The Top 10 Restaurants in Bangkok
1. LE DU
Chef “Ton” Thitid Tassanakajohn oversees this Thai-influenced relaxed fine dining experience, putting his skills honed at New York’s Eleven Madison Park to use with modern takes on Thai classics. The restaurant’s name is a play on the Thai word “ru du,” which means “seasons,” and the tasting menus here are heavy on seasonal produce and ingredients sourced from local farmers, fishermen, and others. The presentations are exquisite, and because Chef Ton is also a professional sommelier, the wine pairings from around the world are world-class. Le Du has received numerous accolades, including a Michelin star from the Bangkok Michelin Guide and a ranking of fourth in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Four- and six-course tasting menus are available, with exotic dishes like squid and ink, pork blood pudding, and even the most humble variety of Thai bananas getting the most creative and delectable treatment. Tasting menus range from 3,000 to 3,600 baht and are a must-do for any foodie visiting Bangkok.
Recommended for Best Restaurants because: Le Du is unique in its creative interpretations and exquisite presentations of classic Thai cuisine.
2. SUHRING
Thomas and Mathias Suhring are master chefs who are identical twins. They have transformed their beautiful old villa home in Bangkok into an intimate garden restaurant serving German and European cuisine inspired by their childhood memories and family recipes. The restaurant has two Michelin stars and is ranked in the top ten of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. The interior of Suhring includes a winter garden glasshouse with views of the garden, an elegant dining area called the “living room,” and the kitchen, where diners can sit at a chef’s counter and watch the 9 or 12-course “Suhring Experience” set menu being prepared. A la carte specialties include spaetzle, a southern German egg noodle dish served with black truffle, and Himmel und Erde, a crispy potato, black pudding, and green apple dish. Tasting menus start at 3500 baht and go up from there. Sharing is recommended for the best restaurants because: Suhring excels at creative and unique tastes in German home cooking!
3. GAA
In addition to the incredible culinary creations, there are superb wine pairings to go with the dinner, and even drink pairings for those who want to remain completely sober for one of Bangkok’s most excellent feasts. While many Michelin-starred restaurants serve fine Wagyu beef or try to wow you with foie gras presentations for their main courses, Gaa defies convention by serving unripe jackfruit with jackfruit roti and a variety of pickles. Unlike the sweet fruit, the unripe version is thick and meaty and will convert any carnivore. For those who can’t get enough flesh, the caramelized sous vide pork belly with tamarind glaze, shallots, coriander, and pomegranate is not only the best piece of pork in Bangkok but possibly all of Asia, if not the world. GAA is a Bangkok masterpiece for creative culinary excellence and is recommended for Best Restaurants.
4. NUSARA
Chef Third “Ton” Tassanakajohn, the man behind the renowned Le Du and Baan restaurants, is the man behind NUSARA. Nusara, his newest venture, pays homage to his late grandmother and features classic Thai family recipes prepared in 12-course set tasting menus that take you through a variety of Thai cuisines. The setting is in an intimate dining room with only 10 seats (yes, reservations are required), and you’ll be able to tantalize your tastebuds with dishes like crab curry served on crispy betel leaf with caviar or a traditional pad kra prao (Thai holy basil stir fry) made with the most tender wagyu beef.
Tasting menus here start at 1990 baht, and if you’re still hungry, head downstairs to Chef Ton’s Mayra Pad Thai, a chic wine bar with good old pad thai to go with your drinks.
Nusara is recommended for Best Restaurants. Because: For an intimate classic Thai menu, Nusara is a real winner.
5. LE NORMANDIE
This elegant French restaurant on the Oriental Hotel’s top floor is a Bangkok institution. This two-Michelin-starred restaurant is one of Bangkok’s most prestigious fine dining establishments. Fois Gras and roasted Sisteron rack of lamb are just a few of the menu highlights prepared by the visiting French master chefs in residence here, all enjoyed in an elegant setting with views of the Chao Phraya River. A set menu of appetizers, entrees, and desserts costs 1500 baht and introduces you to world-class cuisine.
Recommended for Best Restaurants because Le Normandie is simply the best for fine French cuisine and Michelin-starred dining.
6. THE LOCAL
Kan Markawat and his sister Ploy come from a family of traditional foodies, and they have showcased their love of traditional and hard to find dishes from all over Thailand The Local, a lovely new eatery where one can dine in a 70-year-old traditional teak home outfitted with antiques, wooden bird cages, old paddles from the floating market, and bookcases full of Thai cookbooks from throughout the ages. The new Michelin Bangkok guide named the restaurant a Bib Gourmand choice.
Recommended for Best Restaurants because: The Local is an excellent choice for traditional, hard-to-find Thai recipes.
7. SOMTUM DER
While Bangkok has plenty of chic eateries, the country’s spicy northeastern fare, known as Isan food, is sadly underrepresented outside of hole-in-the-wall restaurants and street carts. Somtum Der, founded by a group of friends and family with ties to the Isan region, is an authentic northeastern eatery that has already received widespread praise. Somtum Der serves popular Isan street foods such as larb tawt (spicy minced pork salad), kor moo yang (grilled marinated pork), somtum pla tu Khao mun (shredded unripe papaya with grilled mackerel and coconut rice), and tum suo Sakhon Nakorn (Thai vermicelli with white popinac seeds) (an ingredient which cannot be found in Bangkok). Somtum Der is recommended for Best Restaurants because it serves authentic Isan Northeastern Thai fare in a relaxing setting.
8. MEZZALUNA
Mezzaluna is Bangkok’s most opulent restaurant, and dining here 65 floors above the Chao Phraya River and the Bangkok skyline is one of the top experiences one can have while in town, especially since the restaurant has been awarded two stars by the Bangkok Michelin guide, and features the palate-boggling cooking of chef Ryuki Kawasaki, who has worked in Michelin kitchens in France, the United States, and his native Japan, and was named Chef of the Year by Roscoff.
Mezzaluna’s menu is seasonal, changing every three months, but dishes like Wagyu beef are always available. “My passion is to create experiences that inspire and leave lasting memories for the people I share them with,” Chef Kawasaki says, “and our culinary journey at Mezzaluna includes doing just that.” a variety of textures, flavors, artisanal seasonal products, and cooking techniques.”
Recommended for Best Restaurants because Mezzaluna is Bangkok’s most elegant and sky-high Michelin-awarded restaurant.
9. SAAWAAN
There’s a reason Saawaan received a Michelin star from the prestigious Michelin Bangkok guide. Yes, the restaurant’s name means “heaven” in Thai, and yes, you will feel closer to the stars after a meal here, but you can also expect an intimate fine dining experience with authentic and creative Thai cuisine that is simply some of the best in Bangkok, prepared by a wildly talented chef. You’ll also want to save room for dessert, as Arisara “Paper” Chongphanitkul, a graduate of the French Gastronomicom culinary school, contributes her expertise to the sweets here, serving up pumpkin and coconut custards alongside durian-flavored chocolate petit fours to round out the evening.
Add to that Bangkok’s best wine pairings, attentive service, and the intimate surroundings, which include only six tables, dim mood lighting, and an open kitchen, and you’ve got the makings of a memorable “heavenly” evening.
Recommended for Best Restaurants because: Saawaan is absolutely outstanding for Michelin-starred Thai cuisine.
10. SUPANNIGA X ROOTS
Supanniga X Roots has it all if you’re looking for authentic cuisine, creative cocktails, and the ideal riverside chill-out location. If you’ve perused the 10 Best section for Thai dining options, you’ve almost certainly come across owner Thanareuk Laoraowirodge’s other Supanniga locations, which have been on nearly every Bangkok food critic’s list for several years. Supanniga was founded by Laoraowirodge to pay homage to his late grandmother’s home recipes, which included many dishes from Trat, on Thailand’s eastern seaboard, that is not easily found in most Bangkok establishments. You can eat popular street food favorites like coconut rice cakes or deep blue butterfly pea custard served with steamed bread, and pair the sweets with a cappuccino, or try something more adventurous like the Hanuman Cold Brew, which infuses cold brew with dehydrated jackfruit and an oolong and chrysanthemum tea blend, a Roots creation that is completely unique and only available at this location.
Supanniga is recommended for Best Restaurants because: For difficult-to-find authentic recipes in a fantastic riverside location, Supanniga covers all the essentials for a fantastic night out.
