All the foodies in Bangkok (especially the BangkokFoodies) know about Vivin, the high end grocer and restaurant that has spearheaded a lot of local trends, from a love of Thai cheeses to community cold cuts. 

 

What started as a farmers market is now three spaces in downtown Bangkok, the Asoke flagship, the takeaway spot in Ekkamai, and now this new bistro, grocery, and cafe on Sukhumvit Soi 22. 

 

To start with, this might be their neatest design to date, with the venue kitted out in reclaimed wood from a hostel on Suk 11—with plenty of tat and design centered around the concept. 

 

Vivin knows how to do cool, so you’ll find antique radios, old Thai musical instruments and original art on the walls. The unfinished wood gives it a rustic, almost country vibe. You’ve got three floors to play with in this new spot, including a balcony that looks on to the busy soi. 

 

At the moment the main upstairs dining area features original artworks from artist Kat Jones, and there’s ambition to bring in more artists for some rotating features. 

 

If you plan to use the spot for your weekly shop, you’ll find their Vivin cheese and local cold cuts in the fridge as you come in the door, and on your left a selection of marmalades, spices, and homemade ingredients mixed. Gelato is on the way. 

 

Getting into the menu, you’ll find an all-day breakfast menu with shashuka and steak hache and egg, but the dish to try will be the fluffy souffle omelette served classic, three cheese, goat cheese, and Spanish style with chorizo en manteca.

 

Boasting housemade soups from onion to kale and starters from whole burrata with tomatoes and warm goat cheese salad, the big ticket item for the instagrammers and the Vivin regulars will likely be the cheese and charcuterie platters. The whole shebang comes with a tower of afternoon tea-style charcuterie and and ranges in price from the four charcuteries for B520 to the premium option for B1,990 with six charcuterie, four artisanal cheeses, and Tasmanian smoked salmon. 

 

But if you’re just popping into this spot for a quick sando, they split them up into the toasted Viennese—featuring the likes of calabrese pizza and steak tzatziki—and cold artisanal baguette sandwiches that include duck liver mousse with cognac and a mortadella pistachio. 

 

The adorable little chocolate mousse comes in a jar and is topped with chantilly cream, and is a fairly large helping for one, so make sure to grab that one to share. 

 

On the drink front, you’ll find a mix of sweets and careful coffee, including coffees starting at B80 that can be topped off with coconut or sesame milk, and there are five different organic teas starting at B120. 

 

Vivin is all about thinking local and making simple food work for a complicated crowd, and having a new spot here is good for the whole neighborhood.