become a hangout for expats. Wednesday nights bring serious, extended improvisational jazz rather than easy listening, and you can enjoy a drink on the rooftop while listening to the music downstairs.

A small, laid-back neighborhood wine bar on Bamrung Muang Road in Bangkok’s Old Town. It’s an easygoing place to try natural, organic, and orange wines, with local craft beer and nonalcoholic drinks too—ideal for a stop after exploring the old quarter.

A cozy wine bar that began as an online natural wine bottle shop in 2020 before opening in Ari. Settle into a relaxed space with cement floors, green plants and soft lighting, and enjoy a rotating weekly selection of wines by the glass alongside Thai-inspired snacks.

A natural wine bar and listening room tucked atop an old building, playing everything from jazz to Thai funk and disco on vintage Altec speakers and a turntable. It’s a quiet jazz café in the early evening, then shifts into a party mood later at night—choose your time to suit your style.

A glamorous Art Deco hotel bar inside Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, where chandeliers and an open-air courtyard evoke a cinematic social club. A regular on Asia’s and the World’s 50 Best Bars lists, it’s known for excellent service and makes a lovely choice for dressing up on a special occasion.

A small cocktail bar with an all-black interior, bartenders in white coats, and shelves lined with jars of herbs and spices, creating a lab-like feel. Its course-style menu moves from starters to mains and desserts, and includes food-inspired drinks such as a Pad Thai Highball. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys trying new flavors.

Upstairs in a 120-year-old shophouse that houses Michelin-starred restaurant Potong, this bar occupies a space once used for smoking opium. The discreet journey up in a small elevator sets the mood. Inside, black leather sofas and gilded details create a decadent atmosphere, and cocktails feature Thai ingredients and serveware by Thai artists.

A casual rooftop on the 40th floor of Kimpton Maa-Lai Hotel, like a backyard barbecue transplanted to a garden in the sky. A multiple winner of BK Magazine’s B.A.D. Awards for Best Rooftop Bar, it pairs sunset city views with DJ parties at night and pan-Latin dishes from a Peruvian chef.

A jungle-inspired rooftop atop the T-One Building, famous for its glowing bamboo LED tree that resembles a jellyfish and draws plenty of social media attention. Spread across several levels, it’s a stylish spot for tropical cocktails, DJ sets, and 360-degree city views, popular with younger travelers.

An iconic Bangkok rooftop bar on the 63rd floor of State Tower, beneath its golden dome, with sweeping views of the Chao Phraya River. Famous as a filming location for The Hangover Part II, it’s pricey, but the riverside sunset views make it worth visiting at least once.