Bangkok eats at every altitude, from a roadside wok cooked over charcoal to the only two Michelin three-star kitchens in Thailand. Chinatown noodle carts, Isaan grills and decades-old broth pots sit a few blocks from some of Asia's most decorated tasting rooms.
Bangkok at a glance
What to eat
Street food (pad thai at Thipsamai, crab omelette at Jay Fai, roast duck); Yaowarat Chinatown street food and Vegetarian Festival; Mango sticky rice; Starred Thai tasting menus (Sorn, Suhring, Gaggan, Le Du); Khao chae.
When to go
Best: January–February and November–December. Also good: June–August. Hardest: March–May and September–October.
Top tables
Sorn, Michelin 3★ (2026); Sühring, Michelin 3★ (2026); Gaa, Michelin 2★ (2026); Baan Tepa, Michelin 2★ (2026). This guide lists 16 award-winning restaurants in all.
Where locals eat
Local favorites off the prestige lists include Nai Ek Roll Noodles, Gai Tord Jae Kee (Polo Fried Chicken), Nai Mong Hoi Tod and Wattana Panich.
Markets
Khlong Toei Market, Nang Loeng Market, Or Tor Kor Market and Wang Lang Market.
16 award-winning3 critic-reviewed5 local favorites5 hot right now4 markets6 walking tour stops10 chef's picks5 sandwich shops10 romantic dinners5 breakfast spots10 new openings20 dish spots
Food walking tour: Yaowarat afternoon: a Bangkok Chinatown crawl4 hours on foot, 6 stops, in eating order. Add the whole tour to your trip, then give it a day.
Photos: Nang Loeng Market: mohigan, CC BY-SA 3.0; Wang Lang Market: Iudexvivorum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Chef Amazing picks: where to eat in Bangkok
The well-known five are a Michelin-starred wok master, a one-star Thai tasting room and three counters with decades of queues: pad Thai, chicken rice and curry rice. The discoveries are Chinatown and Sukhumvit specialists who each do one thing, from rolled-noodle soup to oyster omelettes to a decades-old beef broth.
Order: Crab omelette, drunken noodles, rat na, tom yum.
A Michelin one-star shop run by the goggle-wearing Jay Fai, who cooks over charcoal. It started taking reservations after the 2017 star, and in August 2025 a viral overcharging dispute led to a 2,000 baht fine and orders to display prices, so ask for prices before you order. The crab omelette is reported at over 1,000 baht.
Best for: splurge street-food dinner · Reserve: reservations exist; check current system before going
327 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200
Order: The tasting menu (changes; confirm when booking).
A Michelin one-star contemporary Thai restaurant in the 2026 Thailand guide, open evenings Monday to Saturday. It is the dinner-reservation pick among the well-known five.
Best for: celebration dinner · Reserve: book directly by phone (+66 92 919 9969) · Hours: Mon-Sat 6pm-11pm; closed Sundays (per Michelin Guide)
399/3 Soi Si Lom 7, Si Lom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500
Order: Yellow pork curry (kaeng kari moo), glazed pork ribs (seekong moo ob), stir-fried crab; about 60 baht a plate.
A curry-rice stall in Chinatown serving from stockpots to plastic stools. The glazed pork ribs are the standout in the one detailed review, and food can run out before closing.
Michelin Bib Gourmand (since 2018, per Table Journey)Khao man gai (chicken rice)$
Order: Khao man gai with the chicken soup on the side and the house chilli sauce.
A Hainanese-style chicken rice counter on Petchaburi Road, listed as Bib Gourmand since 2018. It is a useful cheap lunch near the Pratunam shopping area.
Best for: solo lunch · Reserve: walk-in
Petchaburi Road, Pratunam, near Chit Lom BTS, Bangkok
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Michelin Plate / Bib Gourmand listings in past years (per sources); current listing unconfirmedGuay jab (rolled-noodle soup)$
Order: Guay jab (70-150 baht) with crispy pork belly; add pork spareribs stew or braised pork rump.
Peppery rolled-noodle soup, with a choice of minced pork, stomach, liver, kidney or tongue, and crispy pork belly chopped to order. Open 8am to midnight daily as of a May 2026 review.
Best for: late Chinatown meal · Reserve: walk-in · Hours: Daily 8am-midnight (per Daniel Food Diary, May 2026)
Order: O-lua (crispy oyster omelette) or o-a-chian (soft oyster pancake), dipped in chilli sauce; mussels sell out before 6pm.
A Teochew oyster omelette stall in Chinatown, with a crispy and a soft style. Time Out's listing is from 2019 and says it is open Wednesday to Sunday only.
Best for: afternoon snack · Reserve: walk-in · Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-7pm (per Time Out Bangkok, 2019; confirm)
539 Phlapphlachai Road, Pom Prap, Bangkok 10100
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Order: Tom yum pork noodles with all the pork (pork balls, sliced pork, dumplings), or the dry version.
A pork-noodle counter listed as Bib Gourmand by Table Journey, with pork balls in a spicy tom yum broth. Lunch queues fill by 11:30am and it is cash only.
Best for: weekday lunch, go before 11:30 · Reserve: walk-in · Hours: Daily 8am-5pm (per Table Journey, Jun 2026)
10/3 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Bib Gourmand (per Table Journey)Thai fried chicken and northeastern dishes$
Order: Whole fried chicken (200 baht) covered in fried garlic, with som tam and sticky rice; larb gai rather than larb moo.
A fried chicken room near Lumphini Park, known for the garlic topping and dark meat. The one detailed review is old (about 2014, page modified 2024), so confirm it is still trading.
Best for: group lunch · Reserve: walk-in; busy at mealtimes · Hours: Daily 7am-10pm (per Eating Thai Food, 2024; confirm)
137/1-2 Soi Sanam Khli, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok
New places change fast. “Provisional” means a guide or directory lists it as new but we have not confirmed the opening date. Check hours and book ahead before you go.
Memorable breakfasts in Bangkok
The top pick here; the rest are on their own page.
On Lok Yun
Charoen Krung, Old Town
Order: Egg breakfast, toast and Thai coffee
An old Thai-Chinese coffee shop with an enduring morning ritual.
Picks come from romantic-dinner lists on booking and review sites. Confirm dinner service, menus and availability before you book.
Food walking tour
Yaowarat afternoon: a Bangkok Chinatown crawl
Oyster omelette, curry rice, peppery noodle soup, fried dough and dessert, started in the afternoon.
Start 15:15 at Nai Mong Hoi Tod, 539 Phlapphlachai Road, Pom PrapTime 4 hoursDistance about 2.5 kmBest days Wednesday to Sunday. Nai Mong Hoi Tod is open Wednesday to Sunday and Jek Pui Curry and Pa Tong Go Savoey are closed Monday. Hours from older sources are worth confirming.
Chinatown here is best in the late afternoon and evening, when the curry-rice stall opens and the dessert shops light up. Start with an oyster omelette before the mussels sell out, then work along Yaowarat from a curry plate to guay jab to fried dough.
↓ 6 min · 400 m on foot (approx.): Walk south-west toward Mangkon Road and the Charoen Krung side; the stall is in the soi off the main road.
2
Jek Pui Curry
Street food Yaowarat / Pom Prap
Order: Yellow pork curry (kaeng kari moo) and the glazed pork ribs (seekong moo ob) over rice, about 60 baht a plate.
A curry-rice stall serving from stockpots to plastic stools in the street. The glazed pork ribs are the standout in the one detailed review, and food can run out before closing.
↓ 13 min · 1000 m on foot (approx.): Walk south down Yaowarat Road to Soi Yaowarat 9 and follow the soi to number 442. This is the longest walk of the tour.
3
Nai Ek Roll Noodles
Street food Yaowarat (Chinatown)
Order: Guay jab (70-150 baht) with crispy pork belly; add the pork spareribs stew or braised pork rump to share.
Peppery rolled-noodle soup with a choice of minced pork, stomach, liver, kidney or tongue, and crispy pork belly chopped to order. Michelin lists it as a Plate.
Around 16:50 · 35 min · 70-150 baht per bowl
442 Yaowarat Soi 9, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Hours: Daily 9am to midnight (per MICHELIN Guide Thailand); Daniel Food Diary, May 2026, says 8am to midnight
↓ 6 min · 450 m on foot (approx.): Cut through to Song Sawat Road, which runs parallel to Yaowarat, and look for the stall in front of numbers 299-301. Estimated distance, worth checking on a map.
4
Lim Lao Ngow
Street food Yaowarat (Song Sawat Road)
Order: A small bowl of fishball noodles (guay tiew look chin pla) with homemade fishballs and egg noodles.
A Bib Gourmand fishball noodle stall on Song Sawat Road, a parallel street to Yaowarat. Ask for a small bowl so you leave room for the rest.
Around 17:40 · 25 min
In front of building 299-301, Song Sawat Road, Yaowarat
Pacing: Order one dish between two at every stop and ask for small bowls at stops 3 and 4. If you are full by Nai Ek, skip the fishball noodles and go straight to the fried dough and dessert.
Plan B: Rain: shelter at Nai Ek, which is covered, and swap Pa Tong Go for the second dessert at Sweettime. If Jek Pui has sold out of ribs, order the yellow curry and add Guay Jab Ouan Pochana (408 Yaowarat Road) later for a second look at guay jab.
Avoid: Monday and Tuesday. Weekend evenings are very crowded on Yaowarat Road.
Bring: Cash in small baht notes and wet wipes; the street seating has no tables. Wear closed shoes for the wet pavements.
Skip it if: You cannot do heat, crowds or plastic stools in the street, or you do not eat pork, which features in most dishes.
Ends at: Sweettime, 436 Yaowarat Road. Wat Mangkon MRT is the nearest station.
Walking times and distances are approximate, and opening hours change: confirm before you go.
Hot right now in Bangkok
What people are lining up for and posting about this month. Entries expire after about four months unless they are reported again.
Hot nowReported Jul 2026
Butterbear Bakery
Khlong Tan / Siam · 125 baht per box of 5
The thing: Bear-faced butter tteok cakes in original and pandan, served with fresh milk cream for dipping.
Mascot-driven bakery that went viral with tourists; the character is in the shop on weekends and was still being promoted at Siam Paragon in July 2026.
Crazes move fast. “Just spotted” means one report so far, and most entries rest on a single source: confirm hours and expect a wait.
The Bangkok food map
Every place in this guide, pinned. Tap a pin to see what to order, then add it to your trip.
Open the full Bangkok food map: every place on our lists too (pizza, ice cream, romantic, where locals and the famous eat, cooking classes), searchable by dish.
· 18 of 20 dish places are pinned; the rest appear in the lists below. Pins are placed by address or name and can be a little off; always confirm in your maps app.
Plan my days in Bangkok
Tell us what you like and we will line up the places on this page into a day-by-day plan. Only places from this guide, never anything else.
What to eat in Bangkok, and where
Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.
Tom yum pork noodles
sour, spicy, lime-sharp noodle bowl from old Sukhumvit family shops
The 3 best places to eat it in Bangkok
1
Rung Rueang Tung Pork Noodle
Khlong Tan, Sukhumvit 26 · $
Order: Dry tom yum pork noodles with minced pork, plus blanched pork intestines
A cash-only open-air shop with a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its minced-pork noodles.
Lonely Planet (nonprod mirror): Nov-Feb best overall (most comfortable weather) and also high season with higher prices and crowds, prices peak around Christmas; Sept-Oct budget and quiet but the rainiest months (all-day rain, flooding near the Chao Phraya, gridlock); Mar-May low season, very hot (up to 40C) with hotel deals; Jun-Aug monsoon, humid, rain mostly afternoon/evening, moderate crowds. LP lists Mar-May and Sep-Oct under 'things to avoid or plan around'. Shoulder = Jun-Aug is our mapping; Songkran (13-15 Apr) is both a draw and a closure risk.
Chinese New Year in ChinatownFeb6-7 Feb 2027 (Thai Holiday Guide); LP: lion dances, street food
Songkran (Thai New Year water festival)Apr13-15 Apr, same dates every year per Thai Holiday Guide
Yaowarat (Chinatown) Vegetarian FestivalOct9-18 Oct 2026 main festival, nine-day observance 10-18 Oct; stalls both sides of Yaowarat Road; LP says September or October by year; 2027 date not...
Loy KrathongNov24 Nov 2026 (Thai Holiday Guide); LP says November full moon; 2027 date not listed
Closures to plan around
Songkran 13-15 Apr: smaller independent shops and cafes, many street food stalls (vendors travel home), banks and some local markets are likely closed; malls, 7-Eleven, hotels, major restaurants and BTS/MRT stay open;...
Restaurant weekly closing days (Thai Holiday Guide, updated July 2026): Jay Fai closed Sun-Tue; Krua Apsorn closed Sun; Thipsamai closed Tue; Nai Mong Hoy Tod closed Mon-Tue; Sorn dinner Sun-Fri; Suhring closed Mon-Tue;...
Chinese New Year (Feb) in Chinatown: no closure data sourced
Street vendors: BMA announced a crackdown on street vending on major roads in 2017 (Afar, 2017; BMA later said no outright ban) - dated, listed only as background; current vendor locations not verified
Meal costs and tipping (THB)
Casual: street legends 60-300 (Thai Holiday Guide); Thipsamai 80-300, Prachak Roasted Duck 60-200, Polo Fried Chicken 80-200
Tasting menus from: fine-dining tasting menus 3,000-15,000+, most roughly 3,000-8,000 (Sorn 7,800; Suhring 7,500; Nusara 2,500-4,000); Le Du weekday lunch 1,500-2,500
Tipping: Not expected at street stalls; at restaurants rounding up or ~10% is enough; starred tasting menus quoted before service charge and VAT except R-Haan which includes service (Thai Holiday Guide)
From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month
What the critics said (last 24 months)
Recent reviews from Bangkok. The summaries are ours, in our own words; follow the link for the critic's full take.
Bisou
Soi Lanusan
Time Out Bangkok, Aydan Stuart · Aug 2026
Relaxed, loud modern French; foie gras beef Wellington praised (invited visit, not formal review)
Awards come from the guides named on each listing (Michelin Thailand 2026; Asia's 50 Best 2026). Researched October 25, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.
Chef Amazing’s lists for Bangkok: where locals eat, new openings, romantic dinners, ice cream, cooking classes and more, each place with what to order. Cooking classes in Bangkok: who teaches, what you cook, how long and how to book.
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