AEY SEAFOOD

Recommended by countless sources, and tested in depth, this place does seafood like no other. Amazingly fresh, flavourful and cheap. Expect lines, it's worth every minute of agony. You definitely want to get the glass noodles with prawns, the scallops in butter garlic, the whole fried seabass in fish sauce, chilli clams, river prawns with butter and garlic, heck just come with a group and order everything.

Call ahead to make sure, cause they are always full: 081-619-1924

POLO FRIED CHICKEN

Probably the place The Mouth writers have eaten at the most in Bangkok. Succulent chicken, great Northern sausages, sticky rice, somtum, the works. Note that due to it being featured in the Michelin Guide, there are more tourists visiting and they are less likely to make things spicy even if you ask.

Our only tip here is try it for lunch rather than dinner, the chicken sits out and dries by nightfall.

BEER HIMA

Translated to "Snow Beer", don't let the name fool you. This gargantuan restaurant in a very unpractical place for most tourists, serves up some of Bangkok's freshest and best seafood. The clams are bigger than most places in town, the curries are fiery and delicious, the prices are a tad on the rich side, but consider it a pilgrimage of holy footsteps and allow yourself the luxury.

Though famous for seafood, the locals know to order the Southern Thai dishes. They will blow your head off, but they are ridiculously good.

SRI TRAT

Walking into the past never tasted better. Above average renditions of all the classics served in a nostalgic, evocative dining room. Get reservations, or you'll have braved the Sukhumvit traffic only to be politely turned away.

SANEH LARB KOI

Northern Isan food at its very best. This wildly popular spot near Chulalongkorn University is generally packed from open-close. All the dishes are solid here, but if you want our tips try the beef done on the grill outside (ask for it cooked to order as they sometimes make tons ahead of time and it sits out cold), the beef and herb soup and the somtum with sticky rice. A cheap and ridiculously good gem.

หอมดีหมี่เกี๊ยว

One of those places you just recommend to every single person you ever meet. A tiny noodle shack in the heart of Chinatown, that does a dish everyone has seen a million times before, but they do it a million times better. Seriously. Rumour has it they cook the noodles in pork fat then top with pork belly, wontons and a few greens. What you want to do here is show them the photo above, then grab a jar of the black home-made sauce and hit it with that, then do the regular chillis-vinegar-sugar to your taste.

This is seriously amazing.

SOMBOON THAI

We all know Wattana Panich gets the plaudits (and crowds) when it comes to beef noodle soup, but this legit spot in Lad Phrao blows it out the water. Deep broth, great beef + meatballs, super friendly service. 100% legit

SOM TUM JAY SO

Far better an option than the more famous Som Tum Convent nearby, this shack serves up authentic Isan food in a sweltering tent.

Fish ball soup with deeply flavoursome pork shoulder broth, just what the doctor ordered. The old lady has been cooking this same soup for over 40 years, so she has nailed her recipes.

GOJIRO RAMEN

Open just shy of a year and quietly getting noticed by Bangkok's ramen sniffers, this tiny neighborhood  shop by Tao Poon station serves possibly the best bowl in town. Balanced umami-laden broth, delirously tender pork, perfectly cooked egg and regular ramen noodles all served in a friendly room with a price that fits any budget. Well worth taking the metro out of central Bangkok to try if you are as rabid about ramen as we are.

JHOL

A punk in the local Indian scene, JHOL tear up the rule book. Their food is contemporary, yet steeped in tradition. Every flavour is carefully considered, tempered and prepared. The service is exemplary, the food top notch, a true giant in the Bangkok food scene and a place to avoid if you are looking for a Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan.

Their lamb shank curry (picture above) is a rich, decadent miracle.

BAAN YAI PHAD THAI

Not famously a consumer of Thailands National Dish, if, however, you are hankering for a plate of it, then this is by far the best in Bangkok that we tried.

SMOKEY CAT

Good coffee is becoming easier to find these days in Bangkok, but after half a year of explorations, Smokey Cat still offer the best and most consistent cup. Every day it tastes almost exactly the same, which is a marvel in this day and age.

TSURU UDON

Whether you're in Thong Lor or Patpong, you can hit either of the branches with confidence that you're going to enjoy a great bowl of handmade udon noodles. The broth is a tad on the sweet side (damn you Bangkok), but this is nothing to sniff at.

PAE'S BRASS POT CONGEE

Another recipient of Michelin praise, this straight up family run congee shop really does do the best in town. Try the pork one with a soft egg. Comfort food at its finest.

THAI BASIL BEEF

Kha Prao places are a dime-a-dozen in Bangkok, but can all suffer from one of two curses: Inferior meat, sugar overload. This little place in a backalley by Bang Sue station serves up decadently flavourful plates, albeit on the rich/oily side, but thats the sacrifice for flavour. Order at the outdoor counter, head inside to the room on the right which is Air Conditioned, don't forget to top it with an egg and grab some ice and a drink from the small fridge. Bliss

BAAN SOMTUM

Say what you like about the Michelin Guide's reputation in Asia (Miss with a couple of Hits), but they got this place right. If you're looking for safe food that still packs a punch, flavour-wise, you could do worse than heading here for their wide array of Somtum.

The one order you must obey, is to get the Spicy Fried Chicken (pictured above), which are different to the chicken wings even tho they are also wings. Confusion? Yes. Smoked duck larb, pork shoulder, all tasty!

BAI PLU HOUSE

Forget all the hipster, expensive vegan places in Bangkok. Bai Plu makes the best vegan in town. Order anything off the menu, it's all delicious.

OLD OTHER OFFICE

There is no greater bar on earth if you want a dive bar amidst the chaos of Silom.

ARMA NOODLE

Grab a bowl of the Kuey Teow (thick noodles) with pork or chicken if you can handle sitting outside in a tiny shack in an alley. The old lady has been serving up delicious meals for decades, and the taste is always on point. Slightly sweet, yes, but nothing that a dash of vinegar and chilli won't fix!

THE ATLANTA HOTEL

Hidden away at the end of a long soi behind the insanity of Nana, lies this gloriously kitsch and striking hotel. Moods that harken back to Wong-Kar Wai films, a beautiful swimming pool, a decent restaurant and an oasis for people who dislike loud children, this hotel is one of earths last hidden treasures.

Read our "Ode to the Atlanta" here.

MOO PING HEA SILOM

Relocated from the din of Silom to a hard-to-find backalley in Suan Plu, Moo Hea bangs out the BEST pork skewers in town. DO NOT leave without asking for them to drench them in their tamarind/garlic sauce, it would be criminal.

23 BAR & GALLERY

Having been a mainstay and DJ at this bar in all it's previous 3 locations, Bar23 is the definitive indie bar for a good night out. Expect to hear Blur, Pulp, Happy Mondays and New Order at some point during the night. Mongkol, the owner, is a local legend and an accomplished artist. Ask to see/buy some of his paintings!

PHED PHED CAFE

Multiple locations around town, yet surprisingly consistent, Phet Phet is another gem in the Northern Thai pantheon. If you ask for it spicy here, you'll probably need an ambulance.

KRUA KHUN EIN

Our bet for the best southern thai in town. Located in the middle of nowhere, if you happen to be around Lat Phrao, you have to visit these spicy shores.

SANGUAN SRI

If you like your restaurants filled with character and reminiscent of an old persons canteen, then this is your spot. You could walk past it a hundred times and not realise the entrance, but once inside Sanguan Sri does traditional Thai food simply and deliciously. Their menu rotates depending on the day, but almost everything here is great. The atmosphere is fantastic.

MAE VAREE

You don't come to Bangkok and not hit them up for take-away Mango Sticky Rice. Studio Lam is round the corner, and KhuaKlingPakSod a couple blocks away. Make a night out of it!

HONG TEONG LONG

Craving some southern Chinese comfort food? Look no further. While we don't necessarily recommend the dumplings, everything else we tried on the menu was legit!

CHUA KIM LHEE DIN DAENG GOOSE

Traditional roast goose served in a buzzing dining room full of people sad that their meal is soon ending.

SOEI

Long standing seafood restaurant in Ari, word on the street is that standards have slipped slightly of late, but we visited in February 2023 and it was still great (albeit portion sizes had diminished but the flavours were on point).

KHUAKLINGPAKSOD

There are three branches of this Southern food joint in the city, don't hit the Silom branch. Head to Thong Lo, get reservations through Chope, and order basically anything on their huge menu. They will make it spicy if you ask.

Highly recommended that you order a plate of Bai Leang Pad Kai.

STUDIO LAM

Fans of all-things "Sublime Frequencies", flock to this bar to hear the old and new belted out from vinyl players. Expect anything from old legendary Molan music, jazz, afrobeat and sometimes Dub.

HOM DUAN

If you're pining for Chaing Mai, and missing a delicious bowl of Khao Soi, then this is the closest you'll find in town to fullfilling your needs.

AROON

Sukhumvit coffee doesn't get better (or more hip) than at Aroon. They take their beans very, very seriously and it shows in the final product.

AGALIN GARDEN ROOM

The perfect date spot, and the food is also pretty solid.

THE STANDARD BURGER

Should the perils of unsatisfaction come riding in on a pale horse, and the deep sanctity of Thai food no longer pleases and abates crushing hunger. Look no further. Standard Burger will satiate you with the fatty pleasures of slain cattle.

LOMOGRAPHY SHOP

Kill three birds with one stone heading to this quirky little shop selling all the usual suspects of the Lomography collection. Opposite the store is Ratt Cafe (2nd best cafe in BKK), to the right is a vinyl shop, and 200 meters walk is Somboon Thai, aka the best beef noodle soup in Bangkok! Make a day out of it.

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.