BY TREMOR CHRIST

Chiang Mai has historically had the upperhand in Thailand when it comes to coffee, but Bangkok is starting to catch up. There are still far too few solid coffee shops taking their grind-brew-serve seriously, but compared to a decade ago it's grow in leaps and bounds.

Despite many succumbing to the numb hipster vibes of a big city, this is definitely a case of "don't judge a book by it's cover". Some of the best coffee in town is served in shops lifted from a cover of Wallpaper Magazine. Still, with a pair of sunglass on you'll fit right in, and everyone else is too preoccupied with their phones to notice your shaky hands whilst waiting for the caffeine to hit right.

Here below are what we consider the best coffee shops in Bangkok, for varying reasons. Whether its the ambiance, a divine espresso, a miraculous pour-over, a particular style of ice-coffee or the perfect place to switch off, we've got all your needs covered in the guide below.

If you do happen to be heading North to Chiang Mai afterwards, then you'll perhaps be interested to peruse our dedicated article to all things coffee up there. You can find that here.

#THEMOUTHSCHOICE

MOON PHASES COFFEE

Tucked away in a small street of Khlong Toei, this amazing coffee shop serves all your regular style espresso drinks, thai coffee's, but the real gold is their 3-4 bags of specialty coffee on rotation. Ask for tips from the ultra friendly barista's, and sit back and sip sumptuously prepared coffee.

The location may turn a few off from visiting, but this should be more of a reason to go rather than stay in your usual compounds. Hitching a ride on a motorbike taxi to Moon Phases will really be one of the best things you can do on your coffee explorations of Bangkok.

POBNAR

The first test is finding this amazing little coffee roaster/shop. Google maps will have you heading down the wrong alleyway, and when you finally find the right one you'll walk halfway down and think you've gotten lost. Fear not! Keep walking, you'll find it.

Head inside and sample some of the best coffee in Bangkok, pour-over or espresso. Heavy on the Ethiopian beans when we visited, but absolutely fabulous cups! Highly recommended.

This neighborhood coffee shop in Thong Lo serves ultra consistent cups of coffee. The thing to get here is pour-over, and make sure to have a chat with the baristas about what to get!

HANDS & HEART

Tiny art-shop meets coffee, hidden in a parking lot underpass under a condo. Hit this and Samadool at the same time since they're literally 100m apart.

BLACKHILLS BKK

Pour over enthusiasts head to BlackHills in the Lat Phrao neighborhood, sip your coffee whilst listening to Slowdive on vinyl. Life could be worse. If you want an espresso, they have a Flare hand-pulled machine that they'll happily plonk on the counter and produce an excellent sip.

WANWAN

Slightly more processed coffee, but a must-hit on your Bangkok itinerary.

CERESIA COFFEE ROASTERS

Re-located to a gorgeous house, this is one of the OG spots in BKK. From the moment they open, hordes cram in to buy weighed out bags of beans, or sip a well made coffee before tackling the insanity outside.

SINGLE LANE

Aussie style coffee, but a great selection of light roast pour-over too.

BREWING PATH

Amazing little hidden gem of a third-wave shop, great selections of coffee for pour-over.

Drink the Koble coffee beans if they have any in stock.

NANA COFFEE ROASTERS

A huge step up from commercial coffee chains, this place doesn't offer anything truly exciting, but it is a good choice if you're wondering or wandering around and need a caffeine injection. The garden is perfect for a date or book read.

Warning: If you are allergic to influencers, steer clear.

AS.IS

Chiang Mai beans in a seriously hip industrial metal/concrete cafe near Hualumpong station? This is our spot if we're in Chinatown and need coffee. Think Melbourne meets melting steel.

FACTORY HQ

The flagship store, and home to the Thai roasting champions, is a great place to try some coffee from Sirinya Farms, if they have any in stock.