Tucked down the winding back streets of Sukhumvit Soi 65, Lucca takes over the quiet space where neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant Saigon Rimsai used to sit. Here, owner Natdanai Yuvaboon and his partners draw inspiration from their regular trips to Lucca, a quiant old town in Italy's Tuscany region. Now decked out with a dark, Tuscan-style ceiling and plenty of starched white tablecloths, it serves a menu of classic Italian dishes from antipasti and pastas to hearty meats, as well as a few French favorites like duck confit (B650). The chef, Hee Chanyadee, comes from a big hotel background (past experience includes the Shangri-La, Sofitel So and The Sokhothai) but here goes in for clean and simple plates at this new operation, like gnocchi with sauteed Alaskan crab meat (B480), lamb fillet with ratatouille consommé (B320) and warm goat cheese terrine with smoked salmon (B350). For dessert, don’t miss the tiramisu (B220). 

Seed

Fine-dining restaurant empire Water Library has attempted to go casual with its latest opening. Replacing the spot that used to be The Library, Seed transports the team from the now-defunct chef's-table restaurant Water Library Thonglor, led by Singaporean chef Haikal Johari, to a more rustic, down-to-earth setting. This being Water Library, the French-inspired Western dishes aren't all that casual and feature some Asia touches plus pretty beautiful presentation. Among the salads, soups, pastas, fish and meat dishes, you can expect items like foie gras terrine (B390) served with coconut, pineapple chutney and toasted sourdoug and duck confit (B590) served with carrot ginger puree, cabbage, caramelized ginger and orange jus.

Chairman

Following high-end M Krub's modernist take on Chinese cuisine, the latest opening in the ever-expanding Chef Man empire couldn't be more different. Chairman replaces the short-lived Chef Man Express at Emquartier and goes for a '50s Hong Kong diner vibe (known as bing sutt or bing shi). Frequent travelers to HK probably know the score: boh loh baau (pineapple buns), milky teas and coffees, buttery French toast and lots of Hong Kong versions of Western food. (Fear not, Chef Man's steamed salted egg custard bun remains too!). Highlights of the lengthy menu include the steamed honey BBQ (B35) and steamed yam paste buns (B40), and the baked rice with chicken chop and fish fillet in twin sauce (B260). Drinks include iced red bean with milk (B75), Hong Kong milk tea (B80) and chilled milk tea (B110). All items are available for eat-in or takeaway.

Luka

There's more to Sathorn than ever-happening soi 10-12. The latest exciting cafe opening has arrived on colorful Pan Road (aka Soi Wat Kaek). Located in the same building as the newly-opened Casa Pagoda, Luka Cafe is a collaboration between the furniture shop and entrepreneur Thitikarn "Som" Chongvatana of the bottled tea brand Tea Atelier.Amid a pared-back, industrial-chic setting (you're inside a furniture shop, after all), the kitchen rolls out a small, breakfast-heavy menu that's refreshingly affordable yet not without character. Chef Sirote Udomthongsuk, who boasts stints working for big names Savelberg, Gaggan and Water Library, serves up highlights like the aromatic breakfast burrito wrap (B170), comprising quinoa, scrambled egg, cheese, sausage, tomato salsa, avocado and their own "Thai chipotle" salsa, grilled cheese (B140) served with a thick tomato soup, and both the sweet or savory French toast (both B160). As you'd expect, there’s also a decent list of tea, including Tea Atelier’s bottled varieties, and single origin and blend options made with leaves from China, Sri Lanka, Japan and Israel. Tea starts at B120/pot, with highlights including the white tea urchin (B160) and green tea spearmint (B120), both made with organic tea leaves from Israel. Coffee starts at B70 for an espresso.