Aside from those countless ramshackle food stalls selling spicy treats around the clock, Bangkok is full
of restaurants offering the best cuisine from every region on the map. You're apt to find restaurants
offering Indonesian rijstaffel, Indian malai kofta, Hungarian goulash, Mexican flan and even Wiener
schnitzel served in an outdoor bier garten.
Diversity aside, however, you'll miss the boat to this culinary port if you don't taste the local specialties. Most people agree that eating Thai food is one of the more sensual dining experiences. Be sure 
to try the sweet gaeng kiew wan (green curry) or tom yam kung (a sour and spicy soup with prawns), local favorites. Those with mild palates beware of anything described by the term preek (it means it'll be fiery
hot). Generally, any Thai food is going to seem hot by Western standards, so be sure to tell the chef you want it mai pet if you prefer a gentler experience!
Expect to pay within these general guidelines, based on the cost of a dinner for one and not including
drinks, tax or tip: $ = less than 250 baht; $$ = 250-500 baht; $$$ = 500-1,250 baht; and $$$$ = more than
1,250 baht.
Sala Rim Naam Probably the best Thai restaurant in the whole country. Owned by the Oriental Hotel, this
exquisitely furnished traditional Thai pavilion sits across the river from the hotel. Diners arrive by
private boat. The dinner show starts at 8:30 pm and features traditional dance and theater. Daily 1 to 2
pm and 7 to 11 pm. Reservations suggested. $$$$. Major credit cards. 48 Oriental Ave., phone 236-0400.
Le Banyan Bangkok's premier French restaurant offers both traditional and nouvelle cuisine in a lovely,
colonial-style house with gardens. The wine list is astounding, and so are the prices. Dress up. Monday-Friday 11:30 am to 2 pm and 6:30 to 11 pm, Saturday-Sunday 6:30 to 11 pm. Reservations suggested. $$$$.
Major credit cards. 59 Sukhumvit Soi 8, phone 253-5556.
Baan Khanitha A quaint, old house with gardens in a quiet location. Royal (refined) Thai cuisine and
regional dishes, including green curry with coconut tips. Daily 11:30 am to 2 pm and 6:30 to 11 pm.
Reservations recommended for dinner Saturday and Sunday. $$$. Major credit cards. On the east side of
Bangkok, Sukhumvit Road, Soi 23, phone 258-4181.
Baan Thai A great place for the first-time visitor. Beautiful gardens outside a Thai-style house
including a pond with monster catfish and carp. Inside, tables are sunk into the floor, the floor becomes
your seat, and your feet drop into a comfortable space underneath. A set Thai menu is served piping hot,
and there's a floor show with two stages of Thai music and dancing. Beautiful traditional costumes
illuminate these traditional, dramatic pieces. Daily 7:30 to 10:00 pm. Show starts at 8 pm. Reserve to
secure the best seats. $$. Set price for the show and meal is 450 baht. Major credit cards. Set back in Soi
32 next to the Rex Hotel on Sukhumvit, phone 258-5403.
Cabbages and Condoms Quirky and unusual, with great Thai food, a friendly atmosphere and good crowd.
Dine outdoors in a lovely garden or in one of several rooms inside. Decor is mainly condom related, with
samples of all kinds from every country that makes 'em. Interesting and good fun, all done with impeccable
taste. All profits go to population control and AIDS research. No mints upon leaving but help yourself to
free condoms. $. Major credit cards. Reservations not accepted. Soi 12, off Sukhumvit, phone 252-7349.
The Spice Market In the Regent Hotel, informal, with a setting that looks like an old market scene.
Renowned chefs serve up traditional Thai and regional fare. Daily 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 6:30 to 11 pm.
$$. Major credit cards. 155 Ratchadamri Rd., phone 251-6127.
L'Opera Good Italian food in an unpretentious setting. Fresh seafood and produce, good wine selection
and reasonable prices. A bit out of the way on the eastern edge of town, but worth the trip. Daily 11 am to
2 pm and 6 to 11 pm. $$. Major credit cards. 53 Sukhumvit, Soi 39, phone 258-5606.
Stanley's French Restaurant Near the center of town and the Imperial Hotel, Stanley's offers fine
European dining. Eat on the terrace or inside in the air-conditioning. Lots of local movers and schmoozers
at Sunday brunch. Tuesday-Sunday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm and 6 to 10:30 pm. $$$. Major credit cards. 20/20-21
Soi Ruamrudee, Ploenchit Road, phone 250-1613.
Terrazzo In the Sukhothai Hotel, in the southern part of the city, this is one of the finest Italian
restaurants in Thailand. Supremely elegant, with wonderful service and homemade pastas. Extensive wine
list. Dress up. Daily noon to 2 pm and 6:30 to 11 pm. $$$. Major credit cards. 13/3 Sathorn Tai Rd., phone
287-0222.
Mayflower Restaurant At the Dusit Thani Hotel, the Mayflower serves highly praised Cantonese
specialties in a fine colonial-style room decorated with Chinese antiques. Roast suckling pig is a house
specialty. The vegetarian dishes are excellent. Dress code. Daily 11:30 am to 2 pm and 6 to 10 pm.
Reservations suggested. $$$. Major credit cards. 946 Rama IV Rd., phone 236-0450.
Le Danang Out by the airport, in the Central Plaza Hotel, Le Danang serves excellent Vietnamese cuisine
with a French twist. The atmosphere is Indochina circa 1920, and the specialties include baked crab with
mushrooms and angel-hair pasta with herbs. Casual, with evening entertainment. Daily 11:30 am to 2 pm and
6 to 11 pm. $$. Major credit cards. 1695 Phaholyothin Rd., phone 541-1234.
Bukhara Excellent Northern Indian dishes in a rustic setting with views of the Chao Phraya River.
Tandoor specialties and traditional Indian music nightly. You could live for a week in India for the price
of a dinner here, but your meal is well worth every penny. Daily noon to 2:30 pm and 7 to 11 pm. Reservations
requested for dinner. $$$. Major credit cards. Royal Orchid Sheraton, 2 Captain Bush Lane, phone 266-0139
or 237-0022.
Shin Daikoku Every hotel has its obligatory Japanese restaurant; this is one of the best outside the
hotel set. Shin Daikoku's renowned chef serves sashimi, sushi and teppanyaki-style dishes. Lots of private
rooms. Daily 11 am to 2:30 pm and 6 to 10:30 pm. $$$. Major credit cards. On the eastern edge of the city,
past the Ambassador Hotel, 32/8 Sukhumvit Soi 19, phone 2549-9804.
The Ayutthaya Princess One of the dining highlights in Bangkok. Built to resemble a royal barge, this
floating restaurant provides dinner cruises with traditional Thai culture shows. The food is great, and
despite the large size of the boat (seats 170 persons), the service reflects the high standards of the
boat's owner, the Shangri-La Hotel. Daily cruises depart at 7 pm, return at 9:30 pm. Dressy. $$$. Major
credit cards. 89 Wat Suan Phlu, Charoen Krung Road, phone 236-7777.
Wits Oyster Bar & Restaurant The only oyster bar and restaurant in town. Typical British cooking with
the freshest ingredients. Besides oysters, there are steak and kidney pie, Stilton soup, spotted duck and
fish and chips. Excellent collection of spirits. Open 11 am to 11 pm. $$. Major credit cards. 20/10-11 Soi
Rumrudee, Ploenchit Road, phone 252-1820.
Bourbon Street Fun and boisterous, this restaurant serves Creole and Cajun dishes, Mexican food and
home-style fare. Specialties include gumbo, jambalaya, tacos, chili and barbecued ribs and chicken. You
can wear your grubby jeans. Daily 7 am to 1 am. $. Major credit cards. Washington Square, Sukhumvit Soi 22,
phone 259-0328.
Cafe at the Park Thai and other cuisines served in a glass-enclosed corner of the Century Park Hotel.
You feel like you're eating in an air-conditioned park. Try the lunch or dinner buffet. On Friday and
Saturday nights, a large, fresh seafood selection is added. Open 24 hours. $$. Major credit cards.
Rajaprarop Road, phone 246-7800.
Seafood Market You enter this restaurant through an active fish market and select your entree from
dozens of large fish tanks. Next, you enter a small market area where a clerk helps you select salads and
vegetables. Now, choose a bottle from the wine rack. Give instructions on how everything should be cooked
to the cashier. Then sit at your table under the stars and wait for your meal to arrive. If you can't bear
to look your dinner in the eye while it's still swimming, go straight to a table and order from a standard
menu. $. 89 Soi Sukhumvit 24 (Kasem), Klongtoey, phone 661-1252-9, fax 261-2073.
Panthong Seafood Restaurant Specializing in Thai food and seafood, this is another restaurant where
you select your dinner as it swims in front of you. Thai dance and cultural shows are performed as you eat.
Select an indoor table or one in their lovely outdoor garden area. $. 133 Pan Rd. near Silom, phone 234-6687, fax 234-4031.
You can always get something to eat late at night at the Ambassador Hotel (Soi 11) and the Nana Hotel (Soi
Nana) on Sukhumvit Road. For a bit more class, try the Greenhouse Restaurant (open 24 hours) at the
Landmark Hotel, 138 Sukhumvit, phone 254-0404, ext. 4105. The Narai Hotel boasts an excellent restaurant
that's also open 24 hours. 222 Silom Rd., phone 237-0100.
Old Dutch Cafe A real breakfast treat for late risers and one of the best values in Bangkok. A gut-stuffing breakfast for 85 baht consists of three eggs, bacon, cheese, ham, turkey, sausage, french fries,
rolls, orange juice and all the Dutch coffee you can drink. At night, try their famous cheese fondue with
wine. Cozy and rustic. Open 10 am till late. 9/3-4 Sukhumvit, Soi 23 (just outside Soi Cowboy), phone 258-9234.
Cafes that cater to the computer crowd are springing up like mushrooms around the city. You won't lack for
e-mail and Internet connections in Bangkok.
The Cafe Tiny, but smart and elegant. Modem plug-ins for laptops. Terrific range of coffees and teas.
Surawong Road near Soi Thaniya, e-mail address: royidii@rms.ksc.co.th.
Cyber Cafe Free e-mail accounts. Printers and scanners available. Daily 10 am to 10 pm. 300 baht per
hour. Ploenchit Center, 2nd Floor, Sukhumvit (near Soi Nana), phone 656-8477, e-mail:
mktg@chomanan.co.th.
Cyberia Fairly busy hangout. Fresh coffee, beer, wine. Free e-mail accounts. 654/8 Sukhumvit Rd, Soi
24, phone: 259-3356-7, http://www.cyberia.co.th online.
