The Best of Thonglor, Bangkok: An Insiders Guide
The Best of Thonglor, Bangkok: An Insiders Guide
Thonglor has quickly and definitively become perhaps the coolest neighborhood in all of Bangkok because of its great restaurants, shops, nightlife, and essentials. There's so much to do that it can become overwhelming if you don't have a guide to steer you through. We're going to be such a guide and show you just what you can expect by coming to visit Bangkok's coolest neighborhood. Let's get started by exploring some of the restaurants that you can find in the area, followed by some shopping opportunities, the nightlife you can expect to find as well as some essentials in the area too. Let's get to it!
Restaurants
There are so many culinary opportunities in the neighborhood of Thonglor that we have to break it down at least a little bit. We're going to split up these hip restaurants into breakfast, lunch, and dinner just to make things a little bit easier for you. With all of that said, let's get started with breakfast.
Breakfast
The Calin Cafe features plenty of dark oak as well as a classic black-and-white checkered floor. It's a restaurant that offers a Parisian eating experience, and it serves up house-made brioches and croissants. Dishes include such items as razor clam with chili and garlic, eggs benedict with salmon and zucchini, and croque monsieur. There are also six different types of coffee made with Cafes Richard beans.
Crepes & Co. has remained an institution in Bangkok for over 20 years. It's located in the shopping mall called Eight Thonglor. It can be counted on for delicious pastas, tagines, and savory, sweet crepes. There are sofas all over the place, so you'll have no trouble cozying in for a nice breakfast.
Roast is a place that has a wonderful coffee that's roasted in-house. No matter if you choose french press or drip coffee, the beans are excellent. The owner actually frequently travels to exotic locations in order to find the right beans. They also have a pairing list for coffee and dessert. This is super helpful for those customers who want a delightful eating experience. For things that are more substantial, you can show up for their brunch dishes like eggs benedict or a good burger.
For Starbucks, we know what you're thinking. "I can hit up a Starbucks in my hometown. Why would I go to one in Thonglor?" Well, this Starbucks experience is nothing like your generic service back home. It has a neat and quiet place to enjoy a nice cup of coffee, and it even has a cozy little terrace outside that's shaded by plenty of trees. This is a great place to go, pop open your laptop, and get to work.
The Tiny Cup Cafe is run by the same people who run the very cutesy Cafe Buttercup. The Tiny Cup Cafe has made itself right at home in Thonglor with the vintage vibe it has. It's totally covered in knickknacks and wooden furniture that's totally covered up with patterned cushions. The brunch-focused menu offers things like a full English breakfast, all with Joe Sloane's cheese omelet, sausages, and egg and chorizo. Their raspberry tart is most definitely worth the extra calories you'll be consuming.
The Tribeca Restobar is a New York-inspired restaurant that does brunch-friendly dishes as well as some basics that are more comforting, all in a cozy setting that features brick and marble touches. Their all-day brunch-themed menu consists of everything from eggs benedict to pancakes as well as healthier options like fruit and granola. They even have Mexican huevos rancheros as well as carbonara with a pork belly. They offer mimosas, bellinis, and bloody Marys. Their flourless chocolate cake and New York cheesecake are not to be missed either.
Bangers is located across from Eight Thonglor, and they are all about hot dogs. The menu offers shakes, sausages, and craft beer for those who are looking to either pregame or postgame it. They also have a number of shakes such as the Blah Blah Berry Shake. They also have a number of tasty and intriguing beers as well as a pool table on the second floor. You definitely don't want to miss out on this one.
Bo.lan was founded by chef couple Bo and Dylan, and they brought the experience and technical knowledge they have of running a restaurant in the UK back with them to Bangkok's Thonglor neighborhood. Theirs is a traditional approach to Thai cuisine, all of it presented in a rather contemporary style. The chefs recommend the Bo.lan balance, which is a menu that changes to reflect seasonal dishes. All of this is served in a very stylish restaurant that used to be a home. It features a dark wood finish and has traditional baskets attached to the ceiling.
Greyhound Cafe on J Avenue, this cool restaurant delivers a high level of urban cool along with comforting dishes. Greyhound is a reliable place. They feature the same menu with the same very attentive staff and the same accouterments. Considering you're in Thonglor, Bangkok, this restaurant also offers a great potential for people watching as well.
Palm Cuisine is a spa that added on a Thai restaurant later. It's been around for 10 years, and its vibe is a natural and comforting one, with trees used as decorations and comfortable wooden furniture offered to all of the guests. This is authentic Thai food, so that means that there's no compromising on the heat and flavor of the dishes that they offer here at this location.
4 Garcons was started by four men with experience outside of the culinary world. All of the food is cooked by a Thai doctor, but this is classic French fare. They offer dishes like the Burgundy escargots, with garlic and parsley and its in-house pate de champagne. They specialize in particularly hearty dishes, such as duck confit with mustard sauce, mashed potatoes, and tender oxtail stew. This is a particularly good alternative to some of the pricier, stuffier French options that are out there in the area.
8 Owls Japanese Dining Bar is attempting to present creative and artsy dishes such as scallop ceviche, toro tartare, and oyster shooters. They do all of this in a bar-vibe that's decorated with wood and steel, all of this making for a truly cozy hangout that's augmented by excellent food.
Amalfi Bistro is an Italian restaurant that's inside of a house. They present classic Italian fare and offer some nice surprises with their dishes, such as lobster spaghetti and pizza, pasta, and steak delivered in unique ways. There are few Italian places that are quite so playful and indulgent when it comes to their dining experience like Amalfi Bistro is.
Gyu-Maru is up a small flight of concrete stairs and within a narrow space that's divided by a row of wooden booths that's located to the side of the restaurant. You're given a little bib to protect you from the grill. All of their ingredients are natural and of high quality, and the truly smoke-free environment is refreshing. The menu is fairly extensive and includes karubi, which is boneless beef rib and garlic butter rosu, which is pork loin. All of these items are wonderfully tasty and all add to a lovely dining experience.
Harvey is not a man, but a restaurant. It has upstairs private rooms that are commonly occupied by the rich and the famous, showing just how high quality this restaurant is. The downstairs dining room and bar tends to be positively buzzing with activity. The trained staff just appear in the minimalist glass and concrete location. The food is billed as being Californian, but it encompasses American, French, and Italian. It also includes things like clam chowder and the like. If you're looking for a wonderful meal surrounded by beautiful people, then this is the place for you.
Kaze Fresh Japanese Restaurant looks like a classic sushi bar and it has a menu to back up this fact. It's got a mix of wood and marble, an open kitchen, and warm lighting to make the dining room more of an inviting place to sit and have traditional Japanese food. There are all sorts of benefits to this restaurant, such as its extensive Japanese menu and its prime and beautiful restaurant. This is definitely a place to check out on your next Thonglor visit.
Little Beast takes after New York gastro bars. It serves American cuisine in a cool 1920s atmosphere. The head chef here has dishes with a nose-to-tail focus like their homemade charcuterie plate and jerk chicken hearts with pineapple salsa. They have a number of cocktails that they also provide, which makes this place a big place to look for.
Soul Food Mahanakorn is a place that features double pour cocktails as well as traditional Thai dishes that truly stand out. This cozy little place should be on the list of those who are looking for affordable, authentic Thai offerings.
The Water Library Thonglor is a place that features a massive 10-person bar where everyone is served simultaneously right at 7:30pm. This place benefits from having a setup where you actually face the chefs who are preparing your meal. You get the benefit of seeing your food cooked right before you while you can ask your chef about the dish.
Coolest Shops/Nightlife
There are plenty of cool shops in Thonglor as well as places to get your nightlife on. We're going to briefly cover some of these places that you can check out.
Coolest Shops
Anchavika is a cool boutique shop to check out in Thonglor. They have bold and edgy looks that will impress and express all at once. The place was founded by someone who has an absolute passion for fashion.
The Vintage Store is one of the coolest places to find that old-school look for a reasonable price. This place carries luxury items from the past, even rare and discontinued pieces that you won't be able to find anywhere else.
Poem is a place that prides itself on class and elegance. It combines traditional craftsmanship with a more contemporary aesthetic. This place prides itself on its minimalist choices and a focus on the silhouette of their pieces.
Nightlife
Badmotel is in a run-down three-story building on the far side of Thonglor. The abandoned interior has now given way to a chic modern aesthetic that still incorporates some imperfections of the building in order to add some whimsy and character to the overall experience you'll have here. There are regular music events that take place on the second floor, and the downstairs area is great for the cooler months.
Bottoms Up! is brightly lit and employs bold murals to secure its exciting aesthetic. The supercars that are parked outside might intimidate some, but this place is still cool for anybody to enjoy. They also offer a complete dining opportunity, which sets them apart from just any bar or nightlife specialist.
Essentials
In terms of essentials, Villa Market on J Avenue is an excellent choice. This is a place where expats tend to gather in order to get their favorite groceries.
Foodland is similar to Villa Market in that it boasts a large selection of imported foods. Unlike Villa Market, Foodland is open 24 hours of the day.
Samitivej Hospital is a place that you hopefully won't have to visit. However, if you do, know that you're in good hands in one of the best facilities in all of Thailand.
Hotel
Nestled between the exciting Sukhumvit Soi 55 and Petchaburi Road, the 148-key akyra Thonglor Bangkok hotel offers studio rooms, plus 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom suites, tapping into the trendy local aesthetic with a strong, contemporary design. The self-contained sanctuaries are perfect for leisure travellers, while guests passing through on business will want for nothing with an adjacent lifestyle mall and 24-hour supermarket.
There is so much to explore in Thonglor, Bangkok that it can get overwhelming just trying to figure out where to go for a bite to eat or to enjoy the nightlife. Lucky for you, you have this handy guide that will help you in your quest to enjoy the heck out of Thonglor. While this list isn't exhaustive, it will get you well on your way to knowing Thonglor.