5 best places to eat and drink when visiting Bangkok

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Thai food is so delicious and is greatly enjoyed by people all around the world. Expand your knowledge of Thai cuisine by taking your taste buds to Bangkok.

Floating market, Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok offers some of the best and most diverse dining options not just in Thailand, not just in Asia, but in the entire world. From authentic, Thai classics at street markets to innovative, high class restaurants that take traditional dishes and combine them with different flavors of the world, the food scene in Bangkok easily rivals any and all of the world’s top culinary destinations.

The best part? Getting around Bangkok is insanely easy. There are tons of transfers available from the airport to the city center and even straight to the hotel you’re staying at, at which point you can learn all the nooks and crannies of the city, hopping around from rooftop bar to night market… all in a day’s work!

1. Enjoy sweeping city views at Vertigo Rooftop Bar

Vertigo Bar, Bangkok

There is no shortage of rooftop bars to enjoy in Bangkok, but Vertigo is far and away the best one in the city. Seated atop the Banyan Tree Bangkok hotel on the 61st floor, this bar offers 360 degrees views, 5-star service and top tier drinks with no plastic straws! This chic bar is on the pricier side, but is a hotspot for tourists and locals alike to get dressed to the nines while enjoying the phenomenal views and meeting people from every corner of the world. A pro tip: alcohol isn’t served here on festival days, so double check your calendar before visiting.

Hours of operation: Everyday from 5 pm – 1 am
Address: 21/100 South, S Sathorn Rd, Sathon

2. Please your senses at Ratchada Rot Fai Train Night Market

Ratchada Night Train Market, Bangkok

This market is easily one of the city’s most instagrammable. From the multi-colored tents that stand tightly next to each other to different authentic Thai dishes you can order, everything that meets the eye at the Ratchada Train Night Market is appealing both visually and gastronomically. Come here for stalls that sell the best grilled seafood in Bangkok and wash it down at one of the many bars that tend to stay open later than the market itself.

Hours of operation: Everyday from 5 pm – 1 am
Address: 55 9 Ratchadaphisek Rd, Khwaeng Din Daeng, Khet Din Daeng, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10400

3. Chill like a local at the COMMONS

the COMMONS, Bangkok, Thailand

A “common” place for locals to hang out, this mall boasts cute cafes surrounded by plants and restaurants selling all the western food you may miss when coming all the way to Southeast Asia. The greenery makes for a refreshing setting, and the various American and European dining options will give you the taste of home that you may be craving when far away. The malls in Thailand, in general, are highly regarded when it comes to the food and drink options they offer.

Hours of operation: Everyday from 8 am – 1 am
Address: 335Sukhumvit Road Thong Lo 17 Alley, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110

4. Eat your heart out at ICONSIAM mall on the riverside

ICONSIAM, Bangkok

Once you’ve gotten your retail therapy fix, have strolled through the indoor floating market, have explored the mall’s national heritage gallery, and have checked out Thailand’s first Apple store (it only opened in November!), you are sure to have worked up one hell of an appetite.

ICONSIAM offers seven different food zones, making it an iconic spot in the city for authentic cuisine, both Thai and international. With options for posh foodies, like Baan Khanitha The Heritage, on the 4th floor, as well as over 100 budget friendly restaurants spread throughout the entire mall, it is truly impossible to go hungry here.

Top the meal off with a peaceful walk along the riverside while admiring the dazzling lights of the city.

Hours of operation: Everyday from 10 am – 10 pm 
Address: 299 Charoen Nakhon Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Ton Sai, Khet Khlong San, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10600

5. Munch the weekend away at Chatuchak Market

Chatuchak Market, Bangkok

If you plan on visiting Bangkok, you’ll want to make sure that your trip falls over the weekend. Although the plant sections are open on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the rest of the 35 acre market’s 15,000+ stalls and 11,505 vendors are only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Find authentic dishes like coconut fish, pad thai, noodles of every shape, size and smell, and keep cool with some refreshingly delicious coconut ice cream at Thailand’s largest market. Be sure to stop by Viva 8, a bar/paella restaurant perfect for drinking Thai whiskey as you watch all the people passing you by. 

Hours of operation:
Plant sections: Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7 am – 6 pm
Fridays from 6 pm – midnight
Saturdays and Sundays from 9 am – 6 pm
Address: Chatuchak Park Kamphaeng Phet 2 Rd, Chatuchak

Thai food is so delicious and is greatly enjoyed by people all around the world. Expand your knowledge of the Thai cuisine by taking your taste buds on the gastronomic experience of a lifetime through Bangkok.

Posted August 18, 2019
Ashley Katzeff
Lover of napping on the beach. A wealth of random, useless facts and superstitions. Big fan of hummus and potatoes in any form. Former journalism student. Current Content & Brand Manager at Bookaway.