In this guide
💡 The Short Version: For a first night, eat in the Old Town and Chinatown: pad thai at Thipsamai (shut every Tuesday) or Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu (a Michelin Bib Gourmand, open until midnight), mango sticky rice at K. Panich (shut Sundays) and a crab omelette at Jay Fai (one Michelin star, Wednesday to Saturday only, with a queue). Cash is the rule: most places below are cash only and take no bookings. Book ahead only for Sorn (three Michelin stars, shut Saturdays), Le Du, Nusara and Sirocco. For a view, Nusara looks at Wat Pho and Sirocco sits on top of lebua at State Tower. For plant-based food, go to Tammang or Mia. Or book a tour: the Chinatown food tour with a Michelin-recognised stallad (from ฿1,150, 4.8 stars from 446 reviews) takes a group of up to 8 through 10 or more tastings in about 3 hours, so you do not choose stalls or queue alone.
Michelin status is from the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026, announced on 27 November 2025. Hours, closed days and payment are each restaurant’s own, as printed by the Michelin Guide or the venue. Updated November 2026. How the guides are made
How to eat in Bangkok without losing a meal
- Carry baht notes. Street stalls, shophouses and the Bib Gourmand shops take cash only. Fine dining takes cards.
- Queue first, then order. The Bib Gourmand shops take no bookings. Arrive before opening or after the lunch rush.
- Say how hot. Mai phet is not spicy, phet nit noi a little spicy and phet pokkati normal Thai heat.
- Read ”++”. On a restaurant menu, 5,250++ means service charge and VAT come on top.
- Check the closed day first. Jay Fai, K. Panich, Thai Tham, Thipsamai, Somsak Pu Ob, Le Du, Sorn and Mia each close on a different day, listed under each entry and in the box below.
⚠️ Check the closed day before you go. Jay Fai is shut Monday, Tuesday and Sunday. Thipsamai is shut every Tuesday. K. Panich and Thai Tham are shut on Sundays. Somsak Pu Ob is shut on Mondays, Le Du on Sundays, Sorn on Saturdays and Mia on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Urai Braised Goose serves lunch only on Mondays.
Food tours
A guided tour takes you to stalls that have no English menu and shows you what to order. GetYourGuide prices are its lowest “from” prices, in baht. Bangkok food tours compared sets the formats side by side.
Chinatown food tour with a Michelin-recognised stall
From ฿1,150 · 4.8 stars from 446 reviews · 3 hours · small group of up to 8
Bangkok: Chinatown Food Tour with Michelin Food Stallad walks Yaowarat in the evening with an English-speaking guide, for 10 or more tastings that include a stop at a Michelin-recognised stall, and bottled water. It ends at the Chinatown Gate. It is not suitable for children under 10 or wheelchair users, and the listing asks you to tell it about dietary restrictions in advance.
Walking tour of Yaowarat with 10 to 12 tastings
From ฿1,140 · 4.9 stars from 1,257 reviews · 3 hours · walking
Bangkok: Authentic Thai Food Tasting Walking Tour in Yaowaratad is a guided walk through Chinatown with 10 to 12 tastings, among them Michelin Guide food, plus bottled water. A private group option adds a bottle of Thai beer each.
Michelin Guide street food tour by tuk-tuk
From ฿1,500 · 4.5 stars from 1,500 reviews · 3 hours · small group · tuk-tuk
Bangkok: Michelin Guide Street Food Tour by Tuk Tuk with foodad starts at River City Bangkok and ends at MRT Hua Lamphong (exit 3), riding between Chinatown stops by tuk-tuk with tastings of noodles, Chinese dough and fried rice. The stops at Jay Fai and Teens of Thailand are optional and may mean a long wait, since neither takes reservations. The tour does not run on Mondays, and Jay Fai is shut from Sunday to Tuesday.
Thai cooking class with a market tour
From ฿1,400 · 4.9 stars from 1,754 reviews · 3.5 hours
Bangkok: Hands-on Thai Cooking Class and Market Tourad is a small class in which you cook and eat a four-course meal. The morning class (8:30) includes a visit to a market and meets at Hey! Coffee by MRT Sukhumvit; the afternoon and evening classes meet at the school on Sukhumvit Soi 4 and end with mango carving.
Street food, the Old Town and Chinatown
The Old Town (Rattanakosin) and Chinatown (Yaowarat) are the compact districts for a food crawl on foot. The Rattanakosin old city walk passes the Giant Swing, where several of these shops sit, and the Chinatown and Talat Noi walk ends on Yaowarat Road at dusk.
Jay Fai
Old Town · 327 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat · Wednesday to Saturday, 09:00-19:30 on its Michelin page, closed Sunday to Tuesday · cash only · Michelin page
A street-food kitchen with one Michelin star, in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026. Order the crab omelette, the prawns stir-fried in yellow curry or the noodles. The Michelin page rates it at its third price band, the highest of the street-food places here. The queue is organised, and you should still expect to wait: arrive when it opens. The Michelin page carries a booking link.
Noodles and omelette at Jay Fai. Photo: Streets of Food, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
Thipsamai
Old Town · 313-315 Maha Chai Road, Samran Rat · daily 09:00-24:00, closed every Tuesday · the venue’s site
A pad thai shop since 1966, on the Pratu Phi (Ghost Gate) corner of Maha Chai Road, with branches at Sai 4, ICONSIAM and Siam Paragon. Order the pad thai wrapped in a thin egg omelette, and a fresh orange juice. Wait at the door at dinner. Best pad thai in Bangkok compares it with Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu and Baan Phadthai.
Pad thai at Thipsamai. Photo: Iudexvivorum, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu
Old Town · 115/5 Dinso Road, Bowon Niwet, between the Democracy Monument and the Giant Swing · daily 10:00-24:00 · credit cards accepted · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2026, by chef Andy Yang, in an air-conditioned shop. Order the pad thai with char-grilled pork loin, or the one with fresh prawns stir-fried in their shells. It takes no bookings, and it is the one shop on this stretch where you can pay by card.
K. Panich
Old Town · 431-433 Tanao Road, Sao Chingcha (the Giant Swing district) · Monday to Saturday 07:00-17:00, closed Sunday · cash only · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand for its mango sticky rice, from a family-run shop with a second dine-in room across the street. Order the mango sticky rice and one of the other sweets. Closed Sundays, and it shuts at 17:00, so it is a daytime stop.
Kolun.h
Old Town · 110/1 Mahannop Road, Sao Chingcha · daily 08:00-15:00 · cash only · Michelin page
A new Bib Gourmand in the 2026 guide, serving Hainanese-style rice noodles since 1997. Order the rice noodles in a rich or clear broth with braised pork, radish and crispy pork belly, or the peppery goat in herb soup. The Michelin page warns of long queues at peak times, so go before noon.
Thai Tham
Old Town · 28/1 Phraeng Phuthon Road, San Chao Pho Suea · Monday to Saturday 07:00-14:00, closed Sunday · cash only · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand in a shop passed down for more than a century, in the Old Town. It specialises in offal: order the stewed pig’s brain, made fresh each morning, and the Chinese liver sausage. Come for breakfast or an early lunch; it shuts at 14:00.
Urai Braised Goose
Chinatown · 935 Song Wat Road, Samphanthawong · Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-13:00 and 16:00-19:00, Monday 10:00-13:00 only · cash only · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand for six decades of braised goose, in a family shop with a menu of two items in several sizes. The goose is soft with thin skin. Intestines are served on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It is the cheapest price band on the Michelin guide.
Bunloet
Chinatown edge · 360 Soi Nakhon Sawan 8, Nakhon Sawan Road, Pom Prap Sattru Phai · daily 10:00-17:00 · cash only · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand for egg noodles with grilled pork, made to the same recipe for more than 40 years. The pork rump is marinated for four hours, grilled over charcoal and served over noodles in a pork-bone broth. The shop has air conditioning. It closes at 17:00, so this is a lunch.
Yaowarat Road after dark
Chinatown · from about 17:30 · MRT Wat Mangkon
Yaowarat is the Chinatown street food strip, where carts set up on the pavement from about 17:30 and the neon signs come on. Walk it as part of the Chinatown and Talat Noi walk, then eat at the stall with the longest queue of Thai office workers. Most carts are cash only.
A fried-snack cart on Yaowarat Road. Photo: Marcin Konsek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Noodles, congee and seafood
Rung Rueang Tung Pork Noodle
Sukhumvit · 21/2 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan, down the soi from Sukhumvit Road · daily 08:00-17:00 · cash only · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand in an open-air shop for minced pork in a light soup. Order the noodles with minced pork and the blanched pork intestines on the side. It is a lunch stop for anyone staying on Sukhumvit.
Pae Brass Pot Porridge 38 Years
Bang Sue · 320 Pracha Rat Sai 1 Road · daily 06:00-21:00 · cash only · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand that has made rice porridge in brass pots since 1962, across three generations. The Michelin editors name the mixed-rice porridge as their favourite. It opens at 06:00, which makes it a breakfast stop on the way to or from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal.
Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla
Sathon · 816 Chan Road, Thung Wat Don · daily 16:00-23:00 · cash only · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand for soft-boiled rice with sea-caught seafood, never farmed. Order the soft-boiled rice with silver pomfret in a clear soup, or the red grouper. It opens at 16:00, so it is a dinner, and the Michelin page lists it as good for solo diners.
Somsak Pu Ob
Khlong San · 199-205 Soi Charoen Rat 1 · Tuesday to Sunday 16:00-21:30, closed Monday · cash only · Michelin page
A Bib Gourmand street-food cart that has run for over three decades, reached from Wongwian Yai BTS by following the smell down the alley. Order the steamed crab or prawns on glass noodles.
Sit-down Thai
Krua Apsorn
Dusit · 503-505 Sam Sen Road, Wachira Payaban · daily 10:00-20:00 · cash only · Michelin page
A family-run Bib Gourmand in an air-conditioned dining room, which the Michelin Guide says counts the Thai royal family among its patrons. Order the stir-fried pork with bird’s-eye chilli and the yellow curry with large prawns and crispy lotus root. It is the table-service answer to the stalls.
Baan Phadthai
Charoen Krung · 21-23 Soi Charoen Krung 44, North Sathorn, 3 minutes from BTS Saphan Taksin · daily 11:00-22:00 · the venue’s site
A pad thai restaurant in a house of about 50 years furnished with antique wood partitions from Ayutthaya, which held a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide from 2018 to 2023. Order the pad thai made with its 18-ingredient sauce and Sen Jan rice noodles. It is a sit-down meal before or after the river boats at Sathorn Pier.
Markets and food courts
Or Tor Kor Market
Chatuchak · Kamphaeng Phet Road, MRT Kamphaeng Phet exit 3 · about 06:00-18:00 daily, shop hours vary
A fresh market run by the state Marketing Organization for Farmers, next to Chatuchak. It sells fruit, prepared curries, snacks and sweets, and has a seated food centre. Morning is quietest; at weekends it fills with Chatuchak’s crowd. Pair it with the Chatuchak weekend market guide.
Pier 21 at Terminal 21
Asok · 5th floor of Terminal 21, direct from BTS Asok and MRT Sukhumvit
An air-conditioned mall food court of regional Thai dishes. You buy a stored-value card at the entrance cashier, tap it at each counter and return it on your way out for a refund of the balance. It is the easy choice for a first lunch in the heat. For after-dark stalls, see Bangkok night markets.
Michelin stars and tasting menus
These three take bookings, and they are the places to plan before you fly.
Sorn
Sukhumvit · 56 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan · Monday to Friday and Sunday 18:00-22:00, closed Saturday · credit cards accepted · book on the venue’s site
Three Michelin stars in the 2026 guide, for Southern Thai cooking. The restaurant offers a Classic Menu and a Seasonal Menu, with Tapi River prawns, Phuket lobster and Andaman squid among the ingredients the Michelin page names. Book through the restaurant; it has a car park and a wine list.
Le Du
Silom · 399/3 Soi Si Lom 7, Bang Rak · Monday to Saturday 18:00-23:00, closed Sunday · credit cards accepted · book on the venue’s site
One Michelin star, for seasonal Thai cooking by chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn. You choose a 4-course or 6-course tasting menu, and every guest at the table takes the same number; groups of more than five need the 6-course menu. The ceiling is hung with about 20,000 test tubes, and the staff explain each dish. The Michelin page names khao chae and khao khluk kapi with river prawns as summer dishes.
Nusara
Old Town · 336 Maha Rat Road, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang · daily 18:00-23:00, last order 20:30 · credit cards accepted · book on the venue’s site
One Michelin star, in a restaurant with a view of Wat Pho from its rooftop. Order the Thai wagyu stir-fry with holy basil and the quartet of regional relishes. The dress code is smart casual with no flip-flops or tank tops, and the booking system takes a 100 percent deposit at the time of booking. It is the most useful of the three for a visitor, because it faces Wat Pho.
Rooftop dining
Sirocco
Silom · lebua at State Tower, Silom Road · book on the venue’s site
A rooftop restaurant at lebua at State Tower. The dress code is smart casual: athletic wear, swimwear, sleeveless shirts for men, flip-flops and beach slippers are not allowed. Bookings need a deposit, which comes off the bill, and a change or cancellation is free up to 72 hours before. The hotel’s Sky Bar next door takes walk-ins only. For a view of Wat Pho at dinner instead, book Nusara.
Vegetarian and vegan
Tammang
Chom Thong · 380-382 Rama 2 Road, Bang Mot · daily 10:30-21:00 · cash only · Michelin page
A casual, air-conditioned restaurant that serves plant-based versions of Isan and Thai dishes, listed in the Michelin Guide. Order the som tum (green papaya salad), pounded in an open kitchen, and the seasonal specials. It is well south-west of the centre, so take a taxi or Grab and carry cash. It has a car park.
Mia
Khlong Toei · 30 Soi Athakravi 1, Rama 4 Road · closed Wednesday and Thursday · credit cards accepted · book on the venue’s site
One Michelin star. The restaurant runs a permanent vegetarian tasting menu and a permanent vegan tasting menu at every service, each at 5,250 THB plus service and VAT, against 5,850 THB plus service and VAT for its standard menu. Book ahead, and say which menu you want when you do.
Where to go next
- Pad thai: best pad thai in Bangkok compares Thipsamai, Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu and Baan Phadthai.
- Tours: Bangkok food tours compares the Chinatown tuk-tuk, cooking-class and night-market formats.
- Night markets: Bangkok night markets covers Jodd Fairs, Srinakarin, Asiatique and ChangChui.
- Walks: Rattanakosin old city walk and Chinatown and Talat Noi walk pass the Old Town and Chinatown entries above.
- Cash: Money in Bangkok covers ATM fees and notes.
- Planning: the Bangkok guide has the entry rules and the dress codes.
Common questions
What should you eat in Bangkok?
Pad thai (stir-fried rice noodles with tamarind and egg), mango sticky rice, crab omelette, egg noodles with grilled pork, fish congee (rice porridge) and braised goose in Chinatown. For Thai food at a sit-down table, order stir-fried pork with bird's-eye chilli and yellow curry with prawns at Krua Apsorn.
Which Bangkok restaurants are cash only?
Most of the Bib Gourmand and street-food places here: Jay Fai, K. Panich, Kolun.h, Thai Tham, Urai Braised Goose, Bunloet, Somsak Pu Ob, Hia Wan Khao Tom Pla, Pae Brass Pot Porridge, Rung Rueang Tung, Krua Apsorn and Tammang. Pad Thai Fai Ta Lu takes credit cards, and so do Nusara, Le Du and Sorn.
Do you need to book restaurants in Bangkok?
Not for the Bib Gourmand shops, which take no bookings and run on queues. Sorn, Le Du, Nusara and Sirocco take bookings, and Nusara asks for a full deposit at the time of booking. Jay Fai has a booking link on its Michelin page, and the queue is long either way.
What does ++ mean on a Bangkok menu?
Service charge and VAT are added to the price. A price printed as 5,250++ becomes roughly 17 percent more on the bill. Street stalls and shophouses add nothing.
Is there good vegetarian food in Bangkok?
Yes. Tammang in Chom Thong serves plant-based Isan and Thai dishes and is listed in the Michelin Guide, and Mia, a one-star restaurant, runs permanent vegetarian and vegan tasting menus at every service.
Is a food tour worth it in Bangkok?
It saves choosing a stall and queueing alone. The Chinatown food tour with a Michelin-recognised stall is from ฿1,150 for about 3 hours and 10 or more tastings, and Bangkok food tours compared covers the other formats.
