The 50 Best Cafes in Bangkok

Bangkok is now one of Asia’s genuinely great coffee cities, trading punches with Tokyo, Melbourne and Seoul. The engine is Thai-grown beans from the northern highlands of Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Nan, roasted by baristas who have quietly been winning international competitions and coming home to open their own places. Expect to pay 100 to 250 baht a cup at the specialty end.

But almost every “best cafes in Bangkok” list sends you to the same ten spots in Ari and Thonglor. This is not that. This is the list I actually keep and add to as I find places: the cafes I work from, take visitors to, and detour across the city for. The surprise, when I finally mapped them, is where they cluster. Not the usual coffee corridor, but the heritage shophouses of the old riverside quarter, and across the water in Thonburi, where hardly any guide bothers to look. So this runs neighbourhood by neighbourhood, and my guide to getting around Bangkok covers how to reach every corner of it. When you need a proper meal between flat whites, here is what to eat in Bangkok, and the wider Thailand travel guide covers everything beyond the coffee.

You can see every spot in this guide on my running Bangkok cafes map, which I keep updated.

The heritage quarter: Old Town, Talat Noi and Song Wat

This is where I would start, and where most cafe guides barely scratch. The old riverside quarter, Rattanakosin and Nang Loeng through to Talat Noi and the Chinatown lanes, holds the most characterful cafes in the city, most of them hiding inside century-old shophouses. Fold a morning here into my Chinatown, Song Wat and Talat Noi walk.

Ssoundnamm. A hidden gem in Nang Loeng and my favourite kind of Bangkok cafe: a vinyl listening room built around the owners’ Thai record collection, with coffee and matcha in hand. Some weekends they have traditional Thai record DJs spinning morlam, which is about as far from a chain espresso as you can get.

Local Boys Coffee Co. On Song Wat Road, a raw-concrete specialty bar with graffiti on the walls and canned lattes that went a little viral. It sits in one of the best areas in the city for a wander, so grab a coffee and lose an hour in the Song Wat and Talat Noi lanes.

32Bar X. Not coffee but chocolate: tree-to-bar Thai single-origin cacao drinks served in a 200-year-old Talat Noi shophouse, usually with a vintage car parked out front.

Mother Roaster. A tiny single-origin roastery tucked on the second floor above a mechanic’s yard in Talat Noi. As local and unpolished as specialty coffee gets, and all the better for it.

Vanich House. Part cafe, part multi-brand shop, part event space, all inside a 100-year-old former machinery workshop in Talat Noi, and a regular Bangkok Design Week venue.

riri cafe. Minimalist specialty coffee, matcha and affogato just off the Yaowarat madness: a calm reset in the middle of Chinatown.

Uncle Tai Coffee. Slow moka-pot and coconut coffee made to order in the Old Town, with creekside seating. Order, then be patient. This is not a grab-and-go.

Eden’s. A New York and French style bakery-cafe in Nang Loeng doing all-day breakfast and a signature black beer cake.

Akirart Cafe Studio. A retro 1980s office-themed cafe in the Old Town, vintage Macintoshes and all, with a film photo-lab attached.

292 Slowbar. Specialty coffee and croffles down a Banglamphu lane near Wat Intharawihan.

Mae Salong Croissant. A much-loved croissant and kouign amann bakery on Phra Athit Road, near the river. Expect a queue.

Across the river: Thonburi

Here is the deep cut. Almost no cafe guide sends you across the Chao Phraya, which is exactly why the Thonburi side is worth the short ferry hop.

Chann. A riverside cafe and bakery in Bangkok Noi, minimalist and calm, attached to a small boutique hotel. It is a bit of a mission to reach on the Thonburi side, but sitting with a coffee and watching the river drift past earns it.

Hidden Bangkok Bistro. A three-storey cafe, bistro and rooftop bar in Talad Phlu, with balcony views of the giant golden Buddha at Wat Paknam.

Table Talk Cafe. An old shophouse turned vintage community cafe in Bangkok Noi, roasting its own single-origin beans.

Hau Yong Seng. One of the best backstories on this list: a cafe inside a still-working 108-year-old soy-sauce factory in Bangkok Yai, right down to the soy-sauce ice cream.

Suriya Coffee. Traditional Thai coffee at its most timeless: a kopitiam going since 1918, now tucked inside Wat Klang Market on the Thonburi side. Order a kafae boran or an O-liang with kaya toast and a soft-boiled egg, then take it to a riverside table looking across Khlong Bangkok Yai to the giant golden Buddha. Mornings only, and closed Mondays.

hakkai Cafe & Bar. A newly opened rooftop cafe-bar up in Talad Phlu that looks excellent. Full disclosure, it is on my list but I have not made it there yet.

Sathorn, Silom and the centre

Samantao Heritage Coffee. The one to bring your parents to. An old-Siam heritage cafe in the grounds of Nai Lert Park near Ploenchit: proper Thai breakfast, traditional coffee, and gardens to stroll. This is not a place to open a laptop, it is a place to feel like you have had a slow morning at a five-star hotel for a fraction of the price. Genuinely lovely.

Breakfast the old-Siam way at Samantao: kai krata in the pan, steamed dumplings, and drinks made at the counter.

Sarnies. Down in the Charoenkrung creative district, a Singapore import that turned a gorgeous 100-year-old shophouse into one of the best coffee-and-brunch rooms in the city.

Sarnies, in a restored Charoenkrung shophouse: the sandwiches it is named for, and a shop full of merch and beans.

Someday In Copenhagen. A Scandinavian grab-and-go coffee stand in Sathorn, run by an ex-Fuglen barista. Order the honeycomb latte.

Someday in Copenhagen: a slice of Scandinavian minimalism in Sathorn.

Bitterman. A Sathorn institution and one of the most photographed rooms in the city: a big, plant-filled glasshouse doing all-day brunch. Come for the space as much as the coffee.

Bagel Shop, Yen Akat. Fresh handmade bagels and garden-style seating on quiet Yen Akat.

Baan Saen Saep. A two-storey wooden house near Siam that doubles as a cafe, gallery and coworking space, right on the canal.

Hiccup. A tiny local specialty coffee spot on Rama IV, single-origin focused and easy to walk straight past, which is half the appeal.

Gallery Drip Coffee. Tucked inside the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, the BACC, by Siam: the coffee-lover’s pick for careful hand-drip and single origins, with a whole building of contemporary art to wander before or after. Coffee and a gallery in one stop.

% Arabica. The global name needs no introduction, but the branch to seek out is the one at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, which opens straight onto Benjakitti Park and doubles as the unofficial meeting point for the early-morning running crowd before a loop of the lake. The coffee is superb and a little pricier than most. Get the Dark Latte, their espresso with premium European cocoa: I ordered it once by accident thinking it was a dark coffee latte rather than a dark chocolate one, and ended up hooked. The EmQuartier branch, looking over the outdoor terrace and its waterfall fountain, is a lovely alternative.

Citycup BKK. Eleven floors up in SSP Tower 2 on Na Ranong Rd, and the window is the whole reason to go: one side looks straight down over PAT Stadium, home of Port FC, with the skyline stacked up behind it. The room is raw concrete and big windows, scattered with soft low sofas, vintage speakers and a giant Game Boy standing next to the photo booth. A matcha latte is 140 baht, a cappuccino 120 and a bacon twist 140: not cheap, not expensive, and the quality is there. One practical note, the parking is strict.

Citycup BKK, eleven floors up: the Port FC pitch out of one window, a giant Game Boy by the photo booth, and a 140 baht bacon twist.

Vancoffee. A locals’ pick in Sathorn, wrapped into a community-centre space and tucked in among the big roads rather than near anything you would recognise. Not one you would stumble on, but a lovely low-key neighbourhood hangout if you seek it out.

Vancoffee sits inside the Tur Gub Chan community space: all plants, small shops and slow afternoons, well off the tourist map.

The Thonglor and Ekkamai belt

The expected coffee corridor, and yes it earns the reputation, but these are the ones I actually go back to rather than the names the lists recycle.

Grains & Groove. My favourite only-in-Bangkok cafe: a proper coffee counter hiding inside What The Film Lab, a working film-photography lab in Ekkamai. Drop your rolls in for developing and drink a genuinely good coffee while you wait.

Roots at The Commons. Roots is one of the roasters that built Bangkok’s specialty scene by championing Thai farmers, and at the Thonglor branch it anchors The Commons, a leafy open-air community mall. Grab a coffee at Roots, then settle in upstairs to work or socialise. It is as much about the Commons as the coffee.

Mareeji. My work cafe. Quiet, comfortable, and part of a boutique hotel, so the staff are completely relaxed about you spending the whole day. I have put in full working days here and even taken a meeting with my accountant. If you actually need to get things done, this is the one.

Nine Pastry. Tiny, and home to the best croissant I have eaten in Bangkok. The sourdough and babka are excellent too. Go early, before it sells out.

Breakfast Story Thonglor. More diner than cafe, but it earns a place for a lazy Western breakfast: big portions, eggs done properly, and a bottomless “cup of Joe.” There are branches around the city.

Cosmo Vibrators. Do not let the name put you off. It is a genuine specialty coffee and cocktail bar in Ekkamai.

Meshroom Cafe & Wine. A Japanese-library-style cafe and wine bar in an old Ekkamai house, with zines for sale.

Thea Cafe. Cold brew, matcha and hojicha, brunch, and a lot of greenery, just off Thonglor.

Brunch and a matcha at Thea, just off Thonglor.

Detour. A detached-house brunch cafe in Phra Khanong with six single-origins on rotation, including a Honduras whiskey coffee.

Conkey’s Bakery. An outdoorsy bakery and cafe hidden in a secluded garden in Ekkamai, all greenery and fresh bread, and a proper escape from the Sukhumvit concrete.

Ari and Phaya Thai

Ari is the district every coffee list leads with, and fairly so. Here are the big-name roasters that deserve the hype, plus a couple of my own.

Nana Coffee Roasters. The Ari destination: a serious bar programme in a beautiful space that treats a pour-over like a small ceremony.

Roots. The Ari branch is worth seeking out for its rotating Thai single-origins from Chiang Rai and Nan, with full transparency on the farms behind them.

Factory Coffee. Just over in Phaya Thai, the competition heavyweight: championship baristas and signature drinks built on technique rather than syrup.

Mystery Hug. A bit out of the way near the railway, and the draw is exactly that: a train rumbles past every fifteen minutes or so, which is the photo everyone comes for. The chicken wings are good too.

Friends and Duck. A homey, work-friendly cafe right at Sanam Pao BTS, and easy on the wallet.

Kaffa: Brunch and Brew. An all-day espresso bar and brunch spot inside Ari’s Josh Hotel, with poolside seating.

Landhaus Bakery. An authentic German bakery tucked into a white house in the Ari back-sois, with a garden that looks over the bakers at work and an in-house butcher turning out cold cuts. Some of the best bread in the city.

The Lat Phrao pocket

A little cluster of gems out in the residential north that no visitor guide covers, worth knowing if you are staying that way.

Klor BKK. A cafe built out of a former recording studio near Chok Chai 4, pet-friendly and homey.

Mansion in Copenhagen. A Danish mid-century-styled cafe with a vinyl corner and rooftop sunset seating.

Beachboy Coffee. A quiet slow-bar with a little book library and vintage decor.

Worth the trip out

These are genuine destination cafes, just a long way from the centre. Locals drive to them, so treat them as a half-day mission rather than a casual drop-in.

Archive Coffee. Out in Bang Na, a car-culture cafe attached to a luxury garage, with drinks named after supercars. On Sundays the city’s best cars gather for “Supercar Sundays.” On my own list for the next time I am out that way.

Natura Café. A garden-to-table cafe in a 100-year-old lychee orchard by a canal in Chom Thong.

Kepler BKK. A mid-century cafe fused with a southern Thai curry-rice restaurant in Bang Na.

Clay Wood Studio. A wooden-house cafe and hands-on ceramics studio in a garden out in Suan Luang: come for the coffee, stay to throw a pot.

A few tips for cafe-hopping Bangkok

Mornings are golden. Most specialty places open by 8am and stay quiet until around 11.

Bring a layer. Thai cafes treat air-conditioning as a competitive sport.

Order a Thai single-origin wherever you see one. The washed and honey-processed lots from Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Nan are the story of this whole scene.

Cash and QR. Many independents take Thai QR payment now, but a few of the older shophouse places are cash-only, so carry small notes.

Know your mission. Some of these, like Mareeji, Roots at The Commons and Friends and Duck, are built for a laptop day. Others, like Samantao and Ssoundnamm, are for putting the laptop away. Pick accordingly.

Data helps. A lot of these are down sois you would never stumble on, so you will be navigating by phone the whole time. I use Saily for a travel eSIM (code thattravelblog takes 10% off), which means maps and the list above work the moment you land rather than after you have hunted down wifi.

Pick your base for it. If cafes are a real part of your trip, the two areas I would stay in are the heritage quarter around Talat Noi and Song Wat, and Ari. Both put a good chunk of this list within walking distance, and you can compare hotels on Trip.com to see what each side of town looks like.

Best cafes in Bangkok FAQ

Is Bangkok good for coffee?

Very. Bangkok is now one of Asia’s leading specialty coffee cities, powered by Thai-grown beans from the northern highlands of Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Nan and a generation of competition-winning baristas. Expect to pay around 100 to 250 baht for a specialty drink.

Which Bangkok neighbourhood is best for cafes?

Ari has the highest concentration of famous roasters, but the most characterful cafes are in the old riverside quarter, Talat Noi, Song Wat and the Old Town, where they hide inside century-old shophouses. For something almost no guide covers, cross the river to Thonburi.

What are the best cafes to work from in Bangkok?

For a full laptop day, Mareeji in Thonglor and Roots at The Commons are hard to beat, along with Friends and Duck by Sanam Pao. Look for upper floors and weekday mornings for the quietest conditions, and check as you arrive, since a few spots are deliberately no-laptop.

Where can I find traditional Thai coffee in Bangkok?

Samantao Heritage Coffee in the grounds of Nai Lert Park does old-style Thai coffee and breakfast in a heritage setting, and Uncle Tai in the Old Town makes slow moka-pot and coconut coffee to order.

Do Bangkok cafes take card?

Most take Thai QR payment and many take cards, but some smaller independents, especially the older shophouse places, are cash-only. Carry small notes to be safe.