The 10 Best Thai Restaurants in Bangkok in 2016

One of the best things about living in Bangkok is that you’ll never run out of Thai restaurants to try.

In this blog post I’m going to share with you 10 of the best Thai restaurants in Bangkok that I tried in 2016.

The rules:

1. First time eating – All the restaurants on this list are restaurants in Bangkok I tried for the first time in 2016 (you can see my previous years of best Thai restaurants in 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, – wow the years keep flying by!).
2. Thai food – I’ve kept this list to Thai and Thai Chinese food (since Chinese influence is so intertwined into Thai food and culture).
3. Opinion – This list of best restaurants in Bangkok 2016 is not a popular vote, they are just my opinion, featuring places I personally ate at this year. If you’d like to share your favorite Thai restaurant in Bangkok, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Ok, let’s get started.

1. Som Tam Jay So (ร้านส้มตำเจ๊โส)

There are plenty of Isaan restaurants in Bangkok, and many of them are very good, but some seem to lack that real pungently powerful Isaan flavor that you get in Isaan.

Som Tam Jay So (ร้านส้มตำเจ๊โส), located in Silom, is a restaurant in Bangkok where you’ll find the real deal, and I think it’s one of the best Isaan restaurants in Bangkok.

Their grilled chicken wings (pik gai yang ปีกไก่ย่าง) are good, the beef laab (laab neua ลาบเนื้อ) is sour and spicy, and the jungle green papaya salad (tam pa ตำป่า) is everything you want in green papaya salad — and it will light your mouth on fire from the chilies and fermented fish sauce.

Som Tam Jay So (ร้านส้มตำเจ๊โส)

Address: Soi Phiphat 2, Silom, Bangkok 10500
Open hours: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm daily
Price: About 40 – 50 THB per dish

ที่อยู่ ซอยพิพัฒ 2 สีลม บางรัก กรุงเทพมหานคร 10500
โทร. 085-999-4225
เปิดบริการทุกวัน 8.30 – 16.30 น.

2. Sanguan Sri (ร้านสงวนศรี)

Walking to various embassies I had walked right by Sanguan Sri (ร้านสงวนศรี) dozens of times throughout my time living in Bangkok.

But for some reason, probably because I was always in a hurry to finish my business at the US embassy as fast as possible, I never even really noticed Sanguan Sri (ร้านสงวนศรี) restaurant which sits lonesome in the midst of sky-rise modern buildings and malls at Phloen Chit.

Sanguan Sri (ร้านสงวนศรี) is a classic Thai restaurant that’s been serving fantastic food for over 50 years now. Their green curry, which is rich with curry paste and coconut cream, and with a wonderfully balanced cumin flavor, is one of the best versions of green curry I’ve ever had in Bangkok.

Sanguan Sri (ร้านสงวนศรี)

Address: 59/1 Witthayu Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
Open hours: 10 am – 3 pm on Monday – Saturday (Closed on Sunday)
Prices: Dishes range in price from about 50 – 100 Thai Baht

ที่อยู่ 59/1 ถนนวิทยุ (ใกล้สถานีรถไฟฟ้าเพลินจิต ติดกับโรงแรมพลาซ่า แอทธินี) ลุมพินี ปทุมวัน , กรุงเทพมหานคร 10330
เปิดบริการ จันทร์-เสาร์ 10.00-15.00 น. (ปิดทุกวันอาทิตย์)

3. Chua Kim Heng (ร้านฉั่วคิมเฮง)

In comparison to duck, goose isn’t really all that common in Bangkok, and when you do find it, it’s pretty expensive.

I won’t deny that Chua Kim Heng (ร้านฉั่วคิมเฮง) is indeed an expensive restaurant, but they have been serving the same braised goose now for over 4 generations in Bangkok.

Along with a plate of braised goose, a winning dish you need to try is the goose feet in a pan (ขาห่านอบแห้ง (ไส่หมี่) with noodles, braised feet, and an assortment of spices and herbs like garlic, Chinese star anise, whole black pepper, and coriander roots. It’s amazing.

Chua Kim Heng (ร้านฉั่วคิมเฮง)

Address: 81 Thanon Phatthanakan, Kwang Suan Luang, Kate Suan Luang, Bangkok 10250
Open hours: 8:30 am – 6 pm daily – these are the hours for serving goose
Prices: You’re looking to spend about 200 – 400 THB per person

ที่อยู่ 81 (ตรงข้ามพัฒนาการซอย 6) ถนนพัฒนาการ แขวงสวนหลวง เขตสวนหลวง, กรุงเทพมหานคร 10250
โทร. 02-319-2511, 02-729-8822
เปิดบริการทุกวัน 8.30-18.00 น.

4. Janhom (ร้านจันทร์หอม)

I’ll be honest with you when I say that I don’t eat southern Thai food out at restaurants very often in Bangkok. That’s mainly because my wife’s family are from southern Thailand and I eat a lot of amazing southern Thai food at home.

But one day for lunch my wife and I went to Janhom (ร้านจันทร์หอม), a southern Thai restaurant at Ramkhamhaeng, and there’s no doubt it’s of the best Thai restaurants in 2016 that I ate at.

The yellow curry with barramundi (gaeng leung pla kapong แกงเหลืองปลากะพง), loaded full of chilies and fresh turmeric, and the fermented fish viscera curry (gaeng tai pla แกงไตปลา) were particularly stunning.

Janhom Restaurant (ร้านจันทร์หอม)

Address: 273/4 Soi Nawasi, Thanon Ramkhamhaeng 21, Hua Mak, Bang Kapi, Bangkok 10240
Open hours: Open Tuesday – Sunday (closed on Monday) from 11 am – 10 pm
Prices: You’ll spend about 200 – 400 THB per person for a full feast

ที่อยู่ : 273/4 ซอยนวศรี ถ.รามคำแหง 21 หัวหมาก บางกะปิ กรุงเทพฯ 10240
โทร. 02-319-1128 , 02-319-1129
เปิดบริการ อังคาร – อาทิตย์ 11.00-22.00 น.

5. Kuay Jab Mr. Joe (ร้านก๋วยจั๊บ มิสเตอร์โจ)

Kuay Jab Mr. Joe (ร้านก๋วยจั๊บ มิสเตอร์โจ), located along Thanon Chan, serves kuay jab (ก๋วยจั๊บ), a peppery porky soup with noodle rolls.

But the real reason I included Kuay Jab Mr. Joe (ร้านก๋วยจั๊บ มิสเตอร์โจ) on this list of best Thai restaurants in Bangkok 2016 is because of their crispy pork belly (moo krob หมูกรอบ), which is possibly the crispiest pork belly in all of Bangkok.

When you go, definitely order a bowl of kuay jab (ก๋วยจั๊บ), but whatever you do, don’t miss ordering an extra plate of moo krob (หมูกรอบ)

Kuay Jab Mr. Joe (ร้านก๋วยจั๊บ มิสเตอร์โจ)

Address: 313/7 Soi Chan 42-44, Wat Phraya Krai, Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok 10120
Open hours: 8:30 am – 4 pm daily
Price: About 50 – 100 THB per person

ที่อยู่ 313/7 ถ.จันทน์ ระหว่างซอย 42-44 วัดพระยาไกร บางคอแหลม กรุงเทพฯ 10120
โทร. 02-213-3007
เปิดบริการทุกวัน 8.30-16.00 น.

6. Paste Bangkok at Gaysorn

For a long time now Paste Bangkok has been my choice for best high end Thai restaurant, and I’m not alone, they were recently voted the best Thai fine dining restaurant on Time Out.

I had eaten at their old location at Thong Lo, but since then, Paste has progressed and moved to Gaysorn Shopping Mall, and since the menu updates frequently and is constantly developing, I included Paste Bangkok on this list of best Thai restaurants 2016.

What I love so much about Paste is that Chef Jason Bailey and Chef Bee Satongun have such acute taste buds and a deep knowledge of the balance of Thai flavor and ingredients to progress Thai cuisine.

The flavors you’ll experience eating at Paste Bangkok will leave your taste buds rejoicing.

Paste Bangkok

Address: 3rd Floor, Gaysorn, 999 Ploenchit Rd., Lumpini Bangkok, Thailand
Open hours: Lunch from 12.00 pm – 2.00 pm and dinner from 6:30 pm – 11 pm daily
Prices: About 1,000 – 3,000 THB per person, lunch special for 1,100 THB per person

7. Klang Soi (ร้านกลางซอย)

Quite similar to Sanguan Sri (ร้านสงวนศรี), Klang Soi (ร้านกลางซอย) is a classic Thai restaurant that’s been serving good home-style Thai food for decades. The restaurant is located in the back sois of Thong Lo, within The Racquet Club, tucked away in a house at the end of the compound. It’s a quiet and relaxing atmosphere.

Along with the spectrum of Thai dishes, they also have some unique and interesting dishes with western influence like the kratong thong gai (กระทงทองไก่), which are kind of like mini Thai chicken pot pie bites.

But the ultimate dish to eat at Klang Soi (ร้านกลางซอย), that you shouldn’t miss trying, is the salted fried beef with crispy holy basil (neua kem kra prao krob เนื้อเค็มกระเพรากรอบ). The holy basil is fried perfectly so it’s crispy and fragrant.

Klang Soi (ร้านกลางซอย)

Address: 12/1 Sukhumvit 49/9 Thanon Sukhumvit, Khlong Tan Neua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110
Open hours: 11 am – 2 pm and 5 pm – 10 pm on Tuesday – Sunday (closed on Mondays)
Prices: Main dishes range from about 80 – 150 THB

ที่อยู่ : 12/1 ซ.สุขุมวิท 49/9 ถ.สุขุมวิท คลองตันเหนือ วัฒนา กรุงเทพฯ 10110
เปิดวันอังคาร – อาทิตย เวลา 11.00-14.00 น. และ 17.00-22.00 น. หยุดทุกวันจันทร์

8. Khao Tom Somphong (ร้านข้าวต้มสมพงษ์ สวนหลวง ร.9)

In the evening, one of my favorite types of Thai restaurants to go to are khao tom restaurants — not the ones that serve khao tom pla, rice soup with fish, but rather the restaurants that serve all sorts of Thai and Thai Chinese stir fried dishes that you can eat with either rice soup (khao tom) or regular rice.

Khao Tom Somphong (ร้านข้าวต้มสมพงษ์) is a pretty typical Thai khao tom (ข้าวต้ม) restaurant serving a full spectrum of dishes and they even have a couple of locations throughout Bangkok. Their food is a little bit oily and salty, and makes for such a good time of eating and hanging out with friends.

Along with whatever other dishes you order, don’t miss the wild boar fried with curry paste (moo ba pad ped หมูป่าผัดเผ็ด), which is flavor packed.

Khao Tom Somphong (ร้านข้าวต้มสมพงษ์)

Address: Thanon Chaloem Phrakiat Ratchakan Thi 9 Soi 24 Nongbon, Prawet, Bangkok 10250
Open hours: 4 pm – 12 midnight daily
Prices: Typical local Thai prices, about 50 – 80 THB per dish

ที่อยู่ ถนน เฉลิมพระเกียรติรัชกาลที่ 9 ซอย 24 หนองบอน , ประเวศ , กรุงเทพมหานคร 10250
เปิดบริการทุกวัน 16.00 – 24.00 น.

9. P’Aor Yam Name Khao Tod (ร้านพี่อ้อ ยำแหนม-ข้าวทอด)

This place is not a restaurant, but rather a street food stall. I included it on this list of best Thai food in Bangkok 2016 because this legendary stall serves one of the best versions of yam naem khao tod (ยำแหนมข้าวทอด) I’ve tried.

Located on the edge of Sriyan Market, one of my favorite food markets in the city, P’Aor Yam Name Khao Tod (ร้านพี่อ้อ ยำแหนม-ข้าวทอด) is only open for a few hours per day and sells out quickly. So timing is everything. They only do takeaway, but last time I went, I brought my own plate and spoon to eat on spot.

Their yam naem khao tod (ยำแหนมข้าวทอด), which is a sour pork and fried rice ball salad, is spicy and sour, with the right ratio of crunchy to jelly textures. It’s absolutely an amazing snack food!

P’Aor Yam Naem Khao Tod (ร้านพี่อ้อ ยำแหนม-ข้าวทอด)

Address: Thanon Nakhon Chaisi, Soi Sriyan 1, Bangkok
Open hours: 11 am – 1 pm, 2 pm – 5 pm, and 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Tuesday – Sunday (closed on Monday)
Prices: 30 – 40 THB per bag

ที่อยู่ ริมถนนนครไชยศรี ซอย ศรีย่าน 1
เปิดบริการ 11.00-13.00น., 14.00-17.00น., 17.30-19.30 น.
ยำแหนมข้าวทอด มีชุด 30-40 บาท

10. Daeng Ahan Talay (ร้านแดงอาหารทะเล)

This final restaurant that I included on this list is actually located in Samut Songkhram, about an hour from Bangkok. But I included it on this blog post because it’s good enough to make the drive to the restaurant for the seafood.

Translated to Red Seafood, Daeng Ahan Talay (ร้านแดงอาหารทะเล) serves excellent Thai seafood of all different kinds, in a quiet and peaceful location in the countryside, not far from the ocean.

The notably excellent dishes I tried included squid fried in just the right amount of salted egg yolk (meuk kai kem หมึกไข่เค็ม), razor clams fried with basil and fingerroot (hoy lawd pad cha หอยหลอดผัดฉ่า), and an awesome version of crab fried with black pepper (boo pad prik thai dam ปูผัดพริกไทยดำ).

I haven’t had a chance to write up a full review of this restaurant yet, but I will hopefully do so soon. It’s a seafood restaurant that’s worth making a day trip out of.

Daeng Ahan Talay (ร้านแดงอาหารทะเล)

Address: 152 หมู่ 1 Amphoe Mueang Samut Songkhram, Chang Wat Samut Songkhram 75000
Open hours: 8 am – 8 pm daily
Prices: All depends on what you order, but likely around 300 – 600 THB per person

ที่อยู่ 152 หมู่ 1 บริเวณดอนหอยหลอด บางบ่อ-ปากมาบ บางแก้ว เมืองสมุทรสงคราม สมุทรสงคราม 75000
เปิดบริการทุกวัน 8.00-20.00

Map of restaurants

Conclusion

And that completes 10 of the best Thai restaurants in Bangkok that I ate at in 2016.

Hope this gives you some ideas about a few delicious restaurants you don’t want to miss in Bangkok. For many more recommendations, check out my full list of favorite restaurants in Bangkok.

Thank you for your support throughout 2016 and keep enjoying more Thai food!

Do you have any suggestions of restaurants I should try?