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A great
area for eating! Not only do you have a number of large shopping
complexes and hotels crammed with restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries,
cafes and food stalls, there are also a lot of restaurants along
the streets, so many you're really spoilt for choice. This is also
the area with the famous Oriental Hotel and Orchid Sheraton which
have exceptional restaurants - both Thai and international and the
Grand Hyatt Erawan.
Hotel Dining
 For
tasty Italian buffet lunches, crunchy pizzas, a live U.S. band
until the early hours, head for Spasso's Italian Restaurant
& Entertainment Centre at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. Choose
any noodles from all over Asia at the intimate cafe "You
and Mee." If its coffee you need, the Erawan Bakery &
Espresso Bar offers great espresso or cappuccino accompanied by
cakes, breads, pastries, chocolates and home-made ice creams.
Snax, located on the 2nd floor of Amarin Plaza next to
the hotel, makes an shopping break with wholesome sandwiches,
salads, hot dogs, home-made ice creams and much more. Something
a bit more spicy? Try Ruen Thai Restaurant - offering fiery
curries, spicy salads and traditional dishes prepared with the
freshest ingredients. Live Thai classical music during dinner.
Biscotti at the Regent Bangkok Hotel, is a fun, casual,
contemporary and very Italian restaurant open for breakfast, lunch
and dinner. The Spice Market offers a selection of Thai
cuisine in a setting that resembles an old Thai spice shop, and
Shintaro is a contemporary innovative Japanese sushi bar
with a casual feel. Along Ploenchit Road next to Gaysorn Plaza,
Le Royal Meridien Hotel, has 3 great restaurants to choose from;
Shin Daikoku Japanese Restaurant - in a typical Japanese
setting serving all the traditional favourites, Summer Palace
specialising in Chinese cuisine, and the new Latin Pub, El
Nino, which serves a varied menu and offers live entertainment
and lots of dancing.
Shopping Centre Cafes, Noodle stalls and Restaurants
Inside the many shopping complexes located in this area are dozens
of very good eating places, ranging from smart cafes to hawker
centres (normally serving Asian quick food) to American fast food
outlets.
Central Department
Store - Chidlom
Bordering on the Sukhumvit area along Ploenchit Road, Central
Chidlom has a good hawker centre on the ground floor, generally
serving local food to locals at cheap prices. On the upper floors
are the store restaurants serving good Thai food and international
favourites. Good for a quick lunch between shopping. Close to
Central on Chidlom Road, is Pho - a trendy Vietnamese cafe open
for lunch and dinner which also has a good selection of wine.
World Trade Center
Isetan and Zen department stores both have restaurants
and cafes inside. Within the Trade Centre complex are 3 or 4 very
good Japanese restaurants, a couple of good Thai food halls (for
standard cheap fare), a Sizzler Restaurant ( for a steak and salad
fix), and the usual mix of KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, along with
an assortment of Thai style cafes, pizzerias, ice cream parlours,
coffee houses and a Vietnamese Restaurant.
Siam Square
lots of Thai style cafes, noodle shops, bakeries and
food stalls here. Bangkok's Hard Rock Cafe is great for
grills, hamburgers and salads of giant proportions, with live
music and entertainment.
Siam Center
opposite Siam Square, has a few small cafes catering
for shoppers and teenagers, and a good food hall on the top floor.
Another place to sample ubiquitous Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and
McDonalds.
Siam Discovery - next to
Siam Square. This upmarket shopping mall has Au Bon Pan
French Bakery on the ground floor serving wonderful pastries,
sandwiches and coffees. On the same floor is a pleasant cafe serving
Italian and Mediterranean style sandwiches and excellent home
made pasta. Service is quick and the food tasty. Upstairs, the
new concept in Japanese restaurants - an all you can eat non-stop
buffet sells for around 450 Baht a head. Very popular, so expect
to queue at the weekends. Open from lunchtime.
Gaysorn Plaza
home of Planet Hollywood where you can find American
favourites - hamburgers, fries and salads, with all the trimmings
in giant proportions, pastas, pizza and a good kid's menu, plus
a good selection of exotic cocktails and drinks. The "Jasmine"
located on the 3rd floor has exquisite Chinese cuisine and
Botanica - a Thai style cafe serves Thai and western dishes
in a comfortable lounge like setting in the Plaza's central atrium.
For an alternative, try the Fisherman's Basket located
in the basement, where you choose your ingredients and have the
chef prepare in whatever style you prefer.
Narayana Phand
Not the most upmarket place in town, but never-the-less a good
place to grab a basic bowl of noodles or soup in-between shopping
venues. Head for the food hall at the back on the ground floor
and buy your coupons at the entrance. Try their Thai style Sukiyaki,
fried rice, or duck noodles - about 30 Baht per bowl.
Mahboonkrong
Similar in standard to Narayana Phand,, you can grab some tasty
Thai treats here if you are not concerned about atmosphere and
decor. A very antiquated food hall is situated on the ground floor
behind the cinemas. The ground and upper floors of the complex
are dotted with cafes and eateries catering for teenagers and
families - always busy but very moderate in price for lunchtime
eating.
Miscellanous Restaurants
Bahn Khun Mer, a Thai restaurant, opposite the Novotel
Hotel, is set in an old Thai house crammed full of Thai artifacts
and photos. Touristy but worth a visit. On the opposite side of
the Siam Square, is See Fah, very low-key canteen style
restaurant serving seafood and Thai dishes for reasonable prices.
Harmonique - a gorgeous Thai restaurant set in an old Chinese
house near the river off Charoen Krung Rd. For Indian food try
Mahali Chacha's, off Charoen Krung Road - serving Southern
Indian Cuisine, or close to the Oriental Hotel, a range of places
within River City Complex including Korean BBQ, Thai Seafood,
and international restaurants.
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