The hottest new restaurants in Bangkok

If New York is the city that never sleeps, Bangkok is the city that never stops eating. From your humble street-food stalls to your bougie fine-diners, the scene in the Thai capital is always on and always changing — it’s hard to keep up. With restaurants able to fully operate again after years of lockdown, fresh Michelin stars have been awarded and new players have entered the game. Here are some of the hottest restaurants in Bangkok 2022.

Ruay Mitr Sathorn

Sathorn continues to draw a cool collection of restaurant operators, and now Supanigga group’s new branch of Ruay Mitr has been added to the mix. Like the original in Thonglor, it offers khao tom kui (rice congee with savory sides), along with a selection of classic soups, salads, and stir-fries. Restaurant interiors serve up a refreshing hit of color, leaning into nostalgia with shabby-chic antiques, Chinese-style custom plates, and eclectic artworks. Expect a full and noisy house and book ahead on weekends. Mains: THB 150-THB 220

Ojo

This glitzy 76th-floor restaurant is a must-visit for its sky-high views alone — the fact that it’s the first of five new outlets belonging to The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon only intensifies its hotspot status. Formerly Mahanakhon Sky Bar, Ojo features a sexy, retro-futuristic refurb in beige, gold, and pink. The menu — a lighter take on Mexican cuisine — is no afterthought either, put together by executive chef Paco Ruano, who was named in Latin America’s 50 Best list. After dinner, head upstairs to Sky Beach, the funky rooftop bar and observation deck for drinks and panoramas. Mains: THB 1,300–THB 4,500 

Villa Frantzén

That the group behind three-Michelin-star Franzén in Stockholm and similarly starred Zén in Singapore have opened a restaurant in Bangkok is worthy of much buzz. Inhabiting a beautiful garden mansion in Yennakart, Villa Franzén, under head chef Martin Enström, delivers on its promise of fresh, haute-but-casual dining with a five-course menu of modern Nordic cuisine. Artistic plating, cozy interiors, and friendly service have helped win this newcomer early rave reviews. Five-course menu: THB 3,500 per person; Wine pairing: THB 2,200 per person

Aksorn

This latest offering from David Thompson takes up a small but character-filled space on the fifth floor of a shophouse in Charoen Krung. Aksorn opened during the pandemic and has lately returned to the spotlight as a 2022 recipient of a Michelin star. The prix-fixe menu changes every couple of months, inspired by recipes from David’s collection of vintage Thai cookbooks. Mains are served all at once, family-style, on flowery plates, with optional wine pairing. The celebrity restaurateur himself is often at hand to chat with diners and oversee his hipster-looking crew in the open kitchen. At one of the most reasonable price points for upscale Thai dining in Bangkok, Aksorn is a great place to bring overseas visitors looking for old-school-with-a-twist local flavors. THB 2,800 per person

Gaggan Anand

One of the many casualties of Bangkok’s pandemic lockdowns, Gaggan Anand (the two-Michelin-star restaurant) shut during the Delta wave of 2021. Gaggan Anand (the chef) then left Thailand for nine months but is now back and taking reservations for his 14-seater dining room in Sukhumvit 31, scheduled to reopen in August 2022. As of press time, no one can be sure what exactly will feature on the new menu, though the new Gaggan Experience for sure will entail a theatrical, drunken and irreverent three-hour flavor journey unlike any you’ve had before. THB 12,000 per person

Guilty

Fans of modern LatAm cuisine will fall in love Guilty, a 45-seater potential date-night spot that oozes with Latin swagger, from indulgent dishes (check out the menu of mouth-watering charcoal grilled meats — hello, grade 4 Wagyu ribeye) to decadent cocktails and party shots. The new Carlos Rodriguez-helmed restaurant and bar at the Anantara Siam offers a culinary journey throughout an entire continent, and then some: the Peruvian options come with a Nikkei twist, as in the ceviche in leche de tigre, the tuna acevichado roll or the salmon served with broccolini, wasabi yoghurt and soy-ginger dressing. Mains from THB 500