Best Bangkok Restaurants to Dine At | International Traveller

The food in Bangkok is second to none, but this selection deserves a spot on your list

Bangkok receives global attention for many reasons, and one of them is food. Once at the heart of historic trade routes, today Bangkok reflects what Thai cuisine has evolved into – a harmonious blend of global flavours and cultures.

From eateries dishing out the city’s favourite homestyle fare, to world-class Michelin-starred restaurants, here’s 7 of the best Bangkok restaurants.

1. nahm

Thai dishes at nahm, Bangkok — Dine on traditional Thai dishes with a modern twist. (Credit: nahm)

Founded in 2010 by Australian chef and restaurateur, David Thompson, COMO Metropolitan Bangkok’s signature restaurant, nahm still ranks as one of the best restaurants in Asia. The fine-dining restaurant, now helmed by Pim Techmuanvivit, has retained its Michelin star for 9 consecutive years.

Delivering dishes inspired by her upbringing, combined with Techmuanvivit’s own modern take on Thai traditions, expect offerings like yum mok dai tod – floral fritters, miang pla sa-er – ceviche with white turmeric and green mango, and pan nah thong kae – spiced lamb curry on Thai crepes. Vegan menus available on request.

Cuisine: Modern Thai

Price guide: $$$$

Atmosphere: Fine dining gem, best date spot, best for vegan

Location: COMO Metropolitan Bangkok, 27 South Sathorn Rd, Sathorn, Bangkok

2. Ojo

Ojo Bangkok on the 76th floor of The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon — Bangkok’s highest restaurant offers 360-degree views over the city. (Credit: Ojo Bangkok)

Positioned at the top of one of Bangkok’s tallest skyscrapers, King Power Mahanakhon, Ojo is Bangkok’s highest restaurant, offering 360-degree views over the city. Headed by celebrity Mexican chef, Francisco Paco Ruano, it’s also the signature restaurant for Bangkok’s hottest lifestyle hotel, The Standard.

With stunning design, and a rose-gold colour palette, expect starters here like coconut ceviche; abalone, kim chi and corn tostadas; wagyu asada tacos, and mains like Veracruzana tiger prawns served with pickle brunoise, and ikura. Wash it all down with creative cocktails made with top-shelf mezcal and tequila.

Cuisine: Modern Mexican

Price guide: $$$

Atmosphere: Best for views, date spot, most Instagrammable

Location: The Standard, King Power Mahanakhon, 14 Narathiwas Road, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok

3. Baan Sakulthong

Tucked down an unassuming soi (laneway) in the Portuguese enclave of Kudi Chin, just like the historic neighbourhood it rests in, Baan Sakulthong is a hidden gem in the centre of the city. At this family-run restaurant, set in a traditional wooden house, inspiration for dishes stem from the family’s Portuguese-Thai heritage which can be traced to the original Portuguese settlers who arrived in Bangkok in the 18th century. Signature dishes include khanom jeen (a non-spicy minced chicken curry topped with fermented vermicelli), jeep tua nok (dumplings shaped like birds) and tom mafaad – a Thai take on the Portuguese vegetable stew, cozido.

Cuisine: Portuguese-Thai fusion

Price guide: $

Atmosphere: Casual eats, family friendly spot

Location: 219 Soi Kudee Jeen 3 Bangkok

4. Le Normandie, Mandarin Oriental

Anne-Sophie Pic at Le Normandie restaurant, Mandarin Oriental — Book a table at Thailand’s first French fine dining restaurant. (Credit: Mandarin Oriental)

Set within Bangkok’s most historic hotel, The Mandarin Oriental, Thailand’s first French fine dining restaurant is a firm favourite with locals and visitors alike. Now holding 2 Michelin stars, with the arrival of world-renowned chef, Anne-Sophie Pic, Le Normandie guarantees exceptional dining with Pic’s philosophy, ‘Suffusion’. Layering aromas and textures to create an emotional culinary experience – it’s the basis for dishes like her signature Berlingots, (floral pastas), and Lobster Dashi with Red Fruits.

With a choice of menus that include a la carte, business lunch, 4-course, and Voyage, menus are best paired with expert suggestions from the restaurant’s carefully curated list of non-alcoholic and alcoholic options, including wine from some of the best French labels.

Cuisine: Contemporary French

Price guide: $$$$

Atmosphere: Fine dining gem, best for business lunches, best wine list

Location: Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 48 Oriental Avenue, Bang Rak, Bangkok

5. Aksorn

Thai dishes at Aksorn, Bangkok — Aksorn is Thompson’s homage to vintage Thai cuisine. (Credit: Aksorn)

You can’t visit Bangkok without dining at a David Thompson restaurant. Located on Charoenkrung Road, Thompson transformed the former bookshop into one of the city’s best Michelin star restaurants. Drawing inspiration from the original space, Aksorn (meaning ‘writing’ or ‘script’) is Thompson’s homage to vintage Thai cuisine, with menus here resurrecting classic mid-century recipes from traditional Thai cookbooks.

Positioned on the top floor of Central: The Original Store, enjoy house cocktails, relaxed fine dining and nostalgic dishes from tasting menus with the option for wine pairing available.

Cuisine: Traditional Thai

Price guide: $$$

Atmosphere: Relaxed fine dining, date spot, outdoor dining, best for vegetarian options, best wine list

Location: 1266 Charoenkrung Rd, Bang Rak, Bangkok

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7. Polo Fried Chicken

Polo Fried Chicken, Bangkok — The crispy golden-brown Polo Fried Chicken, often referred to as the KFC of Bangkok but better. (Credit: Polo Fried Chicken)

Bangkok is famous for its street food. Starting off 50 years ago as a street food stall, this no-frills, sit-down eatery is known for serving up some of the best fried chicken in town. Often referred to as the KFC of Bangkok (but better), Polo Fried Chicken specialises in whole birds marinated overnight and deep friend to a crispy golden brown. The family-owned restaurant’s other dishes include spicy soups, and plates of deep-fried Sea Bass, with sides of papaya salad or larb (minced meat tossed with herbs, rice, and chilli). Located near Lumphini Park, this popular cash-only spot is the perfect place to refuel after a busy day sightseeing or a stroll through one of the city’s most lovely green spaces.

Cuisine: Thai street

Price guide: $

Atmosphere: Casual eats, groups of friends, family friendly

Location: 137/1 Soi Polo, Sanam Khli Alley, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok

7. Charmkrung

Charmkrung, Bangkok — Pull up a chair at low-lit informal tables for tasty share plates. (Credit: Charmkrung)

Hidden away on the 6th floor of a mid-century office building, this buzzing wine bar in the vibrant creative district of Charoen Krung is the perfect place for date night or a fun night out with friends. Take a seat at Charmkrung’s low-lit informal tables for tasty share plates like fried catfish in tamarind sauce, shells of creamy prawn bisque, and lemongrass and fluffy squid salad. With a wine list that mixes traditional styles and regions, with modern, experimental, and natural pours, you’ll find something here to suit every dish and palette.

Cuisine: Modern Thai

Price guide: $$

Atmosphere: Relaxed fine dining, best date spot, best wine list, groups of friends

Location: 39 Charoen Krung Road Bangkok

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Top Bangkok restaurants for eating your way through one of the world’s best food cities