Lumpini Park, the green lungs of Bangkok’s trendy Sathorn district and served by an MRT station of the same name, could easily be described as the epicentre of one of Asia’s most sprawling metropolises. In a city so loud, so hectic and bustling, the park is a place to clear your mind. We hesitate to say ”oasis of calm”, but, we just did…
Clichés are sometimes such for a reason. Here, thoughts aren’t interrupted during a stroll or sit down; a valuable, cherished commodity in these parts. There’s plenty of open water, grassy space and shade, a juxtaposition that feels quite dramatic if you look skyward and see you’re enclosed by skyscrapers.
After a morning, afternoon or both in Lumpini Park, you’ll of course be craving refreshments (when aren’t you in this most delicious of cities?). Fortunately, you’ll be pleased to hear that the park is blessed with genuinely the finest mile radius of restaurant options we’ve ever had the pleasure of having to write about. Here are our favourites; these 10 of the best restaurants close to Bangkok’s Lumpini Park.
Soi Polo Fried Chicken
Ideal for worshipping the Trinity, Bangkok style…
You can’t come to Bangkok and not eat the classic chicken and green papaya salad combo. Soi Polo Chicken is reputedly the city’s finest, and we think we agree with the local culinary cognoscenti on this one. Their birds are fried to a crispy skinned finish, seasoned generously, topped with a shed load of deep-fried garlic and served with three dipping sauces to complement.
The best of their papaya salads comes with salted, dried baby shrimps and crabs given a similar treatment. Freshly steamed sticky rice completes the so-called ‘Holy Trinity’. The meal-deal (imagined rather than genuinely offered, we must admit) is rounded-off with a much needed ice-cold lager. It’s a cracking option if you’re on budget, and one we’ve been back to more times than we’re proud to mention.
Address: 137/1-3, 9 10 Sanam Khli Alley, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Website: Polo-Fried-chicken
Nahm
Ideal for refined, regal Thai cooking with a sense of history…
Aussie chef and Thai food oracle David Thompson’s Nahm earned a Michelin star, a first for Thai cooking, when in its previous incarnation in London, and the Bangkok version rightly followed suit in Michelin’s inaugural Bangkok guide at the end of 2017.
Though Nahm London closed due to the lack of quality fresh Thai ingredients in the capital, and the compromise that forced on the cooking, there’s no danger of the produce being found wanting at the Bangkok rendition.
Here, the premium ingredients used shine through, whether that’s the wagyu beef used in the enthusiastically seasoned stir fry, the peppery wild ginger deployed across the menu, or the freshly pressed coconut cream that defines this luxurious style of Thai cooking.
Though David Thompson has since moved on (more of that in a moment), the iconic restaurant remains in very capable hands, with revered chef Pim Techamuanvivit now in the (very) hot seat, keeping the flavours bold, robust and refined, but giving the dishes her own spin, recalling childhood memories of special meals and the joy of sharing with family.
Should you be keen to sample the complexity of the Nahm kitchen but for a fraction of the price of the normal dining experience here, then the khanom jin lunch deal is a steal.
For 1’100 baht – equivalent to 25 quid-ish – you get canapes loaded with wild prawn and white crab meat and delivered in the most graceful style, followed by coil of khanom jin (lightly fermented rice noodles) and an accompanying sauce, dressing or curry, the latter of which features blue swimmer crab, and is something of a signature here. Finish with desserts that utilise that just-pressed coconut cream, and you’ve got yourself a truly indulgent meal for under £30.
Address: 27 S Sathon Rd, Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Website: comohotels.com
Gaa
Ideal for some of the most inventive Indian food you’ll find anywhere on the planet…
Garima Arora, the Mumbai-born culinary genius behind Gaa, is the first Indian female chef to be awarded a Michelin star. With a background in journalism, she shifted her career path and pursued her passion for cooking, the meticulous, inquisitive craft apparent in both, and we’re so glad she did.
Having already earnt her chops working under Gordon Ramsay in Dubai and at Copenhagen’s world famous Noma, in 2015, she moved to Bangkok and honed her skills as a sous chef at Gaggan, the celebrated, highly creative restaurant that regularly topped ‘Best Of Asia’ awards.
With the blessing of Gaggan, Arora launched Gaa in Bangkok in 2017, blending ingredients and cooking sensibilities from the Indian subcontinent with the odd Thai flourish, reflecting her diverse culinary experiences to dramatic, alluring effect. Gaa quickly gained international recognition and was awarded a Michelin star in 2019, with Garima being named Asia’s Best Female Chef in both 2019, and the Young Chef Award by Michelin Thailand in 2022. Wow!
Though it’s certainly not cheap (the tasting menu here will set you back just shy of 4’700 THB – the equivalent of around £110), Gaa is one of the most creative restaurants in the whole of Bangkok – and that’s saying something – and is well worth the money.
On a recent visit we enjoyed an ethereal bowl of crab curry that we were told reflected Arora’s childhood memories of eating seafood that’s been grilled in banana leaf beach side. With juicy chunks of blue swimmer crab, erm, swimming in a creamy coconut curry base, spiced with a grilled banana leave oil and topped with a cold green apple ice and crispy okra, it was a lesson in how different flavours, textures and temperatures can work together to give a diaphanous dish which we won’t be forgetting any time soon.
*Gaa has now moved from its original spot on Soi Langsuan to a new location, some 20 minutes tuk tuk ride from Lumpini Park. Still, it’s very much worth the journey.*
Address: 46 Sukhumvit 53 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Website: gaabkk.com
Baan
Ideal for family-style sharing food from one of Thailand’s most celebrated chefs…
Bangkok is a city of sister restaurants that seem to endure past their fine dining brethren’s natural sell-by-dates, and Baan makes a good case for parity with Le Du, the globally established restaurant of Chef Thitid ‘Ton’ Tassanakajohn and recent winner of the Best Restaurant In Asia award.
The emphasis here is on family recipes (Baan translates as ‘home’) and the communal style of eating that the country so savours. The interior is homely yet slick and sophisticated, and the food suits exactly the same description.
The lamb belly Massaman curry is a signature of the restaurant and one whose autograph we were asking for after eating. It’s amazing
Address: 139/5 Wireless Road เลยสน. ลุมพินีมา 50เมตรมุ่งหน้าไป, Rama IV Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Website: baanbkk.com
Aesop’s
Ideal for those looking to swap the pork fat for extra virgin olive oil, at least for an evening…
We accept that for some folk visiting Bangkok, not every meal can be a slap round the face with flavour, of dishes defined by chilli, fish sauce, lime and a truly technicolour type of vivacity.
Should you be seeking respite, then one of the best restaurants close to Lumpini Park has got to be Aesop’s, a family-run Greek joint that boasts that famous Hellenic welcome. The strains of dimotiki coax you in, and a chorus of plate smashing see you out. Often, you’ll be pretty smashed too…
That’s not to say the food is an afterthought here, flavour sacrificed in favour of ‘vibes’. Nope, Aesop’s does some of the best Mediterranean food in the city, a veritable feast of top quality olive oil, the finest chickpeas you’ll get your hands on in the Kingdom, and Greek taverna classics done really, really well. Whilst the beef moussaka here has rightly earned something of a cult following, we’d posit that the chicken souvlaki is even better.
You could, of course, order both, alongside as much mezze as you can fit on the table without causing a crockery shattering scene of your own. The taramasalata is particularly fine, less neon pink than the tubbed type you’ll find in UK supermarkets, and more roughly hewn and funk-forward.
Top this all off with a couple of complementary ouzos (of course it’s that kind of place), and tumble out into the Bangkok night with a world of possibilities just a tuk-tuk ride away.
Address: 120 Sala Daeng 1/1, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Website: aesopsbangkok.com
Loukjaan By Saneh Jaan
Ideal for an elegant exploration of some of Bangkok’s forgotten recipes…
Another sister restaurant that stands proudly on its own two delicious feet, Loukjaan is the more laid-back sibling to Michelin-starred Saneh Jaan just around the corner. Here, the plates are still refined, the atmosphere regal, but the prices rarely reaching the quadruple digits that the older brother across the road dishes out.
The open kitchen here only adds to that sense of breaking the divide between an especially esteemed set of chefs and its diners, the latter of which head here for Loukjaan’s signature stir-fried milkweed flowers, a dish whose prosaic billing belies the complexity of the cooking. Featuring fermented pork, tart and adipose from several days spent in the sun, sweet, pert prawns, and plenty of smoky breath from the wok, it’s a knockout dish.
Keep the good times going with a bowl of gaeng ranjuan, an ancient, shrimp paste heavy soup that’s bolstered with plenty of citrus, sitting at the very top-end of fresh chilli content that this diner could take.
Add plenty of steaming jasmine rice to the mix, and Loukjaan has to be rank as one of our favourite sophisticated yet affordable dinners in the city. And with a lap or two around Lumpini Park to finish, well, that’s now become one of our favourite evenings spent in Bangkok, too.
Address: 80 Soi Tonson, Lumphini, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
Website: kempinski.com
Issaya Siamese Club
Ideal for playful takes on Thai classics in the most illustrious of settings…
Hey, celebrity chefs aren’t only confined to the Western world. Ian Kittichai is Thailand’s favourite celebrity chef. Issaya Siamese Club is his original outpost and combines a deep respect for Thailand’s culinary tradition with a fun, flirtatious sensibility.
The building is stunning, with grounds of flora rarely found in central Bangkok, complete with terrace dining and regal, colonial furniture. Food-wise, there’s much to be enjoyed here; the soft-shell crab and banana blossom with heart of palm salad, in particular. The set-menu at lunch is great value.
Address: 4 Chuea Phloeng 2 Alley, Thung Maha Mek, Sathon, Bangkok 10120, Thailand
Website: issaya.com
Samrub Samrub Thai
Ideal for set-menu style Thai dining that many believe is the best in the world…
Is this intimate, counter-only, impossible to book restaurant/private kitchen the best Thai restaurant/private kitchen in the world? Whatever you want to call it and whichever superlatives you wish to throw at Samrub Samrub Thai, it is seriously good and worthy of all of them.
The master at the stoves of this compact, counter-dining affair is chef Prin Polsuk, who has some serious pedigree in the world of Thai fine dining, having been the head chef at Nahm in London when it won its Michelin star, the first Thai restaurant in the world to have been bestowed with the honour.
He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his country’s cuisine, and at Samrub, he seems to have his heart set on expanding it even further, with the dishes here sourced from a veritable vault of historic scripts, tomes and chapters.
The results, whether in the buttery, tender-as-you-like grilled beef dressed in delicate Satay-like sauce or intricately stuffed sweetcorn, filled with minced chicken and baby corn then reconstructed, are nothing short of spectacular. Oh, and you’re allowed to ask for seconds!
That generous sentiment exemplifies the family-style nature of this brilliant restaurant, with Polsuk’s wife Mint running the front of house operations and chef Prin working the counter, doling out shots of homemade banana liquor and soliloquies on the history of some of the dishes he’s just set in front of you. Often, their young son will join diners too, crawling across the counter and generally charming everyone in his wake!
In short, Samrub may well be the world’s best Thai restaurant.
Address: 39/11 Yommarat Alley, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Instagram: @samrubsamrubthai
Vilas
Ideal for a perfectly realised, playful yet technical East-meets-West dining experience…
Vilas is the sister (yep, again!) of the aforementioned Samrub, with the kitchen here helmed by Spanish chef Pep Dasi Jimenez, a cook who has paid his dues in 3 Michelin-starred kitchens back in his homeland before the complexity of Thai food reeled him in forever.
We say ‘forever’, because it’s apparent from the first bite – on our last visit a ‘miang’ style wrap of lotus petal and sea urchin – that chef Jimenez’s loving, ultra-contemporary interpretation of Thai fine dining is set to endure.
Distinguishing itself from the soulfulm local cooking at Samrub Samrub For Thai, Vilas sources many of its ingredients (and techniques) from both Japan and Europe, giving the cuisine here a uniquely global feel that stands in contrast to the traditions of owner Polsuk’s usual delivery.
It feels a deliberate move, allowing the young head chef to put his own mark on things, a liberating ethos exemplified by Vilas’s current seasonal menu, which elegantly fuses takes on the dishes of Thailand’s Isaan region with Spain and Portugal’s tinned fish culture. The results are unconventional, sure – a trio of starters sees raw tuna laap served alongside stuffed padron peppers – but are also playful and sophisticated. Most importantly, it’s an approach that never sacrifices on flavour.
A globetrotting winelist of primarily natural, funky wines sourced from small-batch vineyards and producers (naturally) completes the eclectic offering here.
With a menu that adopts a spontaneous and carefree approach to its influences and regularly changes with the seasons, we can’t wait to see where Vilas takes things next.
Website: vilasbangkok.com
Address: 2nd Floor, F207, Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Rd,Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500
Nonna Nella By Lenzi
Ideal for Italian comfort food from one of Bangkok’s most enduring international chefs…
As we near the end of our list and legs begin to tire, we’re seeking comfort food, so it’s to Nonna Nella by Lenzi that we’re heading.
Whilst the older sibling of the restaurant group at Lenzi Tuscan Kitchen is no doubt an excellent restaurant, it’s the charming new addition to the family over at Nonna Nella that we’re particularly enamoured with.
Named after chef Francesco Lenzi’s grandmother, this casual sister (enough with the extended family tree metaphor) restaurant is an open, welcoming space that focuses on the deli side of things; everywhere you turn produce hangs from the ceiling and adorns the walls, and it’s difficult to leave without a paper bag full of goodies under your arm.
Unsurprisingly, then, and without wishing to repeat ourselves, it’s the quality of the ingredients here that sets Nonna Nella apart. All the hams and cheeses are produced on chef Lenzi’s farm, and other ingredients such as the tomatoes for the superb pizzas are 100% organic and hand-selected by the chef himself.
Those pizzas, by the way, boast a thinner, crisper crust than their Neopotlian counterparts, and are generously adorned with that excellent produce from the Lenzi family farm. Also excellent are the salads, which are light, plump and verdant, and almost as refreshing on a balmy Bangkok day as the city’s beloved som tam. Almost.
Website: nonna-nella.com
Address: 83, ออล ซีซั่นส์ เพลส, 20 Wireless Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
And if our last entry in our roundup of the best restaurants near Lumpini Park has got you craving pizza and pasta, here’s the very best Italian restaurants in Bangkok. Buon appetito!