The Bangkok riverside is home to established hotel haunts serving incredibly refined meals. In recent years, the historic Charoenkrung Road has also welcomed a slew of fun, casual yet creative restaurants.  Here are our top neighborhood picks based on BK's annual Top Tables guide to Bangkok’s 100 best restaurants. 

80/20

2019 saw Charoenkrung’s hipster hangout go upscale: kitchen bar seats, tasting menu, wine pairing and craft cocktails. Fermentation remains at the heart of chef Napol Jantraget’s nine-course menu, whether it’s a sinfully crisp slice of pork belly topped with infused mushroom and served with a fermented chili sauce or a tangy coconut cream with smoked goby fish. Desserts by Japanese pastry chef Saki Hoshino (see page 54) forgo sweetness in favor of sublimely challenging new flavors.

1052-1054 Charoenkrung Soi 26. 099-118-2200. Open Tue-Sun 6-11pm

100 Mahaseth

From a warm, rustic space just off Charoenkrung, chefs Chalee Kader (Surface, Holy Moly) and Randy Noprapa (Fillets) reward diners for taking the plunge into the world of local offcuts. Drawn heavily from Isaan and the north, dishes like the beef entrails in spicy soup and charcoal-roasted bone marrow really make you question all the fuss over premium meat—and have you coming back for more.

100 Mahaset Rd., 02-235-0023. Open daily 11:30am-11pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Get a complimentary dish from selection valued up to THB 360 when spending THB 500 or more /sales slip (limit 1 dish /card /table /sales slip) Today - 29 Feb 20

Ah Yat Abalone Forum

(Chinese) Worshippers at the altar of traditional Cantonese cuisine flock here for Hong Kong chef Yeung Koon Yat (of the once-Michelin-starred Forum Restaurant) and his abalone dishes. It is just as prized for its way with dim sum, which draws Bangkok’s oldest Thai families in droves.

2/F, Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Hotel, 72/4 Charoenkrung Rd., 02-291-7781. Open daily 11am-2:30pm, 6-10:30pm

The China House

(Chinese) This beautiful 1930s Shanghai-inspired restaurant stands out with its stylishly romantic vibe. Reminiscent of a scene out of Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love, the dining room is all about dark hidden spaces accented by bold splashes of color, but it’s the dim sum, Peking duck and nouveau-Chinois specialties that keep the customers coming back.

Mandarin Oriental, 48 Charoenkrung Soi 40, 02-659-9000 ext. 7390. Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, 6-10:30pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Lunch: Dim Sum ‘all you can eat’ including tea at THB 888 net /person on Tuesday - Friday and book a table for 4 persons and pay for 3 persons | Dinner: get 25% discount on food and non-alcoholic beverage on Tuesday - Sunday for Citi ULTIMA, Citi Prestige, Citi Premier, Citi Preferred and Citi Select Today - 30 Nov 19

Jua

(Japanese) Nestled deep down a residential Charoenkrung soi, far removed from the Japanese hotbed that is Sukhumvit, this sleek izakaya is providing the fuel for many a big night out. To go with the plentiful sake, shochu and umeshu, chef Chet Adkins deals in Japanese-style grilled skewers that showcase both excellent produce and expert preparation.

672/49 Charoenkrung Soi 28, 02-103-6598. Open Mon-Sat 6pm-midnight; Sun 6-10pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Get a complimentary mocktail valued up to THB 150 when spending THB 1,000 or more /sales slip (limit 1 glass /card / table /sales slip) Today - 31 Dec 19

Le Normandie

(French) The original home of Bangkok French fine dining (open for business since 1958) has soared back into every top-tier foodie conversation under chef Arnaud Dunand-Sauthier. Every great chef needs a dish that defines them. Dunand-Sauthier's signature: his Oscietra caviar with sea urchin and potato, an elegant soup of rich and salty seafood indulgence. Other courses are equally as subtle, graceful and driven by the best produce at hand. Choose between a tasting menu or concise a la carte of contemporary but unabashedly French courses. Whatever way you go, flawless consistency is guaranteed—as is demanded by the clientele of high-rolling Le Normandie regulars.

Mandarin Oriental, 48 Charoenkrung Soi 40, 02-659-9000 ext. 7390. Open Mon-Sat noon- 2pm, 7-9pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Lunch (Mon-Fri): 3-course set at 1,800 net /person 4-course set at 2,250 net /person Lunch (Sat): 5-course set at 2,800 net /person 6-course set at 3,600 net /person Dinner (Mon-Sat): 7-course at 6,200 net /person 8-course set at 6,800 net /person for Citi ULTIMA, Citi Prestige, Citi Premier, Citi Preferred and Citi Select only Today – 30 Nov 19

Mei Jiang

(Chinese) If there was ever a perfect setting for a family celebration, this hotel riverside spot long a favorite of Cantonese food aficionados would be it. Perfectly executed plates of dim sum, lobster dumplings and deepfried crab claws are must-orders, while floor-to-ceiling bay windows lend views of the riverside garden.

G/F, The Peninsula, 333 Charoen Nakorn Rd., 02-020-2888. Open daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 6-10:30pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: For Citi ULTIMA: Get 50% discount for 2 diners | Get 33% discount for 3 diners | Get 25% discount for 4 diners | Get 20% discount for 5 diners | Get 15% discount for 6 diners or more. For Citi Prestige: Get 30% discount for 2 diners | Get 15% discount for 1 diner and 3 diners or more Today – 30 Dec 19

Sala Rim Naam

(Thai) The longtime go-to for Thais with out-of-town guests, this jewel-like pavilion on the river is a showcase for not only some of the city’s best Thai cooks, but the country’s best classical Thai performers. Expect multi-course “royal Thai” set menus meant to echo the pageantry of the surroundings.

Mandarin Oriental, 48 Charoenkrung Soi 40, 02-659-9000 ext 7390. Open Mon-Sun noon-2:30pm, 7-10:30pm

Exclusively for Citi credit card members: Authentic Thai Lunch Buffet: THB 950 net /person or THB 650 net /person for childern on Mon-Fri THB 1,150 net /person or THB 800 net /person for children on Sat-Sun. Thai Set Dinner with Dance Show: THB 2,450 net /person or THB 1,950 net /person for children on Mon-Sun. Book a table for 4 persons and pay for 3 persons for Citi ULTIMA, Citi Prestige, Citi Premier, Citi Preferred and Citi Select only Today – 30 Nov 19

Shang Palace

(Chinese) Head chef Chow Wai Man started out 40 years ago at the Shangri-La Academy in Hong Kong. Specialties in Bangkok include “Buddha Jumps over the Wall” soup, which features dried scallop, abalone, shiitake and sea cucumber, and baked lobster with his special stock. Don’t miss the humble braised Chinese spinach topped with salted egg and century egg.

3/F, Shangri-La Hotel, 89 Soi Wat Suan Plu, 02-236-7777. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm; Sun 11am-3pm; daily 6-10:30pm

The full list of 100 restaurants is available as a free booklet inserted in BK Magazine Mar 29 issue and a downloadable PDF version.

Citi

Since 2016, Citibank has partnered with Top Tables to offer Citi credit card members promotions at Bangkok's best restaurants. Look out for the blue boxes in Top Tables 2019 to discover how you could save.

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