PenCities

Dining Out

• Arun Residence
  This spacious restaurant overlooks the river against the majestic backdrop of the Rattanakosin skyline and serves a full à la carte breakfast, light lunches and dinner daily. High tea is available every day as the sun sets across the river. Specialities are Weekend Brunch, served fresh with a full à la carte menu from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm.
  
  36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong, Maharat Road,
  Rattanakosin Island
  Tel: (66-2) 221 9158
  
• Face
  Enjoying a reputation as one of Bangkok’s leading dining venues, Face Bangkok offers Thai, Indian and Japanese cuisine at its three restaurants. There’s also a stunning bar in which to relax with a cocktail in chic surroundings. Face’s design reflects a sensitivity to the tropical environment and the classical Thai extended family house, as well as South Asian influences. The diverse and multicultural result is a friendly environment where diners can meet, eat, drink and talk.
  
  Sukhumvit Road., Soi 38
  Tel: +66 (0) 2713 6048-9
  
• Baan Khanitha and Gallery
  Winning the Bangkok Dining & Entertainment’s Best Restaurant Award for Best Thai Restaurant, this venue is filled with works of art, warm wood accents and greenery, creating an elegant, yet refreshingly casual atmosphere. The food is classically Thai, well presented, and often has a unique flair, reflecting the personality of the owner. It is popular with the Embassy crowd and those entertaining out-of-town guests. Reservations are recommended in the evenings.
  
  69 South Sathorn Road, Near Soi Suan - Phu
  Tel: (66-2) 675 4200-1
  
• Gaggan
  The Indian answer to modern gastronomy, Gaggan is a groundbreaking addition to Bangkok’s dining scene. Situated in an old Thai house renovated with high ceilings and featuring a layout of several small rooms for an intimate feel, Gaggan re-imagines regional Indian food with techniques like spherification, foaming and sous-vide. At the helm is Indian chef Gaggan Anand, who studied molecular gastronomy at El Bulli restaurant in Spain.
  
  68/1 Soi Langsuan, Ploenchit Road
  Tel: +66 (0) 2652 1700
  
• Bukhara Indian Restaurant
  Bukhara Indian Restaurant is located on Sukhumvit Road near the Nana BTS station. Unpretentious and homey with consistently delicious food, this is a Bangkok favourite and one of those restaurants where diners should just work their way through the entire menu on successive visits.
  
  Sukhumvit Soi 1, Bangkok
  Tel: (66-2) 2253 6265, (66-2) 2253 7957
• Gianni Ristorante
  The cuisine on offer at Gianni Ristorante is based on the three main principles of Mediterranean style, modernity and top quality raw ingredients. The restaurant ships the freshest and most fragrant ingredients in from Italy bi-weekly, just like that which can be found at any morning market in the European nation. The Mediterranean style originates from the culinary traditions of Italy, which Gianni Favro then interprets and modifies. The modern element is reflected in the extensive use of extra-virgin olive oil as opposed to other fat, meats suited to today’s lifestyles and advanced cooking techniques.
  
  34/1 Soi Tonson, Ploenchit Road
  Tel: +66 (0) 2252 1619
  
• Koi
  A Los Angeles-born dining establishment known for its modern Japanese dishes with a Californian twist, Koi occupies a one-acre property. The restaurant is split into two separate zones: a 200-seat fine dining restaurant and a spacious lounge bar. The creamy rock shrimp, although delicious, is no different from the deep-fried battered shrimp usually found in salads at most Chinese restaurants.
  
  But instead of being served on top of creamy fruit salad, this crunchy starter comes coated with sweet cream, is decorated with bright orange chilli sauce and is widely known among Americans and Thais as ‘Sri Racha’. For main course, there are a dozen selections on Koi’s hot dish menu, ranging from Wagyu beef and Australian lamb to fried soft-shell crab and roast duck breast. To maintain Koi’s supreme quality, all meat and seafood products are imported.
  
  26 Sukhumvit Soi 20 Tel: +66 (0) 2663 4990 -1
• Le Bouchon
  The French bistro Le Bouchon on Patpong 2 serves one of the best fillet steaks in Bangkok with a choice of black pepper or béarnaise sauce.
  
  Silom, Soi Patpong 2, Bangkok, Thailand.
  Tel: (66-2) 2234 9109
• Le Lys
  An urban house converted into a comfortable restaurant decked with Thai handicrafts and curios, offering foreigner-friendly Thai dishes, inspired by Isan cooking, barbeque and other traditions, making this an easy place to enjoy a good meal.
  
  75/2 Langsuan Soi 3, Ploenchit Road
  Tel: (66-2) 652 2401
• Long Table
  Long Table, a recently opened dining venue at the Column Residence on Sukhumvit Soi 16, is where cutting-edge sophistication and amusing new flavours can be savoured. Conceived and managed by the team from Bed Supperclub, the 717 square-metre, multi-million baht restaurant-bar definitely strikes you as being fashionably unique.
  
  At Long Table, the glitteringly colourful panorama of Bangkok lies straight in front of you. Besides various menus for lunch and dinner, Long Table offers a comprehensive variety of beverages, from classic cocktails to house concoctions as well as a decent selection of signature mocktails. All in all, Long Table is currently one of the city’s coolest places to dine, drink and hang out.
  
  25th floor, The Column Residence Sukhumvit Soi 16
  Tel: (66-2) 302 2557
• Mahanaga
  A Thai fusion restaurant, Mahanaga is located in a compound comprising a century-old house, a courtyard and two newly-built annexes. Not only is the food the finest in fusion, but the theme also strongly echoes in the décor. Mahanaga’s dishes are created with the best fresh herbs and spices that make Thai food shine.
  
  2 Sukhumvit Soi 29
  Tel: (66-2) 662 3060
• NAPA on 26
  European specialties and signature dishes with a Californian influence are the culinary delights to expect when eating at Napa on 26. Open daily from 6.00 pm to 11.30 pm, the restaurant’s cosy setting complete with large tables and custom made seating is ideal for special entertainment or dinner with family and friends.
  
  115 Sukhumvit Soi 26
  Tel: + 66 (0) 2258 2622
  
• Niu’s on Silom
  A high-end jazz, blues and soul live band wine bar and restaurant with fine Italian cuisine and selected Thai dishes. Situated between Silom Soi 17 and 19 at Bann Silom Arcade, Niu’s on Silom is an ideal habitat for jazz, blues and soul lovers and features a warm and elegant yet intimate atmosphere. There are live performances daily by a range of international and Thai professional musicians. Currently on stage Tuesday to Sunday is a talented trio from Mahidol University.
  
  661 Floor 1–2, Baan Silom Arcade, Silom Road
  Tel: + 66 (0) 2266 5333-4
• Pandanus Bar and Bistro
  The greatest strength of Pandanus is the setting. It’s a beautiful place, with a head-to-toe slickness that so many restaurants aspire to but never quite attain. Even on weeknights the restaurant is usually full, with an exhilirating, buzzy atmosphere of attractive young Thais and expat diplomats engaged in cheerful, animated conversation, while the upstairs has been converted into a handsome urban bar with different zones for seating ranging from low tables to daybeds. DJs add aural textures with a mix that progresses from chill to house as the night reveals its secrets.
  
  50 Soi Nantha, Sathorn Tai Road
  Tel: (66-2) 287 4021
• Pizzeria Limoncello
  Following the success of Zanotti in Soi Saladaeng, Gianmaria Zanotti has opened Limoncello, a pizzeria light on formality and heavy on culinary substance. All pizzas are thin and crispy, and are naturally scented by the wood fire.
  
  Sukhumvit Soi 11
  Tel: (66-2) 651 0707
• Taling Pling
  Authentic Thai cuisine is served in a contemporary smart Thai interior with red and orange coloured walls, modern Thai furniture, silk-covered sofas and colourful cushions. There is also a leafy outdoor seating area for drinks before dinner. Helpful and attentive service.
  
  Pun Road, Soi Wat Kaek
  Tel: (66-2) 234 4872
• The Oishi Grand Buffet
  The Oishi Grand Buffet in the Siam Discovery Centre is the best of Japanese buffet in town, and offers some Western dishes thrown in.
  
  989 Rama1 Road, 2nd floor Siam Discovery Centre, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
  Tel: (66-2) 2658 0222
• Zanotti
  Probably Bangkok’s best and most popular Italian restaurant, Zanotti is tucked away on the ground floor of a residential complex. Reminiscent of a warm country home, its sensibilities lean towards old world rather than modern minimalist, reflecting the resurgence of comfort foods. The cuisine is mostly Piedmontese and Tuscan. Try the pastas and the selection of 28 different types of salami.
  
  Saladaeng Colonnade, 21/2 Soi Saladaeng, Silom Road
  Tel: (66-2) 636 0002 / 636 0266