The Sukhumvit area of Bangkok offers a plethora of dining choices. You could be feasting on first-rate international cuisine one day, and tantalising your taste buds in a quirky café the next. It’s almost impossible to choose the best restaurants in the Sukhumvit area, but the list below encapsulates the wide range of dining experiences that you can have in this neighborhood.
1. Tuba, 34 Ekamai Soi 21
A quick search online or through any Bangkok guide and you will often see that this is the place to eat at in this city. The reason for this will become clear as soon as you step through the door. You will be greeted by a glorious hotchpotch of antique furniture and movie memorabilia – all before you savour the wonderful, homely Italian food and fiery Thai fare.
2. Cabbages and Condoms, 6 Sukhumvit Soi 12
Cabbages and what? Is that a typo? I once saw a Thai fish restaurant with fried fist on the menu so it could be, but don’t worry, you won’t get served prophylactic pie here. This, in fact, is a restaurant that aims to promote safe sex – especially in the rural communities of Thailand. They do this by sending a good chunk of what you pay for your perfectly pleasant Thai food to the Population and Community Development Association – meaning you can walk away with not only a full belly but also a feeling that you have done your bit to help this great cause.
3. Bo.lan, 42 Soi Pichai Ronnarong
This place has a very good claim to being the best restaurant in the whole of Bangkok. Dining here is a brave adventure as it is the rarest of beasts in this city – a high-end Thai restaurant. The chefs Bo and Dylan (hence the name) trained at Nahm – the Michelin-starred Thai restaurant in London. It is most definitely pricey but with credentials like these, then it is an expense many food connoisseurs are willing to pay.
4. Whale’s Belly, 39 Boulevard, 41 Sukhumvit Soi 39
No, you won’t find Jonah inside, but what you will find is contemporary European cuisine at its very best. There is also a definite feeling of being somewhere unique to Bangkok when you visit here. It may well be because the décor is designed to look like the rib cage of a whale or it could be because it has a definite upmarket feel without trying to be intimidating. It is perfect for any foreigner who is yearning for fine dining or a taste of home.
5. Long Table, Column Building, 48 Sukhumvit Soi 16
If this isn’t the best restaurant in Bangkok, then it can certainly lay claim to be one of the most glamorous. It offers a great view of the city from it 25th floor location, and the glamorous people it attracts make it is a fabulous place to people watch if you don’t have a window seat. And then there’s the food. Succulent Thai dishes with a bit of a twist. Pretentious? You betcha. But then who doesn’t like to indulge themselves every once in a while?
