For a less rarefied taste of Southern Thailand than the impenetrable Sorn, look no further than this unassuming (air-conditioned) shack set on the outskirts of town. The menu is stuffed full of regional specialties like stir-fried malindjo leaves with egg, pork in shrimp paste with stink beans, and of course, gaeng tai pla (fermented fish organ curry). The kitchen presents as boldly flavored and ear-ringingly spicy a glimpse into Southern Thailand as is humanly possible without an actual plane ticket to Hat Yai. Note: The second branch, listed here, is superior to the first.

Think of this market as your go-to Thai food wonderland. Apart from a fresh produce section, the space also features cooked food and desserts you can try in the open-air food court. For central Thai cuisine, line up at the Samran Gaeng Thai stall, and follow up with a bowl of shaved ice. Other highlights include cooked seafood, pork satay, fresh durian, and mangoes. 

A descendant of the now-defunct stall at the Chatuchak Weekend Market, Prik-Yuak now lives in comfy, air-conditioned digs on Pradipat Road, a part of town chock-full of under-the-radar cafes and bars. Despite the elevated setting, the kitchen has maintained its high standards when it comes to the food; the kanom jeen sao nam (rice vermicelli with fresh coconut milk), rice with shrimp paste, and even the simple kai pullo (five-spice pork belly and egg stew, a typical elementary school dish) are as good as ever.

Krua Apsorn has several locations around Bangkok’s more picturesque, old school neighborhoods, making it a great place to go for a hearty Thai meal while strolling around. The decadent crab omelet is an all-time favorite; round out an order with stir-fried crab with string beans and yellow chilies, river prawns with garlic, and a bowl of sour lotus stem and prawn soup. Do not skip the signature coconut sorbet for dessert. If you have a choice, try the Samsen Road location, where the chef herself, Pa Dang, spends the most time.

Traditional Thai kanom bueang, or crispy crepes, look nothing like the typical street-stall crepes you will find in many areas of Bangkok. Mung bean flour creates a crispy shell, which complements a filling of sweet eggs, hand-grated young coconut, foi thong (egg floss), and candied persimmon. Savory filling options include dried shrimp, grated coconut, a pinch of makrut lime leaves, and shallot. Prepare for a wait because this is one of the few places that knows how to make its crepes perfectly crisp; fortunately, there’s a row of chairs for those who need to sit with their snack after standing in line.

Located behind one of Bangkok’s former Thai boxing stadiums, Likhit specializes in grilled chicken. The deliciously scrawny birds are grilled until smoky and just short of dry (in a good way), and served with two dips that the owner, Boonkhem Silathulee, will encourage you to mix. A full menu featuring dishes such as papaya salad, laap, and sticky rice lends this place its northeastern accent.

Roast pork and duck are available just about everywhere in Bangkok. But once you’ve tried the versions at the century-old Jib Kee, you won’t want to go anywhere else. The pork is crispy and rich, the duck fragrant and meaty. Delicious food aside, eating at this open-air shophouse feels like living out a part of Bangkok history, replete with octogenarian servers and a similarly aged crowd of diners. Don’t forget to order the side of stewed duck soup to go with your rice.

Nai Hong is just a couple of woks set up in a decrepit, hard-to-find alleyway, but it does only one thing really, really well: kuaytiaw khua kai, a dish of wide rice noodles fried in lard over coals with chicken and egg. Ask the staff to score you a bottle of beer from the mini-mart nearby, and you’ve got yourself the classic Bangkok Chinatown meal.

Don’t let the Chinese name fool you; Kim Leng is, in fact, a great place for homestyle Thai cooking. At the front, find ready-cooked food like chile pastes and crispy fried fish. But really, people come here for mee krob (crispy Thai vermicelli) plus the tom som with fish filets, hor mok (steamed fish cakes with curry), and winged bean salad with toasted coconut.

If you’re willing to brave the lines, this long-standing eatery is the most famous — if not necessarily the best — place in Bangkok for phat Thai. Assert your Bangkok cred by ordering the version with “shrimp oil,” which is actually the rich fat from the shrimp’s head, and cut the richness with a bottle of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

A one-star nod by the Michelin organization has made this once relatively quiet shophouse restaurant into one of the most famous eateries in Bangkok. It’s all about decadence here, with the seafood-packed stir-fries; immense, crab-stuffed omelets; and rich soups still prepared by owner Supinya Junsuta (nicknamed Jay Fai). These days, a visit requires waiting hours. Come as early as 10 a.m. to cut down on time spent glaring angrily at diners lingering over their meals.

A classic inside and out, Chote Chitr is a small eatery that has been around for almost a century among the preserved historic architecture of Prang Phuthorn. Run by the same family for three generations, it’s known for classic mee krob (crispy vermicelli) served with chicken and shrimp. Other popular dishes include the signature banana flower salad with coconut milk and toasted chilies, and the deep-fried grouper served with spicy mango salad. Chote Chitr is a fantastic place to enjoy the Rattanakosin-era wooden shophouse ambiance.

Thai tropical fruits have been reborn in this small, vintage, and very charming ice cream parlor in the historic Prang Phuthorn area of old Bangkok. Nataporn Ice Cream serves flavors like durian, mango, coconut juice granita, combined with Thai-style toppings like candied palm seeds, candied yam, toasted peanuts, corn, red beans, and millet. Take a seat among the wooden furniture and enjoy the view of the historic community’s common courtyard.

Although a handful of long-standing Muslim Thai restaurants have fallen by the wayside in the wake of COVID, this quiet restaurant on the side of a busy thoroughfare has continued to flourish. Well-regarded for its extensive halal menu and friendly service, Ahmad is particularly known for its goat biryani, spicy oxtail soup, and beef satay; however, a little-mentioned sleeper hit here is the mango sticky rice. To avoid the lunch rush, get here before noon.

Eathai delivers Bangkok’s best street food without the outdoor heat. This themed food court in the basement of the posh Central Embassy has become a favorite for its delicious variety, as well as its more affordable prices, air conditioning, and comfortable ambiance. Try the fish-ball noodles and the Vietnamese rice vermicelli with grilled pork, as well as the desserts and iced tea. Bangkok Bold Kitchen, recent recipient of a Michelin Bib Gourmand award and an offshoot from the Bangkok Bold Cooking School, holds court in the same space. 

Nothing epitomizes Thai Chinese cuisine like the eponymous specialty at this semi-outdoor, shophouse restaurant in Bangkok’s Chinatown: hoi thod, an eggy batter fried until crispy and topped with mussels. More experienced eaters will go with or suan, in which the batter is just barely set and topped with oysters, or maybe the or lua, which boasts a batter fried to crispy shards.

It’s not fancy and it doesn’t appear on international must-eat lists, but Sa-nguan Sri has been a local favorite for over four decades. Small, crowded, and a bit run down, this was the place where many of today’s celebrity chefs learned modern and traditional Thai recipes. Diners can reminisce about the old no-frills Thai way of eating while enjoying green curry with fish balls, kai palo (braised eggs and pork belly), and crispy fish preserves. From March until May, be sure to drop by for the gorgeous khao chae (Thai summertime rice).

Tep Bar focuses on traditional Thai elements: There are live bands, drink lists composed of ya dong (Thai herbal-infused whiskeys) and cocktails with iconic Thai flavors, local craft beers, dishes, and snacks. And because it focuses so much on traditional Thai vibes and ingredients, the bar has become a favorite of residents and tourists.

Most Bangkok Thai restaurants excel in one or two dishes, so you rarely encounter a menu where every dish is a star. But good luck finding a single dud at this stylish place, which specializes in the herb-forward, seafood-focused cuisine of Bangkok’s eastern seaboard. Don’t miss the deep-fried fish, piled high with garlic and turmeric, or the assertively herbaceous stir-fry of chicken thighs and Siamese cardamom.

With great original recipes and a well-managed kitchen, Nom Jit Kai Yang is still the best place to go for a decent Isan meal. The selection of som tam (the famous papaya salad) represent the best of the classic preparations, from basic takes to more involved versions with Isaan’s famous pla ra (preserved fish).

In spite of its location in a dimly lit back alley, Charmgang (loosely translatable to “curry bowl”) has quietly gained a loyal following based on word of mouth over the past three years. Run by a trio of chefs who once worked under David Thompson at Michelin-starred Nahm, the menu — which changes every month — features Thai dishes that have been tweaked to evolve with the times. As a result, you get inventive appetizers like grilled scallop salad on rice crackers and an ever-evolving array of chile dips. Of course, the curries are reliably delicious.

Took Lae Dee (literally “Cheap and Good”) is like Bangkok’s all-day diner. People come here to tuck into Thai, Asian, and Western food at all hours. It’s great after a night out or when jet lag leaves you craving something substantial, like a burger, fried rice with deep-fried chicken drumstick and egg, or pad kra praw (rice stir-fried with spicy meat and basil). Try to snag a seat at the counter with a view of the bustling open kitchen.

One of Bangkok’s most popular noodle dishes is yen ta fo, noodles in a slightly sweet broth, stained pink from the addition of fermented tofu and studded with fish balls. It’s available just about everywhere, but noodle aficionados know that the best version is at this streetside stall, where the cantankerous owner will tell you exactly where and how to sit (couples must not face each other).

Chef Prin Polsuk, formerly of Michelin-starred Nahm, has brought his encyclopedic knowledge of Thai food to this intimate chef’s table tucked away in a quiet neighborhood off of one of the city’s busiest streets. Styled after a Japanese kappo, chef Polsuk doles out creations based on whatever is fresh and local, while his wife Thanyaporn “Mint” Jarukittikun handles front-of-house duties and helps with menus. Also like a kappo, space is limited to a handful of counter seats, so reservations can be hard to get. There is no phone number, so make sure to message the team via its Facebook page for a prompt reply.

Set up in the former location for the now-closed (and much-lamented) Soul Food Mahanakorn, culinary standby Err continues in the tradition of top-quality casual Thai drinking food spots. Helmed by Dylan Jones and Duangporn “Bo” Songvisava of the Food Trust (and formerly Bo.lan), Err churns out crowd-pleasing favorites like its Chicken Movie (chicken skin served with house-made Sriracha sauce) and Isan-style sausages, as well as traditional Thai tipples such as ya dong (an herbal Thai spirit) and sato (rice beer).

Chef David Thompson’s latest venture takes his obsession with heritage Thai recipes of the 1900s to a new level. At Aksorn (meaning “alphabet”), he draws recipes from funeral books (printed to commemorate the deceased, detailing their lives and favorite dishes), with a particular focus on books memorializing well-known society ladies of the 1940s to 1970s. The restaurant seeks to capture a historical moment when Thai society — and its food — underwent a series of seismic shifts, as quality food spread from the kitchens of wealthy families to the masses. The setting is right on theme, on the top floor of the original Central Department Store, which opened in 1950 and has since become a mixed-use behemoth.

Probably the only place in Bangkok that can satisfy a craving for mango and sticky rice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Mae Waree is the first thing you see when you turn the corner into the busy Soi Thonglor area. For convenience, buy a ready-to-eat set (peeled whole mango and a small serving of sticky rice, plus coconut cream) for 130 baht (about $3.40). There are a handful of other Thai desserts — kanom chan, egg flosses, sticky rice with banana — on the shelves as well.

If you are looking for an unmatched teatime experience, book a table on the covered veranda of the historic Authors’ Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok. Visiting writers who have stayed at the hotel over the decades — Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad, James Michener, Noel Coward — are immortalized with memorabilia in this frequently photographed space. Three sets of afternoon teas, served with tiers of finger foods, are available. Be sure to try the homemade scones served with clotted cream and rose petal jam.