B1,000-2,000/person

Aburi Ishida

Tucked away in Sukhumvit 51, Aburi Ishida serves authentic yakitori with Japanese standards but with Thai prices. This is a spot for a fun, casual birthday with copious cold Asahi and hot off-the-grill yakitori skewers. The gazebo is snug, allowing your birthday group to take up the entire outside space. To add to the authentic charm, the menu is in Japanese (but a quick Google translate works wonders). There’s something for everyone here at this cozy joint, be it onigiri rice balls, skewers, or omakase pasta. But chicken hearts, chicken skin, pork with cheese and tomato skewers, and carbonara omakase pasta should be on your order. 

Bornga   

It really can’t get any more communal than Bornga. Having started in Korea in 1993, Bornga has created a name for itself by reinventing the iconic woo-samgyup, thinly sliced beef brisket/flank against the grain and lightly marinated in their signature sauce. Wrap it in lettuce, add some kimchi and garlic, and pop it in your mouth for a flavor explosion. For birthdays, this space features a private room to accommodate up to nine people. Along with refillable banchan (side dishes), drinking games, soju, and the gang huddled around a grill, you’re in for a good night.   

Oskar Bistro Bangkok

You can’t forget Oskar’s on Sukhumvit Soi 11. A party restaurant with affordable prices, especially for quality rib eye or flank steak, you might think the menu is ambitious with French, Italian, and Thai dishes, but every cuisine gets a shoutout—pizza, beef bourguignon, and even some seafood tom yum. It’s a spot for fussy eaters and for that one quiet friend that needs a little help socializing. This venue loves celebrating birthdays, bringing the whole shebang—sparklers, singing, music, and dancing. Be sure to order a feast, pre-drink from their wide choice of wine and cocktails, and for guaranteed raucous fun, book on Friday evenings for one of their Dex and Drums nights or Wednesday evenings for Ladies Night.   

B2000-3000/person

Fatboy Izakaya

Fatboy Izakaya is a more upscale, trendy dining space, a group-friendly venue with modern interiors, creative graphics, and music blasting. For groups, they have traditional communal tatami seating with big tables perfect for small plates and sharing dishes. We recommend the crispy shishamo with spicy dipping sauce (B180), the signature fatboy roll with wagyu, cream cheese, truffle oil with foie gras (B650). Their drinks are innovative and creative, with different flavored highballs like yuzu, passionfruit, elderflower, and umeshu. Their signature cocktails are also experimental, like the 50 Shades of Green, which features shiso gin with midori, green grapes, melon, and cucumber mixed with egg white and topped with Capris soda (B380).  

Gigi Dining Hall and Bar

Celebrating at Gigi’s is an all-round good time, with its extensive list of booze and warm interior. It’s casual and cool and a place to rally your friends for a chill party—before going to get sloppy at Sing Sing. Their scalable set menus are ideal for a group dinner and include crowd favorites. For a la carte, give their specials a go, or opt for classics like a bowl of their holy vongole, their pappardelle al lamb ragu, or order a bunch of wood-fired pizzettes like the mortadella and straccatella (B310). Come to this restaurant hungry, or don’t come at all. And with an Italian eatery like Gigi’s, you’ve gotta have one or a few Italian spritzes. 

Lily Fu’s

B3000-4000/person

Aesop’s    

Pastel Rooftop Bar & Mediterranean Dining

Pastel is the ideal spot for that dazzling (overpriced) outfit you’ve been wanting to wear. The glamorous venue has high-painted ceilings, mosaic walls, plush velvet seating, and an outdoor balcony overlooking Bangkok’s skyline. Most places like this aren’t really for group dinners, but Pastel welcomes group celebrations. Their team can also work closely with you on party planning so you can include your own unique style. This restaurant serves what seems like an endless meal, including mezze platters, prime ribs, Iberico cold cuts, and seafood platters with caviar and entire lobsters. There’ll be no politely pretending to be full at this restaurant. 

Zuma 

Like the other Zumas around the world, they’ve built a name for themselves as an izakaya that can party—with open kitchens, robata grills, and sushi counters. They have a signature (B3,250) odaikoku tasting menu with a selection of a la carte and seasonal dishes, making the deciding process easier for large groups. They also have private rooms for six up to sixteen people to celebrate your b-day or other event in seclusion from the hurleyburley. The tasting menu includes their iconic sushi platters and black miso cod fish. Watch the bar come alive in the evenings when the DJs and drummers take the decks, putting a whole new spin on this spot. 

Ojo  

Every weekend, Ojo fills with groups of friends who know the scene—the scene being a view at Thailand’s highest restaurant. The interiors are nothing short of grand (with a little Wes Anderson inspiration thrown in), filled with curved archways, gold and coral pink color schemes, and floor-to-ceiling windows. They serve up a fine-dining Mexican feast that’s high-end without being pretentious. Order the bone marrow with tortillas, chiles toreados, and the khao khua brulee to sprinkle a little Thai flavor. For a birthday group, there’s a chance you’ll be able to score the best seats with the best view in the house, so the earlier the reservation, the better. With their cutting-edge sound system, the tunes here will take your taco and tequila party to the next level. 

B4000+/person

[Brought to you by Waldorf Astoria Bangkok]

Bull & Bear

Nusara 

Dining at Nusara’s with views of Wat Pho Temple is like stepping back in time. Their intimate private dining room seats 11 people and is opulent with crimson red and olive green accents, ancient interiors, and old-school Thai designs that are contemporary and timeless. The 12-course dinner set menu serves authentic Thai dishes—no twists, no fusions—that take you back. The set menu includes their signature crab curry dish, served on a crispy betel leaf and garnished with horseshoe crab roe, and the pad kra pow with wagyu is cooked authentically like it was dug up from an ancient cookbook. 

Baan Tepa 

Baan Tepa, BK Magazine’s Top Tables 2023 winner, can accommodate up to fourteen people in their Garden Wing room for private dinners. The 12-course meal, customized by Chef Tam and influenced by her travels from north, south, and central Thailand, takes place in a dimly lit but elegant room with earthy color tones and oak hardwood flooring. Zero waste and sustainability are the guiding principles of the menu. "Crab, Crab, Crab" is on the menu year-round despite many dishes changing with the seasons. It consists of three types of crab as well as lightly fried soft-shell crab, egg custard, and a Southern bamboo curry. The room is located on the other side of the heritage home with access to the Octagon room, a lounge with an expanded terrace, and garden views. 

Mia Restaurant

It’s straight out of Alice in Wonderland. A private dining room with seating for ten people is among the many themed rooms in the venue. With an eight-course seasonal tasting menu whipped up by Chef Top and Michelle. The menu is European with Asian influences, think quirky, fun, and innovative in structure, like their chili crab mochi for a snack or their smoked eel with bone marrow and ikura as a hot starter. Their snack of sourdough brioche with shallot butter and onion ash has always been a highlight. There are also vegan and vegetarian tasting menus available to accommodate everyone. Room for dessert? Don’t forget “Behind The Curtain,” a cocktail bar on the ground level of Mia, where they bring you an intimate omakase dessert bar with both sweet and savory desserts paired with cocktails. 

Siri Mahannop

All aboard! Feel like going a bit extra for your birthday? Why not have a boat party? Head over to Asiatique Riverfront and dock the Siri Mahannop vessel, a model of a Royal Thai Navy ship used during the nineteen hundreds. On the Siri Mahannop you’ll be sailing along the Chao Phraya River, and you can choose to dine in the indoor restaurant or the outdoor alfresco dining with a sunset view. The borderless menu focuses on freshly caught seafood, a selection of oysters from France and the Netherlands, and some small sharing plates. They have a fulsome drinks menu, including their homemade concoctions infused with native woods and tropical fruits. 

Potong  

Since opening in 2021, Potong has been on every foodie's radar, and if you haven’t visited, what better time to go than on a special occasion like this. The structure at Potong is unique and rich with history. The multi-storey heritage building was once the family home of celebrity chef Pichaya "Pam" Utharntharm and dates back 120 years. The interior is based on Thai-Chinese decor that stretches up to the third and fourth levels with hand-painted murals and golden shrines. For the private rooms for your b-day or other celebratory shindig, guests can also have cocktails made by their personal bartender. The 20-item tasting menu showcases innovative Thai-Chinese cuisine inspired by Pam’s heritage and experiences. The menu pays respect to traditional recipes, but Chef Pam goes above and beyond for more experimental flavors. After the meal, head to their in-house bar, Opium, for some after-dinner drinks.

This article by the BK editorial team is supported by Hilton Hotels. For a hot take on the best high-end properties in Bangkok, check out this list of Hilton Properties.