8 Best Local Restaurants in Bangkok

Bangkok boasts an outstanding range of local restaurants that serve delicious dishes in open-fronted shophouses, with a fan to cool you down if you’re lucky. The city is peppered with these eateries as almost every meal is eaten out, making it one of the world’s greatest (and most affordable) places for food lovers.

Local restaurants in Bangkok are those with mostly residents for clientele, cheap and cheerful cutlery, a shrine in a corner, and pictures of revered monks and kings on the walls. These unassuming restaurants serve unbelievably good Thai food, often specializing in coveted recipes that have been handed down through generations.

What are the best local restaurants in Bangkok?

Bangkok Hotels

1. Thipsamai Pad Thai

Serving piping hot plates of the nation’s most iconic dish

Good for: Couples, Families, Food, Budget

Thipsamai restaurant (commonly known as Ghost Gate) is widely considered to serve the best pad Thai in Bangkok (and arguably the world). Ingredients are fresh, portions are filling, and it’s delightfully moist without being oily. Plus, the sight of woks being tossed over flames offers a wonderful snapshot of Bangkok kitchen culture.

While dining at Thipsamai try the zesty freshly-squeezed orange juice which is delivered from the countryside every day. Expect a queue and take any table you can find, either inside the open-facing restaurant or on the stainless steel benches outside.

Location: 313-315 Maha Chai Rd, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Open: Daily from 5 pm to 1 am

Phone: +66 2 226 6666

2. Raan Jay Fai

The restaurant Rick Stein made famous

Good for: Couples, Families, Food

Raan Jay Fai famously received a Michelin star and for many, it’s the best place to sample real-deal street food in Bangkok. The first thing to note is the price: 400 baht for a crab omelet is expensive for local cuisine in any country, especially Thailand. But considering its huge chunks of white crab meat, juicy river prawns, and other premium ingredients, it’s definitely worth the price.

Foodies will also adore the crispy noodle seafood dish rad na (a starchy gravy ladled over prawns, squid, and mussels) and the drunken noodles—chef Rick Stein ate them and made them famous among Westerners. Service can be slow so patience in a plus, but they do say ‘good things come to those who wait’.

Location: 327 Maha Chai Rd, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Open: Wednesday–Saturday from 9 am to 7.30 pm (closed on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday)

Phone: +66 2 223 9384

3. Wattana Panich Restaurant

Serving the same pot of stew since 1976

Good for: Budget, Food

Wattana Panich is easy to spot thanks to its absolutely enormous stewing pot at the restaurant’s entrance. Bubbling away all day are cubes of braised beef in a rich gravy that keeps the meat tender and deliciously succulent, with added flavor coming from Asian herbs such as star anise, cinnamon, and goji berries.

Certainly, Wattana Panich’s open-faced shophouse is so typically Thai it could be used in a movie set. The beef is served with noodles and there’s also the option of goat meat. This laidback joint is a must-visit culinary institution. Cash only. No reservations.

Location: 336-338 Ekkamai Rd, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Open: Daily from 10 am to 7 pm

Phone: +66 2 391 7264

4. Lek Seafood Silom

Buzzy street restaurant underneath the Skytrain platform

Good for: Budget, Food, Nightlife

Blurring the line between local restaurant and street food cart, Lek Seafood Silom occupies a corner unit underneath Chong Nonsi BTS Station. There’s a small open-faced dining room and tables spill onto the street in true Bangkok fashion. Come here for dishes like steamed catfish with chilli and lime, chilli crab, spicy and sour tom yum seafood soup, and freshly-shucked shellfish.

Keeping the mood truly local, chairs are plastic, tables are stainless steel, and the beer is served with ice. The menu is in English and staff have at least a working grasp of their second language, so you can always converse with them about your meal.

Location: 89 Soi Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra 3, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Open: Monday–Saturday from 5 pm to midnight (closed on Sundays)

Phone: +66 96 645 9646

5. Jok Prince

For no-frills eats in Chinatown

Good for: Budget, Food, Nightlife

Jok is Thailand’s version of rice porridge and the best bowls of it can be found at Bangkok’s Jok Prince, a narrow restaurant set up in Bang Rak, close to Sapan Taksin BTS Skytrain Station. Foreign visitors often find it hard to locate due to the lack of English signage, but this little foible just adds to the adventure.

This specialist restaurant isn’t big on variety but it’s all the better for it because the recipe has been honed to perfection. Order the rice soup with finely minced pork balls (with or without offal). It’s served with a poached egg or century egg (preserved Chinese-style) and a sprinkling of spring onion.

Location: 1391 Charoen Krung Rd, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Open: Monday from 3 pm to 3 am, Tuesday–Sunday from 6 am to 1 pm and 3 pm to 3 am

Phone: +66 81 916 4390

6. Kuang Heng Kaiton Pratunam

Back to basics haunt beloved for its chicken rice

Good for: Budget, Food, Nightlife

A local Bangkok restaurant that has garnered fans from across the city, Kuang Heng Kaiton Pratunam is celebrated for its steamed chicken served with oily rice, fresh cucumber slices, and fragrant chicken broth. The restaurant is packed with locals most of the time and that alone is proof of its quality!

The chilli sauce served as an accompaniment does tingle the tastebuds, but the focus is on the fat, plump chicken that retains a hint of garlic. This is an anytime meal for Thai people in the same way that a sandwich might be seen in the West. Take your chances until midnight as it doesn’t accept reservations.

Location: 930 Phetchaburi Rd, Makkasan, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Open: Daily from 6 am to midnight

Phone: +66 62 653 1115

7. Kuay Jab Nai Huan

Renowned street food stall in the beating heart of Chinatown

Good for: Budget, Food

Kuay Jab Nai Huan is one of Yaowarat Road’s all-time favorite restaurants. This small stall only serves one type of meal and is packed non-stop from 9 am to close.

Kuay jab is a dish made of large rolled rice noodles and crispy pork belly (sometimes with intestines) that’s immersed in a very peppery clear soup. It’s so popular that you’ll have to queue patiently to receive a bowl of the stuff. If you’re lucky, the staff might take you further down the lane before setting up a table just for you!

Location: 4 Yaowarat Rd, Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand

Open: Monday–Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 11 am to 10 pm

8. Boat Noodle Alley

Collection of restaurants located north of Bangkok’s Victory Monument

Good for: Food, Photo, Unusual

Bangkok’s Boat Noddle Alley (near Victory Monument) is a culinary experience that’s not to be missed. It’s hot and steamy and filled with Thai students. For just a handful of baht you can order your choice of noodles with pork, beef, pork balls, or crispy wontons. As is tradition (or if you’re feeling particularly hungry), do as the locals do and order two servings.

Finished bowls are stacked at the end of the table—the restaurants have noticed this and offer a free large bottle of Pepsi for every 10 bowls ordered. Hit Pranakorn Noodles, Anong Boat Noodle Restaurant, and Baan Kuay Tiew Ruathong for some of the best food in the area. Read more

Location: 2/16-18 Phahonyothin Rd, Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

Open: Daily from 9 am to 8.30 pm

This article includes opinions of the Go Guides editorial team. Hotels.com compensates authors for their writing appearing on this site; such compensation may include travel and other costs.