Rather go to a hotel brunch? Here's our pick of the best all-you-can-eat buffets for your Sunday.
Crepes & Co.
Despite having to move to a new venue last year, this restaurant retained its colonial allure by taking up residence in a charming white house on Langsuan. Great service and a nice garden only add to the appeal. When it comes to the food, in addition to the array of sweet and savory crepes (B140-B555), the frequent Greek and Moroccan promotions keep things interesting.
59/4 Langsuan Soi 1, 02-652-0208. Open Mon-Sat 9am-11pm; Sun 8am-11pm
Smith
With its focus on local produce, emphasizing nose-totail-eating, Smith’s brunch menu covers a fair bit of ground: pork rillette, eggs benedict served with pork belly, haggis and blood sausage, as well as pasta dishes. It’s particularly homey fare and fantastic for the price (B950). Top up your Sunday with some free-flow booze (B485) as you kick back in the achingly fashionable industrial chic setting.
1/8 Sukhumvit Soi 49, 02-261-0515-6. Brunch on Sat-Sun 11am-3pm
Gastro 1/6
The outdoor cafe at the RMA Institute is not only an idyllic, overgrown hangout but also a great place to get a straight-up brunch the way you may have had it on Sunday mornings in New York. A special treat is the Spanish tortilla with Iberico ham, a fluffy, creamy baked omelet topped with thin slices of salty, chewy ham. We also love how they handle their poached eggs: fat and fluffy on the outside and just starting to thicken on the inside. Sample them in their priceybut-good poached eggs with asparagus and truffle oil (B320).
RMA Institute, 238 Soi Sai Namthip 2, Sukhumvit Soi 22. Open daily Tue-Sun 10am-3pm
Chu
Chu’s Chef Chirayu na Ranong has just expanded the popular café’s original venue while sticking to the same fuss-free casual tone of old. The menu, too, has been expanded. While most of our favorites remain—from the French toast (B250) to the rich brownies (B65-70) and succulent hot chocolate (made with 58% pure cacao, B120)—there are also some new dishes, like scrambled eggs with cherry tomato salsa and Joe Sloane’s chorizo (B250) . And the great thing is the place welcomes breakfast lovers all day, every day.
2/F, Exchange Tower, 388 Sukhumvit Rd., 02-663-4554. BTS Asoke. Open daily 8am-7pm (subject to change)
Hyde & Seek
This boozy nighttime hangout famed for its cocktails and big dinners also does brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, bringing their playful and calorieunconscious formula to traditional egg dishes. They do classics like eggs benedict, except their version comes with lobster hollandaise sauce and caramelized bacon (B250). Also exciting is the brioche French toast (B240), which comes with thick cut bacon (another rarity) and proper maple syrup. (The difference from honey is pretty earth-shattering.) We also love that they do carafes of breakfast booze like sangria (B200) and bellinis (B380).
1/F, Athenee Residence, Soi Ruam Rudee, 02-168-5152. Serves breakfast Sat 11am-6pm; Sun 11-1am
Chesa
Located in a standalone house at the end of a quiet, leafy alley, Chesa isn’t particularly fancy but it is homey, rustic and warm, with the chef and manager making regular appearances. The deal, B1,350, is for the all-you-can-eat a la carte menu (B1,980 with free-flow wines and bloody marys) and you can sample many dishes thanks to the tapas-sized servings they bring to your table. Make sure to try the capuns dumpling (dried meat with lettuce) and raclette.
5 Sukhumvit Soi 20, 02-261-6650. www.chesaswiss.com. Brunch every Sun 11am-3pm
Rocket
One of the new breed of chill café-cum-brunch spots popping up all over town, Rocket certainly fits the bill with its charming location down a quiet but up-and-coming soi, its preponderance of wood and a simple menu of salads, sandwiches, soup, fresh baked pastries and quality coffee. The focus here is squarely on artisanal products and brunchstyle dishes. Salads include the beetroot, with goat cheese and rocket (B165), while sandwiches cover simple but tasty combinations like salami-cheese on homemade focaccia (B175) and gravlax on Danish rye (B175). There are also lighter breakfast options, from omelettes (B120) and eggs benedict (B185) to house made granola served with yoghurt (B110).
149 Sathorn Tai Soi 12, 02-635-0404. www.rocketcoffeebar.com. Open Tue-Sun 7am-7pm
Café Tartine
We tend to visit Café Tartine for their French sandwiches made with great crusty baguettes and simple but high quality ingredients. As if we need any further excuse to visit, their weekend brunch provides it. Expect classics like eggs benedict (B220) and crepes (B160-180), while you simply must end your meal with the chocolate pumpkin tart (B100)—delicious.
Athenee Residence, Soi Ruam Rudee, 02-168-5464. BTS Phloen Chit. Open daily 8am-8pm
Garden of Dream
Located on the top floor of Opposite Mess Hall, Garden of Dream is a welcome spot in which to brunch, with its bare cement meets tropical garden kind of ambience. It’s a long way up the stairs, but once you’re there, you can relax for hours by their plentiful windows while chowing on dishes like scrambled eggs with smoked salmon (B195). Heartier options include macaroni and cheese with bacon (B300) and mushroom risotto topped with baked ribs (B250).
4/F, Opposite, Sukhumvit Soi 51, 02-662-5057. Open Mon-Tue, Thu-Sat 5-10pm; Sun 11am-8pm
Roast
It’s well known that Roast whips up excellent artisanal coffee, which they roast by themselves at their new home, Coffee Roasting, and even distribute to many other cafés. But what makes them even more popular are their breakfast dishes including standard but succulent items from waffle and strawberries (B240) and eggs benedict (B240). They also have a pairing menu for coffee and dessert—order a cup of Brazil French press coffee served with a brownie (B550 for two).
Seenspace, Thonglor Soi 13, 02-185-2865. www.roastbkk.com. Open Mon-Thu 10am-11pm; Fri-Sat 9am-11pm; Sun 9am-10pm.
Simple
With its warm brick and redwood interior, this newly opened organic grocers-slash-café-slash-restaurant claims to offer up the best produce sourced from local farmers. That means you can expect everything from brown rice and pure coconut oil to freshlybaked pain au chocolat (B75) and frittata (Italian omelet, B250). As for brunch, your options span eggs benedict (B260) to homemade granola with yoghurt and seasonal fruits (B180). The welcoming staff will also give you the lowdown on what goes into their products, where they come from, how they are made and what’s good on the menu.
235/5 Sukhumvit Soi 31, 02-662-2510. Open Tue-Fri 9am-8pm; Sat-Sun 7am-8pm.
Napa on 26
Napa tends to attract either groups planning on maxing out on the free-flow, or savvy couples who realize that this is a sit-down brunch experience that’s pretty close to a fine-dining one. Besides the small buffet line (which has an excellent choice of French cheeses), the mains, served at your table, are actually where Napa shines. These range from a light pan-seared sea bass on capsicum and coriander sauce to the comforting braised lamb shank with mushrooms and mashed potatoes. The pleasurable experience comes with a plesant price tag of B950 or B1,500 with free-flow wines or B2,500 with a premium wine selection.
2/F, Nihonmachi, 115 Sukhumvit Soi 26. 02-258-2622. www.napaon26.com. Brunch every Sun 11:30am-2pm
Brooklyn Baker
Perhaps more than anywhere, we feel really welcome here thanks to the friendly staff. Seat yourself in the relaxing small garden and nosh on comforting fare like egg rothko (egg-stuffed cheese toast with bacon, sausage and salsa, B240), buttermilk pancakes (B220) and French toast (B215). Order some coffee (from B50), Twist juice (B100) or strawberry lassi (B100) and settle in for the long-haul.
51/7 Soi Polo (between Soi 2 and 3), Wireless Rd., 081-855-7090. Open daily Mon-Sun 10am-7pm
Tribeca Restobar
The new Tribeca, owned by siblings Rishi and Shareen Arora, dishes out American-influenced cuisine with an all-day brunch focus in a fancy New York-inspired setting. Tribeca’s food is to the point—as egg-y and bacon-y as it can get. Climb up themini-spiral staircase to a more relaxed mezzanine benches, which in turn leads onto a small outdoor terrace hidden at the back of the restaurant before ordering up the pancakes with sous-vide poached eggs, maple glazed pork belly and Hollandaise sauce (B195), carbonara with confit belly (B295), tiger prawn with tagliatelle (B380) and huevos rancheros (chorizo rice, chili con carne, guacamole, tortilla and eggs, B220). Top it all off with the all-you-can-drink mimosas, bellinis and bloody marys at B499.
Nihonmura Mall, Thonglor Soi 13, 02-712-9209. Open Tue-Sun 9am-midnight
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