In this article, we cover what we believe are the best restaurants in Chit Lom, Ploen Chit and Central World. This area is not immediately known for its local eateries but offers a huge amount of international restaurants as well as mid-range and higher-end Thai restaurants as you can find many malls such as CentralWorld in this area. Nonetheless, we did come up with quite some unique and highly recommended restaurants that do not necessarily break your wallet. This article is divided into two sections, namely the best restaurants in Chit Lom and Ploen Chit and the best restaurants at CentralWorld.
The best restaurants in Chit Lom and Ploen Chit are:
1. Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam
Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam is by far the most local restaurant we recommend in this article. Recommended by the Michelin Guide, Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam serves amazing Khao Man Kai, which is the Thai version of Hainanese Chicken with Rice. A plate of this tasty local dish only costs you 40 THB. Aside from Khao Man Kai, they also serve tasty Braised Pork (60 THB). Keep in mind that the restaurant is so popular, you often have to wait in line for a while before getting a table.
2. Sanguansri Restaurant
Simply put this way, Sanguansri Restaurant serves the best green curry in Bangkok. Located near Ploen Chit BTS Station, this restaurant is hugely popular and visitors mainly come for its fantastic, creamy green curry, although there are other tasty dishes to be found on the menu. On Thursdays, Sanguansri serves a special green curry which is prepared with beef (100 THB), on other days, the green curry is served with chicken. Other delicious foods at Sanguansri Restaurant are the Fried Fish with Chilli Paste (60 THB) and Blanched Pork with Peanut Sauce and Morning Glory (60 THB). For obvious reasons, we listed Sanguansri Restaurant in our article about the best curries in Bangkok.
3. Billy’s Smokehouse
Specialized in grilling, smoking and barbecuing, Billy’s Smokehouse is the place to go for those who want to treat themselves to high-quality meats prepared in a traditional American BBQ way. Billy’s Smokehouse is located at Mahatun Plaza right next to Ploen Chit BTS Station and is in business since 2017. From flame-grill burgers or NY Pastrami Sandwiches to huge barbecue platters, it’s all available on Billy’s Smokehouse’s menu. We even listed their Ensenada Burger (320 THB) in our article about the 10 best burgers in Bangkok.
4. La Monita Taqueria
Located almost right next to the previously recommended Billy’s Smokehouse, La Monita Taqueria is one of the more popular Mexican restaurants in Bangkok. La Monita Taqueria is not an authentic Mexican restaurant but serves California style Mexican food, with highly recommended dishes such as their Burrito Mojada (490 THB), Mexican Tacos (370 THB) and Vegetarian Nachos Supreme (280 THB). For ultimate comfort food in Ploen Chit, La Monita Taqueria is the place to go.
5. Crepes & Co
Crepes & Co is located on Langsuan Soi 1 and as the name already suggests, Crepes & Co serves…crepes. We’re not talking about simple crepes, no, we’re talking about impressive creations that will blow you away. Although the menu offers more than crepes, the main reason why people come to visit this place is the crepes. There is a wide selection of sweet crepes and savoury crepes, with prices ranging from 100 THB to 490 THB. One of our favourite crepes is the Moroccan Crepe (385 THB), which is filled with couscous, Moroccan herbs and sausage. Another highly recommended savoury crepe is the Antipasto Crepe (390 THB). The Red Velvet (275 THB) was one of our favourite sweet crepes, but with so many options, there will be a tasty crepe that fits anyone’s taste palette.
6. King Kong
For those with a large appetite, or who simply want to eat delicious yakiniku, King Kong is the place to go. King Kong is an all-you-can-eat yakiniku restaurant with many branches spread all over Bangkok, including one on Langsuan Road, close to Chit Lom BTS Station. Between 11:00 and 17:00, it’ll cost you 499 THB to enjoy this Japanese barbecue buffet. After 17:00, it will cost you 60 THB more. The quality of both the meats and the seafood is good, especially when you compare it to other yakiniku buffets in the same price category.
7. BKK Bagel Bakery
Arguably the best place to get bagels in Bangkok is BKK Bagel Bakery. This shop is located right next to Chit Lom BTS Station. A well-filled bagel costs you between 185 THB and 250 THB. Some of our favourites are the Reuben Bagel (250 THB), the Hog Heaven (185 THB) and the Lox, Stock & Bagel (225 THB).
8. Taye
Taye is a unique restaurant located near Ploen Chit and serves Ethiopian food, something you won’t easily expect in Bangkok. The restaurant is located in a soi where you usually won’t expect to find any good tasty food, but we absolutely had no regret visiting this cool place. We would recommend you try one of the following dishes: Veggie Combo (300 THB), which is large enough to share with two people as well as the Shiro Wot (250 THB), which is a vegetarian dish made of peas, onion, garlic and Ethiopian spices served with injera. If you want to order a non-vegetarian dish, we would recommend you try either their Door Wot (350 THB) or Awaze Tibs (350 THB). All dishes are served with injera, which is Ethiopian flatbread. You eat this with your hands by tearing off some of the flatbread and dipping it in the dippings.
9. Sushi Mori (Gaysorn Tower)
Craving for some sushi? Sushi Mori is one of the best sushi restaurants in Chit Lom and Ploen Chit, so most definitely worth the visit. Sushi Mori has two branches in Bangkok of which one of which is located in the Gaysorn Tower. The menu is limited but the creations are unique. Prices vary between 320 THB and 640 THB, with a few more expensive exceptions here and there. Sushi Mori does have weekly promotions, though. We recommend you try one of the following tasty dishes: Spider Roll (480 THB) and the Unagi Foie Gras Roll (580 THB). If you’re up for something special, which comes with a much bigger price tag, check out their Kuro Tsuki Tama Roll (1050 THB).
The best restaurants at CentralWorld are:
10. Hua Seng Hong – CentralWorld
Hua Seng Hong is an institution in Bangkok with nowadays twenty different branches spread all over town, including one in Central World. Their first restaurant was opened in 1956 in Chinatown though. This famous restaurant serves a huge variety of Thai and Chinese dishes. Absolute highlights are the Signature Roasted Duck (180 THB), Stir-Fried Sea Crab with Curry Powder (599 THB) and Baked Spiced Goose’s Feet with Egg Noodles (420 THB), but as the menu is so huge, there are many other tasty Chinese specialities to be found.
11. Kum Poon – CentralWorld
Kumpoon is a popular Thai restaurant with branches in CentralWorld, CentralPlaza Ladprao, CentralPlaza Pinklao and CentralPlaza Salaya and serves mainly Isaan dishes and finger foods. The restaurant itself is nicely decorated and the staff is friendly. What makes this place so popular is the fact that you can experience tasty, clean and authentic Isaan food for a reasonable price. We recommend you try one of the following dishes: Nam Tok Ko Moo Yang (130 THB), Moo Ping Kao Niew Tod (130 THB) and the Por Pia Laab Moo Tod (95 THB), of which the latter is by far our favourite!
12. Kub Kao Kub Pla – CentralWorld
Kub Kao Kub Pla is yet another hugely popular franchise in Bangkok with many branches all over the city. Expect clean, tasty Thai specialities with excellent service in a modern setting. In fact, Kub Kao Kub Pla is one of my favourite go-to places when I have friends or family over on a holiday, as there is so much variety to choose from. Personal favourites are the Deep-Fried Baby Freshwater Prawn with Betel Leaves (195 THB), Pig Knuckle Stew (265 THB) and the Crab Meat Curry (380 THB).
13. Taling Pling – CentralWorld
Taling Pling is a long-standing eatery that nowadays has several branches in Bangkok, including one in CentralWorld. Visitors can enjoy a large variety of classic Thai dishes as well as not-so-common foods, such as the Marinated Chicken in Pandanus Leaves (145 THB). Taling Pling gained popularity due to the simple fact of constantly serving tasty, flawless food and is therefore absolutely a recommended restaurant at CentralWorld. Other highly recommended dishes are Wing Bean Salad with Curry Paste (145 THB), Massaman Short Rib Served with Roti (245 THB) and their ‘Phad Cha’ Seabass Fillets with Chillies and Assorted Herbs (220 THB).
14. Casa Lapin – CentralWorld
Casa Lapin is yet another popular restaurant chain that you can find throughout the city, although not every branch serves food as Casa Lapin is known for its coffee and cakes. Luckily, the branch at CentralWorld does serve food and we must say that the food here is pretty good. Although the menu is not that large, the food is pretty diverse ranging from an international breakfast called The Breakfast (280 THB) to a Japanese Spicy Pork Miso (180 THB). Another highly recommended dish is the Pesto Cream Salmon Pasta (410 THB).
15. Ampersand – CentralWorld
Ampersand has two branches in Bangkok of which one of them is located inside CentralWorld. It serves high-quality authentic gelato with worldwide flavours, from Turkish hazelnut to Japanese Macha. Our personal favourites are the Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Cheesecake. A large scoop of gelato costs you between 89 THB and 119 THB, depending on the premium ingredients. Ampersand is also listed in our article about the best ice cream in Bangkok.
16. Din Tai Fung – CentralWorld
Craving for dim sum? Head over to Din Tai Fung at CentralWorld. This hugely popular restaurant, which has two other branches in Bangkok as well, serves fantastic dim sum which attracts many tourists and Thai. Make sure to try their signature Steamed Pork Dumplings (210 THB for 10 pieces). Other highlights are the Steamed Custard Buns (118 THB), Steamed Chicken Soup (195 THB) and their Fragrant Pork with Crushed Garlic (175 THB).
Relevant articles:
There you have it, the best restaurants in Chit Lom, Ploen Chit and Central World.