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 our favourites, for varying reasons. Whether its the ambiance and the cup, a particular style of 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.

For a full link of all the places on google maps, click the icon below:

SMOKEY CAT

#THEMOUTHSCHOICE

Our favourite coffee shop in all of Bangkok. Order a Flat White or a pour-over, and sit back and enjoy. If you need tips on where to eat locally, the staff are super knowledgable.

RATT CAFE

This ramshackle house in the middle of an artist collective is a great place to sip a coffee after visiting the Lomography shop or the vinyl store opposite.

AROON

Hipster vibes are on display at this clinically clean and minimalist shop, however their attention was not only on the decor, they brew a mighty fine cup too.

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.

ORBIT ESPRESSO BANGKOK

A tad out of the way for regular Bangkok visitors, but add it to the list if you intend on spending your week nerding hardcore.

SAMANTAO HERITAGE COFFEE

Perhaps not the greatest cup of coffee you'll taste, unless you like dark sludge, but the cafe is situated in a peaceful garden mere blocks from the cities chaos. So those looking for an afternoon with a book but not willing to drive an hour, need look no further.

Food is forever evolving, and sometimes it devolves. Owners change, locations change, chefs change. We can only assure you that when we visited, we liked it.