Casa Blue

Sathorn's welcoming craft beer bar will have you hooked.

This welcoming, family-owned spot may put the emphasis on craft beer, but their food is nothing to be sniffed at. Bright blue walls and retro floor tiles set a fun atmosphere in which to enjoy Thai, German, European and American eats, from the baked clams soaked in garlic butter and white wine sauce (B159) to the perfectly rare Australian marbled steak (B389). Equally satisfying are the Thai-herbed barbecue pork ribs (B259) and the meaty Bavarian Platter (B879) with German sausages, pork knuckle, two scoops of mashed potato and sauerkraut that's to die for. Pair your meal with beer from their 11 rotating taps, like the creamy American Rogue Batsquatch IPA (B289) or the crisp Allemand Pilsner (B169).

TTN Avenue, 88 Nanglinchee Rd. 065-594-4555. See full details here. 

Gingerbread House

Steps away from the Giant Swing, the Old Town’s once crumbling teakwood Gingerbread House has recently been lovingly renovated as a cafe, packed with a mish-mash of cute vintage and antique furniture. The two-story Rama VI-era property won its name for the exquisite fretwork and shutters that surround it. Onto the menu, an iced mint macchiato (B95) lends a refreshing aside to sinful cakes and Thai desserts like lotus leaf ice cream with coconut milk (B120). Can’t decide? Opt for the Lotus Set (B599) to sample eight Thai desserts with two scoops of ice cream and a pot of hot tea.

47 Phra Athit Rd. 097-229-7021. See full details here. 

Olta

The former chef at Phuket’s Bampot Kitchen, Jamie Wakeford, is behind this pared-back restaurant bringing a “modern British” twist to Suan Phlu. Olta shoots for the sweet spot between casual after work meetups and special-occasion dining through teal banquettes, moody down-lighting, walls popping with black-and-white contemporary art and a soundtrack permanently tuned into mid-tempo hip-hop. The menu is big on local produce and reinterpretations of classic British recipes. Big eaters are rewarded in dishes like the Thai sole (B650), a massive hunk of fish topped with baby shrimp, briny capers and semi-dried grapes that comes to life with a good squeeze of lemon. Don’t end your meal there, as Olta’s take on banoffee pie is ever so light thanks to the intriguing inclusion of tofu cream. To drink, try the OG Tea (B320), a mix of gin, Earl Grey tea, citrus and tonic, or a glass of the biodynamic Italian Red Avignonesi (B270).

101/11 Suanphlu Rd. 094-656-2159. See full details here. 

Sweet Poppy

Nonthaburi’s Aussie-inspired restaurant looks like a spa resort.

Amid Nonthaburi’s international schools and gated communities, Sweet Poppy is the answer to well-heeled parents’ dreams: an urban day resort where mom and dad can eat bright and fresh Aussie brunch fare while kids run around in manicured gardens complete with jungle gym and play houses. Here you can enjoy everything from creamy avocado toast (B310) to organic grilled pork chop in hoisin and ginger sauce (B590), using meat supplied by artisan Bangkok butchers like Sloanes. There’s an entirely separate menu just for the little ones, too. Pair your food with fresh concoctions from the dedicated juice bar, like signature Hello Gorgeous smoothie (B250)—a creamy blend of spinach, alfalfa sprouts, grapes, kiwi and almond milk—or a refreshing Aperol Spritz (B280).

90/10 Samakee Rd. 020-055-206. See full details here.

Wet

Gaggan’s new wine bar is also the affordable curry house he once promised

The new wine bar from Gaggan Anand’s long-term sommelier, Vladimir Kojic, may be your ticket to an education on the wine world’s most exciting creations, but it is also the affordable curry house he once promised. Head here on an empty stomach to enjoy the unctuously unpretentious chicken masala with beautiful long-grain Basmati rice at just B390 a portion. Make sure you save room for the glorious mess of yogurt, potato and spices that is the “Seductively Indian” papdi chaat (B390). Some of the greatest hits from Gaggan restaurant's past even make the grade, like his duo of sinfully meaty “Year of the Pig” pork cutlets (B420). By-the-glass wines go from around B360 upwards and even at these lowest prices, you’re getting the good stuff—the light Atanasius label from Austria’s game-changing Gut Oggau winery, to be precise, praised for pioneering biodynamic blends that don’t get hung up on grape varietals. As “natural” wine bars make a hit around the world, this is downtown Bangkok’s boldest attempt yet to remove wine from stuffy restaurants and place it into the hands of the fun-loving party crowd more readily found in craft cocktail bars.

68/9 Soi Lang Suan, Phloen Chit Rd. 02-117-2835. See full details here.