Bangkok Restaurant Tips by pmarshuk

On Sukhumvit Soi 7 is an area of several fixed food stalls and a bar. Once you have fought your way through the crowd of people trying to attract you to their menus, just choose any table and select a set of menus from whichever stall/server you fancy. Whichever you choose the drinks all come from the same bar.
As an example of price a Prawn Pad Thai will cost 30-40 baht, or a fried rice with chicken is 70-80 baht.
Right next door is another bar called 'New Wave" with pool tables and large screen TV, popular with UK visitors because it shows a lot of Sport on a giant TV screen. Just across across the Soi is a German beer garden which is also very popular with visitors.

Favorite Dish: Virtually all the food is good and cheap - but as this is Bangkok, obviously the seafood is great.
Alternatively you could try some of the insects being served by the street vendors alongside.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Sukhumvit Soi 7
Directions: Near Nana Skytrain station

Do try the food being sold from the stalls in the street. As long as it is cooked just for you then there should be no problems with food poisoning. I didn't try any of the insects but the skewers of pork and chicken are delicious, as is some of the seafood.
If by any chance you should want to carry on drinking and eating after the official closing of the bars, then head to Sukhumvit between Nana and Asoke skytrain stations. The street sellers there (and also up near Nana Plaza) will be happy to keep you going for as long as you want - or at least until dawn.

Favorite Dish: One thing I really liked was the fruit. The seller chops it up for you and puts it into a plastic bag. With it you can also have a "dip" of sugar mixed with chilli.

Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter

Restaurant Name: Cabbages and Condoms

The only restauarnt I've been to where you are given a condom with your bill. Profits from the restaurant go to the Population and Community Development Association which aims at educating people in the benfits of safe sex and birth control.
The food here was very good on my first visit and at a reasonable price(can't remember exactly how much) and the service impeccable. No rubbery taste to any of the food unless you think the condom is an after dinner mint.
On my second visit I thought the food was a bit boring - definitely nothing special. However the general atmosphere was still very nice
You have a choice of either sitting outside in the gardens or inside. However beware of sitting too close to the ornamental ponds and fountains as in the evenings they attract some biting insects. I found the best place to sit was upstairs, which is undercover in case it rains and if you have a seat around the edge you get a nice view of the diners below.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: Sukhumvit Soi 12
Directions: Right at the end of Soi 12, a bit of a walk from the Sukhumvit Road.
Website: http://www.sli.unimelb.edu.au/pda/ccrest.htm

Restaurant Name: Street Foods

On the corner of Sukhumvit and Soi 33 just opposite the Londoner Pub is a street seller with about four tables set up just on the street by the corner. This place has the most wonderfull Pad Thai I've ever tasted and I think it's incredibly cheap - don't know 'cos I didn't pay. Sme locals who took me there paid.

Favorite Dish: Pad Thai

Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Street Vendors!
Directions: Corner of Sukhumvit and Soi 33

Restaurant Name: Food Loft

Foodloft is on the top floor of the Central Chidlom department store and serves a wide variety of different styles of food including Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian and Italian. What happens is that as you enter you are given a "credit card" good for up to 1000 baht (although you will probably spend a lot less than this per person). Then you go to any of the counters and select what you want and they will charge the cost of that dish/drink to the card. When you leave your card is read and you pay the bill.
I had a vietnamese "4seasons" platter which contained 4 separate dishes, plenty of well cooked tasty food and cost about 240 baht.

The restaurant seems to be very popular with the young "trendy" Thai set as well as visitors.

Favorite Dish: Hmm - not sure could be any one of these 6 beautiful girls.
Seriously though - after Peak and her friend left I was left alone with them. The things I do for the sake of a VT tip :-)

Leave a Comment

Theme: Other
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Central Chidlom in Chitlom Station
Directions: When you reach Chitlom Station turn left if you are coming from On Nut.

For about 800 to 1,000 baht you can enjoy a two hour dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya river on an old converted teakwood rice barge having a traditional Thai dinner. Some cruises will also have a display of Thai Dancing. I haven't done this personally but I'm very tempted and will probably try it at some time.
The barges are very like this one I saw while on the ferry along the river


Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter

Restaurant Name: Ban Khun Mae

Came here as part of a VT meeting with Rin (VT name SiRin). It's right in the middle of the Siam Square area and seems to be popular with both locals and visitors. It is themed as a traditional Thai house with lots of wood and the food is great. There are also performances of traditional Thai music to entertain you while you eat dinner. The service was also excellent. My girlfriend liked it so much she made sure we came back again a few days later to show her daughter.

Favorite Dish: Chicken in a hot, spicy coconut cream soup

Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: 458/7-9 Siam Square, Soi 8
Directions: Siam Square

In the basement of the Fortune shopping mall there are quite a few empty shops, many of which are converted into temporary noodle places at lunchtime. I can't describe exactly which one we used, but my girlfriend used to take me here for lunch and the chicken cuury or beef noodle soup were wonderful and it was so cheap.
These should not be confused with the food court area - which is also great value for money


Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: Basement of Fortune Shopping Mall
Directions: Next to Phra Rama 9 subway station

Restaurant Name: MBK Food Court

Up on the 6th floor of the MBK shopping centre is the Food Court. As is common in most foodcourts in Bangkok this works on the voucher system. You buy vouchers at one of the voucher outlets up to whatevere value you want, and given the prices here you won't need to spend that much. You then use these vouchers to pay for the food and drink at one of the many sellers, then you redeem what vouchers you have left at the end at the special counter for voucher redemption.
The choice of food is massive including noodles, rice, Chinese, soups and many others (including other Thai foods). We usually have a noodle soup with beef or chicken which you can make as spicey as you like. Delicious.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Other
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Address: MBK Mall, 444 Thanon Phayathai, Pathumwan
Directions: On the 6th floor.

Restaurant Name: Lemongrass

Situated on Sukhumvit Soi 24 close to Phrom Phong skytrain station and also very near the Emporium shopping mall. A group of us came here for my first VT meeting in Bangkok - organised by Yen, also there were and husband Albert, Nim, Neng, Patt, Winston and his girlfriend Marina.
The food was good but the service was a bit slow even for Thailand. However most of the time was spent talking.


Leave a Comment

Theme: Local
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: (02) 2588637
Address: Sukhumvit Soi 24
Directions: Across the street from the Emporium