All day in Bantadthong: 22 cafes, restaurants, and bars to check out
From frog porridge in the morning to cocktails at night, Bantadthong is hot.
3 weeks ago
More than a hundred years ago, Bantadthong was known for car repair. Today, the 2.2 kilometers that make up Bantadthong are sacred to foodies. This area is a fantastic mix of local favorites, haunts for the college kids, and, of course, tourists. But, people who just visit at night are missing out. Sure, a lot of the most famous bites are only open in the evening, but you can eat your fill any time of day and drink through the night. Often considered to be the birthplace of the modern Thai street food scene, no list is going to have everything, but BK wants you to know
Breakfast
Dimsum Hochia Chumphon
With a wallet friendly price starting at B25 and a spacious two-storey air-conditioned dining zone, Dimsum Hochia—originally launched in Chumphon—is a must-try in the Bantadthong area. Their signatures include the tender and pepper infused pork xiaolongbao (B40), the crispy deep fried tofu skin with shrimp fillings (B30), and the deep fried crab meat roll (B45).
065-349-5512, Open daily 6:30am-9:30pm
Geylang Lor 9
Solidifying its status in Singapore, the frog porridge from Geylang Lor 9 is an intriguing spin on your typical breakfast food. The casual dining area is similar to your local Thai congee stalls. Order the fragrant porridge (B50) to share with 2-3 people and pair it with the flavorful frog claypot with ginger and green onions. Contrary to popular belief, the frog meat here doesn’t taste so much like chicken. It is more reminiscent of a bouncy and chewy fish meat. Their sambal kang kong (B100) is also worth a try and tastes similar to Thai sweet chili shrimp paste.
061-175-9802, Open Tues-Sun 11am-11:45pm
Jek Meng Hainanese Chicken Rice
With more than 50 years of running the business, Jek Meng continues to supply high quality chicken rice, also adding braised palo duck in recent years. The famous two-toned chicken (B60) is a half and half topping of fresh boiled chicken rice with gelatinous skin and crispy-on-the-outside and tenderon-the-inside chicken. The rice is aromatic and has been cooked with chicken broth while their special dipping sauce is a blend of high-quality bean paste, garlic, chili and ginger.
081-711-6161, Open 6:30am-7pm
Jaw Daeng Samyan
You’ve probably seen one of the more than 30 of Jae Daeng’s successful franchises around the city, but the O.G. branch started right here in 1990. Before becoming a hit sensation and noted by the likes of Michelin, this place was a street hawker shop that gradually became a favorite among locals, especially the nearby university students who spread the word about its juicy grilled pork neck topped with roasted rice. The menu also covers other Northeastern classics like larb, somtum, and various styles of yum.
02-214-2590, Open Mon-Sat 10:30am-4pm
Table of Contents
Table of Contents repackages nostalgic Thai street food desserts into European-style pastries. The line up of “doughko,” a mash up between the fluffy donut texture and the airy patongko buns, is currently their bestseller, and comes with eight Thai-style fillings. We recommend the Khanom Krok Kao Pod (B120) for the sweet tooths out there and the Tamarind Custard (B120) for those who like a bit of zestiness.
095-937-5544, Open Mon-Fri 7:30am-10pm; Sat-Sun 8am-10pm
Lunch
Nha Bin
Walking on Bantadthong you’ll notice a Vietnamese sign in front of a commercial building. This branch expanded from Charoenkrung to serve up authentic pho, the highlight being the beef. Also, if you’ve still got room, try their banh mi and spring rolls to round out your Vietnam lunch. Inside has a Hoi An vibe, decorated with yellow-painted walls, colorful illustrations, and Vietnamese-style lamps.
061-409-7141, Open Mon-Fri 8am-8:30pm; Sat-Sun 11am-9pm
Black Me-O Boat Noodle
From the experimental Thai resto Ega and the Italian joint A Pink Rabbit + Bob, this space is decked out with black cat iconography. Black Me-O Boat Noodle ladles their mini bowls of goodies at the affordable price of B30. But don’t underestimate the size; the soup packs a punch with its roasted chili-based broth, so we recommend ordering some pork rinds (B30) and gyoza (B39) to ease the pain.
063-456-9495, Open daily 11am-11pm
Pork Satay Nai Song
You might smell this place before you see it—a hot stove lined with skewed pork satay. Nai Song has been open for 40 years and still maintains their quality satay grilled over ember hot charcoals and served with sliced cucumbers and shallots in syrup with small-bite toasted breads. Customers will mostly be flocking in late afternoon, so we recommended going there at lunch.
081-432-5411, Open daily 9:30am-10pm
Kumpoy
So, this one is a little off of Bantadthong— but at least you don’t have to go to Chiang Mai. On Chula Soi 7, Kumpoy digs into Northern cuisine with reinterpreted menus like the fried pork belly with Thai chili dip (B495) and khao soi served with wagyu beef. The restaurant is a modern design with a mixture of Lanna charms like red bricks and traditional patterns.
062-439-9324. Open daily 11:30am-9:30pm
Dinner
Kemuri
Bangkok isn’t short on sukiyaki spots, but on Bantadthong, Kemuri is a nice little hide from the crowds. The key to this non-nonsense spot is to grab a seat at the serving bar before the dinner crowd really hits. On the menu, you’ll find plenty of side dishes to keep you going, but the key here is the sukiyaki, made with higher-end ingredients you might not find elsewhere on this street. Try the beef sukiyaki (B279) for the basic end of the spectrum, and it goes up from there with kurobuta and picanha, If you’re looking to splash out on something special, try the A5 Wagyu (B990).
02-215-0866, Open daily 5pm-midnight
Jeh O
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the line—it’s long. At dinner time, you’re going during peak hours, so you can walk up to the booth and put in your name and maybe walk around and grab a drink. You could be waiting for an hour or longer to try these noodles, but there are few in town that boast this pedigree. A Bib Gourmand pick from Michelin, this spot is famous for the Mama Noodles Tom Yum, by far the most popular dish at this tiny space. Still, there’s a full Thai-Chinese menu to explore, including crispy fried duck and duck rice. The key to getting in without too much fuss is to arrive when they open at 4pm.
064-118-5888, Open daily 4pm-midnight
Saneh Larb Koi
It’s a little dash of Northeastern cuisine smack dab in the middle of Bantadthong down Chulalongkorn Soi 20. The interior’s green walls are a bit stuck out of time. On the menu, you’ll find classic Thai favorites—and it’s pretty cheap (even though their prices have increased in recent years). You can pick up any of their simple larb moo for B100, and their somtam and fiery nam tok are great additions. Their Crying Tiger, so named for the stripes on the grilled beef, is a favorite for newbies to this spot who might not be au fait with the cuisine.
Open Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight
Jae Keang
Another Thai-Chinese space that hits the spot is Jae Keang. If you’re just turning off Rama I and you want to pop in for dinner, it’s conveniently located and can save you from the busy street crowds. This place has a very big menu and you can grab pretty much any classic Thai dish you want, but the duck stew is the star for us. If you like duck, this is the place to go to try everything from duck intestine to dark duck wing meat served in a clay pot. That said, everything from crab meat curry to kale with abalone in oyster sauce is on offer.
086-884-4352, Open daily 4pm-11:30pm
Ginger Bowl
You can’t talk about neighborhood food without at least one Hong Kong spot. Ginger Bowl has a more upscale interior than a lot of places on Bantadthong, and there are quite a few pleasant surprises on their menu. Don’t fill up on the fried wontons, because you’ll want to fit in some of their signature Chinese fried shrimp noodle rolls. But, this place also has a line for their desserts, specifically their colourful and instagram-friendly sweet dumplings in milk, which looks like a dish for a kid that packs a fun punch for adults.
063-446-5641. Open daily noon-2:30pm, 4:30- 10:30pm
Desserts
Hot Pot Ice Cream Yotse
Hot pot ice cream? How does that work? Well, pretty easily, it turns out. The saccharine dessert cafe craze may have hit a peak some time ago, but the gimmicky ice cream hot pot scheme here is a hit. As you might have guessed, this is a clone of the Yotse Soi shop and is much improved from the original location—complete with chairs that aren’t plastic. And, yes, you can have your scoops served in a hot pot bowl steaming with dry ice.
092-082-5551. Open daily 5-11pm
Jeh Wan
Found just outside the Chulalongkorn, follow the big pink sign for some local favorite and very cheap desserts. If you’re more suited to a chocolate frame of mind, check out their Cocoa Volcano with grass jelly in fresh milk. However, the more traditional boiled sweet potato with ginkgo and glutinous rice balls in coconut milk will give you more of the vibe of this place. 081-421-3761.
Open Mon-Sat, 1:45-11:30pm
Tuay Tung Ice Cream
Scoops here start at just B55 and you can find some really great flavors, like caramelized peanut butter and sweet potato, but they also boast some pretty creative dishes. You might have seen this shop around elsewhere, including in their recently opened Huai Khwang branch. For a real treat, grab the caramel pudding with banoffee crumble.
Drinks
Beer Pradith
Beer Pradith became this hot neighborhood’s favorite stop for beer earlier this year, serving up 24 taps of Thai craft beer sourced from all over the Kingdom. This joint places an emphasis on comfort so you can kick back and hang with friends without the stuffiness of high end breweries. Every Thursday-Saturday, the craft beer bar brings in a rotation of live music and DJs to keep things fresh—and don’t forget to check out their nachos.
084-125-5592, Open daily 5pm-late
Tortuga, Art and Weird Cafe
Game, drink, listen to tunes—there aren’t many spots like this. Known for its massive collection of board games, this is not just a space to geek out (though it is definitely that). Walk in and you’ll find an inviting interior, plenty of booze, and both live music and DJs playing on their tiny stage. You might be tempted to reach for the Sangsom and a board game, but give their signature cocktails a try.
0956813034. Open daily 4:30pm-2am
Find the Photobooth
If there is one bar to really check out on this street, it’s Find the Photobooth. Helmed by some of the biggest names in the Bangkok nightlife scene, including Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn and Chennarong Bhumichitr from Bangkok’s Mahaniyom, it’s as close to a speakeasy as you can get. Keep your head on a swivel for a trendy looking shophouse with minty green walls and, as advertised, some photo booths to take before and after selfies. Though they like to switch up the menu quite often, our favorite on our last visit was the hearty Grasshopper, featuring creme de menthe, creme de cacao, and, yes, more cream.
080-078-9265. Open daily 7pm-1:30am
Kodo Bar
Sometimes Bantadthong doesn’t look like the place for a cocktail bar, but you’d be wrong. They’re dark, sleek, and an ideal date spot if you’ve just spent your day trekking up and down the street looking for food. On our last visit, we can recommend the Midnight Storm and Sunrise Spirit. This space is pretty low on light and big on atmosphere, so go late when you’re in the mood.
02-215-3250, Open Tue-Sun 5pm-midnight
Natzy Bar
We’ve got our fancy speakeasy, cocktail bar, and beer bar. Now it’s time for some club vibes. That brings us to the Natzy Bar. It’s got a big space that shoves in a lot of live music and DJs. Sure, the club kids love Soi 11, but foodies party in Bantadthong because they’re too full to get in a cab. The crowds here are young, Thai, not too rowdy, and there is plenty of space to sit down for the show.
081-139-0089, Open daily 7pm-2am
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