The best cafes around Bangkok's riverside and Old Town
The city's cafes don't get any more chill than these.
Chata
This gorgeous glasshouse cafe set amid the crumbling backstreets of Yaowarat comes swathed in natural light. Barista-manager Nopphadon Jantranapaporn has built a name for his latte art and also flexes his muscles with a variety of other creative concoctions—try the house-blend (Ethiopia and Peru) dressed up with lime and bubbly cola in the Colapresso. Bites like the crumbly coconut cake are simple but satisfying.
98 Phatsai Rd., 084-625-2324. Open Tue-Sun 8am-5pm.
Eden’s
Tucked away in the Old Town, this 15-seater cafe is a hipster’s dream. The French bakery-inspired facade and painting-perfect rustic interior evoke a warm and cozy vibe enhanced by the sizzling sounds of bacon and the aroma of freshly baked cakes. Goodies like beer cake, carrot cake and lemon pie pair perfectly with a hot cocoa or Mariage Freres tea. You can also start the day with a hefty English breakfast plate served with refillable coffee.
7/1 Lan Luang Rd., 081-696-0326. Open Tue-Sun 9am-5pm.
Floral Cafe at Napasorn
This two-decade-old florist hides a secret. Head to the second floor for a cafe where dangling foliage crawls over the brickwalls and an elaborate chandelier dangles precariously. The floral theme extends to treats like the chocolate raspberry rose cake or the raspberry rose ice cream, which you can wash down with a pot of minty rose tea. Head up yet another floor for a salesroom that’s a wonderland of ceramics and taxidermy.
67 Chakkaphet Rd., 02-222-6895. Open daily 10am-10pm.
Gallery Drip
BACC’s iconic cafe and roaster has branched out to the Old Town. Occupying the ground floor of a brightly-lit hostel, this second incarnation bubbles over with retro vibes and stays honest to the original’s drip-coffee-only philosophy. In addition to coffee made with only single origin beans from both Thailand and abroad, there is tea and desserts like the Shrek, a coffee jelly topped with milk foam and green tea ice cream.
G/F, Cacha Bed Heritage Hostel, 156 Maha Chai Rd., 081-989-5244. Open Tue-Sun 9am-7pm.
Nana Coffee Roaster
Nestled down a small allleyway not far from Chinatown, this cafe brings nightlife’s speakeasy-cool to coffee. Filled with a tasteful array of antique clutter, this three-story shop-house resembles a 19th-century explorer’s workshop. A spiral staircase takes you to where award-winning barista Warong Chalanuchpong serves up signatures like Le Boisson De Kanda (espresso, tea and sparkling rose lemonade topped with milk foam).
31-33 Soi Nana, 089-775-0006. Open Thu-Sun 11am-7pm; Mon 11am-7pm; Tue 11am-7pm.
Pieces Cafe & Bed
At this slender shop-house transformed into two floors hostel and one floor quaint cafe, moka pots dangle from hooks and cacti and ferns lend a green vibe. Young designer types flock here for the moka pot affogato and the intriguingly shaped “breast milk bread,” both of which highlight house-made coconut ice cream. Come nighttime on Fri and Sat, the place changes into Shuu Shuu, a neon-drenched bar devoted to umeshu (Japanese plum wine).
Songwat Rd., 089-783-3099. Open Fri-Sun 11am-5pm; Mon 11am-5pm. BTS Saphan Taksin.
Wanderlust Coffee & Eatery
For a satisfying hit of Melbourne cafe culture head to this unassuming hostel-turned-cafe not far from Chinatown’. The brunch staples revel in flavorful twists, like a chia pudding that also features coconut milk and tropical fruits or crunchy yet fluffy skillet pancakes.
149-151 Rama 4 Rd., 083-046-8647. Open Mon-Thu 8am-8pm; Fri-Sun 8am-10pm.
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Warehouse 30
A row of abandoned World War 2-era warehouses on Charoenkrung has been reborn as a hub of cafes, shops, galleries and all-round creative endeavors. Your caffeine hit comes courtesy of serial Bangkok cafe openers Li-bra-ry. Those seeking sustenance can find it in the hearty soups and paninis of The Fox and the Moon, while Maison Chatenet is home to arguably Bangkok’s best croissant.
Charoenkrung Soi 30, 088-244-2241. Open daily 11am-8pm.
BK's Cafe Society 2018 guide gathers Bangkok's coolest hangout spots for brunch, coffee, sweets and all-day bites. Download your PDF copy at here
