The buzz: Horsamut came on the scene at the start of the year—another spot to check out Wat Arun on the riverside. And while it might still be a space for snapping selfies, it’s also getting attention for its coastal Thai fare and a sort of chic, musical ambiance. 

The vibe: Approaching from the water, Horsamut sticks out among the tourist heavy hotels. The high-ceilinged interior is bathed in a golden orange light in the evenings, and the interiors feature exposed brown brick, neutral color combinations, and wooden furniture. Head upstairs for an al fresco experience that’s more of a party vibe. They also have a downstairs patio on the river, and conceptually, the whole place puts off a “sundown” vibe. 

The food: It’s about ingredients and simplicity at this spot: old favorites and a focus on seafood. The traditional but delectable honey pomelo salad (B380) features a mix of sun dried shrimp, fish, coconuts shavings, and tamarind vinaigrette for a dish that goes to every end of the texture map, and one familiar to local diners. Committed to sourcing from sustainable farms and small fishing boats, this is a menu that isn’t afraid of spice. On that note, the stir fried crab meat with yellow chilli (B600) packs a bit of a wallop, featuring string beans and kaffir leaves. The tom yum with red coral trout (B650) hits a little bland for a tom yum, but the fish is a treat. It may sound strange, but the can’t miss dishes here are the mousse-y fish cakes, and the charcoal grilled reef squid (B280)—simple, and whatever they do to that squid makes it taste almost sweet.  

The drinks: There’s no doubt this place is trying to build a nightlife vibe with their Meet Me at Sunset evenings. Of their signature cocktails, try the Sinsamut, a beachy cocktail featuring lychee jelly, pomegranate, and a shell—for some reason. 

Why we’d go back: Very loud, very annoying construction was going on at a nearby dock on our visit, which really put a dampner on the vibes, so we’d like to go back after that’s completed. Also, the atmosphere during the day time is a likely quite different, so going for lunch to dig into the other mains is top of the list.

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