Bangkok's 8 best tuna melts

What is it: A Scandinavian-inspired sourdough cafe with multiple Bangkok locations – Sukhumvit, Sathorn and Asok among them – that has built one of the city's most devoted sandwich followings since the opening of its first Sukhumvit outpost. Grilled tuna melt is the item that converts first-timers into regulars.

Why we love it: Bartels bakes every loaf in-house, with a 24-to-48-hour fermentation process that produces sourdough with genuine character – a tangy, open crumb and a crust that crisps clean when pressed. The tuna itself is worked into a mousse: smooth, generously portioned and layered with green pesto and pickled jalapenos, which cut through the richness with a heat that builds pleasantly. The whole thing is finished with a Parmesan crust pressed onto both outer faces of the bread – salty, lacquered and crunchy in a way that plain toasted sourdough rarely achieves. It's a tuna melt that takes its structural responsibility seriously.

Time Out tip: Order it to eat in and ask to sit near the open bakery counter – watching the loaves pulled fresh throughout the day makes the wait feel considerably shorter.

Bartels. Grilled tuna melt B260. Multiple locations including Soi Suan Phlu, Sathorn; Sukhumvit Road (between Thonglor and Phrom Phong BTS). Daily 7am-8pm (hours vary by branch).

What is it: A Singaporean cult bagel brand that landed in Bangkok's Saladaeng neighbourhood in 2025, with a second branch now open on Sukhumvit 31. Tuna melt-down is a Bangkok-specific creation, built on the dense, chewy New York-style bagels the brand has become known for across its Singapore locations.

Why we love it: Two Men Bagel co-founders Jerome Lam and Jereborne Lam built their reputation on bagels that are boiled and baked. No freezer stock, no shortcuts, multiple bakes a day and a 'when they're out, they're out' policy that keeps things honest. The tuna filling has that classic deli weight to it. Creamy, properly seasoned and generous enough to hold its own against the bagel's natural chew. The space carries the brand's hip-hop sensibility with loud playlists, bold graphics and a cooking counter you can watch from the front.

Time Out tip: Go before 10am if you want the full bagel selection. The queue builds fast on weekday mornings and popular options go early.

Two Men Bagel House. Tuna Melt-Down B240. 39 Soi Yommarat, Saladaeng, Bang Rak; also Sukhumvit 31, Watthana. Daily 7.15am-4pm (last order 3.30pm).

What is it: A whole-foods kitchen that started as a meal-delivery operation – founders hand-packing and hand-delivering everything themselves – before growing into a proper restaurant brand with locations at Sathorn Square, Rama 9 and Yard 49. Tunacado is one of its most ordered items. A viral style pressed sandwich with tuna mousse, avocado, pesto and tomato on toasted bread, rebuilt around the brand’s commitment to unprocessed ingredients.

Why we love it: Every component is made from scratch using natural, minimally processed ingredients and Good Roots is unusually transparent about it – detailed nutritional information on every menu item, portraits of the local farmers they source from on the wall. The tuna here is fragrant and soft, the avocado ripe and properly sliced rather than mashed and the bread has that slight, satisfying chew of real sourdough. Most dishes clock between 20 and 45 grams of protein, which is part of the appeal for the sports-science crowd that frequents the Sathorn location.

Time Out tip: If you're coming in post-workout, pair it with one of their high-protein smoothies. The peanut butter one is worth the extra baht. Flavours range from vanilla and chocolate to a strawberry PB&J chicken shake.

Good Roots. Tunacado B320. 1/F Sathorn Square, Rama 9 and Yard 49. Daily 8am-6pm (hours vary by branch).

What is it: A compact, independent deli in Ekamai operating with the energy of a neighbourhood institution: small, opinionated about what goes on a sandwich and loyal to its regulars. OG Tuna Melt is the house classic.

Why we love it: In a city where tuna melts are increasingly elaborate constructions, the OG at Pinki's holds its ground by just being really good. Tuna with shiso pesto, wholegrain mustard, cheddar, mozzarella, red onion and a hit of lemon – every element accounted for, nothing superfluous. The Ekamai setting suits it: the neighbourhood has a slower pace than Thonglor or Phrom Phong and this is that kind of sandwich.

Time Out tip: Beyond its Earth Ekamai home base, Pinki also makes pop-up appearances. Right now it is at Central Embassy until April 30.

Pinki's Deli. OG Tuna Melt B250. Earth Ekamai, Ekamai, Watthana. Daily 7.15am-4pm (last order 3.30pm).

What is it: A coffee roastery and cafe with mid-century modern bones – warm timber panelling, blue-toned walls, pendant lights – that built its following on specialty coffee before expanding its food menu to the point where the sandwiches now hold their own as a reason to visit. The brand has since grown beyond its original Phatthanakan location, with a second branch on Sukhumvit extending its reach.

Why we love it: Never Snooze keeps the tuna melt simple and clean – good bread, proper cheese melt, no unnecessary additions – and it sits naturally alongside the house dirty coffee and matcha lattes that draw most of the regulars in. It’s a sandwich that mirrors the cafe’s easy rhythm. Unhurried, reliable and roughly B90 in house, with delivery app prices sometimes dipping lower.

Time Out tip: Check the current bundle deals before ordering – the cafe regularly pairs the tuna melt with a coffee at a combined lower price.

Never Snooze. Tuna Melt B90. 2903 Phatthanakan Rd, Suan Luang; also Sukhumvit branch. Daily 7.30am-4.30pm.

What is it: A family-run sandwich and salad shop on Sukhumvit Soi 36 – a handful of cosy tables inside, a few more out front and a menu that covers more ground than the size suggests.

Why we love it: Tuna melt is built on a fresh baguette baked daily – crisp outside, soft through the middle – and loaded with tuna mayo, mozzarella, cheddar, pickled jalapeños and a homemade garlic sauce that ties it together. Ask for the pickles on the side; they're not automatic but very much worth it. Coffee and cookies round things out if you're staying a while.

Time Out tip: The salad menu is a proper reason to order both — the chicken with tahini dressing pairs well with whatever sandwich you're getting.

Dylan's Craft Sandwich. Tuna Melt Grilled Sandwich B240. 81 Sukhumvit Soi 36, Khlong Toei. Tue-Sun 9am-6.30pm. Closed Mon.

What is it: A newly opened panini cafe inside President Tower Arcade on Phloen Chit Road – convenient for the Ploenchit BTS crowd and the gym-goers from Cubic next door – built around a griddle press and a short, considered menu. 

Why we love it: Melting tuna is the signature: tuna mousse, melted cheddar, jalapeños and homemade pesto pressed into a crispy panini. The press does what open grilling can't – even contact heat across the full face of the bread, a crust that caramelises consistently edge to edge and a cheese pull that doesn't pool in the middle. The jalapeños and pesto do the heavy lifting on flavour: the heat builds without overwhelming the tuna mousse and the pesto ties it together rather than competing with it. East meet west panini has its own following if you want to work through the rest of the menu.

Time Out tip: Pistachio matcha latte alongside is the call – something of a house pairing among the regulars.

Griddle Panini & Smoothie. Melting Tuna B330. Unit G99-1, President Tower Arcade, 973 Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan. Daily 8am-6pm.

What is it: The project from chef Chalee Kader – the Thai-Indian Michelin-associated chef behind Wana Yook – and the team at Fran's Brunch and Greens. Where Fran's original Sathorn location leans into leisurely weekend brunch, Downtown by Fran's is calibrated for the working week: faster service, sharper portions and a sandwich programme at the centre of everything.

Why we love it: Daily baked bread – sourdough, focaccia, baguette and brioche all produced in-house, and tuna melt sandwich is evidence of what that discipline produces. The tuna filling is considered without being precious, the bread structural enough to hold it together and the whole thing is seasoned with the kind of attention you'd expect from a kitchen with serious fine-dining references. Set inside Dusit Central Park, it has an unusual polish for a sandwich counter: all-day hours, a clean interior and easy access from Sala Daeng BTS or Lumphini MRT.

Time Out tip: The sandwich and coffee set at B250 is the smarter order – tuna melt alone is B180, so coffee effectively costs you B70. Also, don't leave without trying smoked eel on brioche either: it's the more technically ambitious item on the menu and one of the more unusual things you can eat for lunch in this city.

Downtown by Fran's. Tuna Melt Sandwich B180 (sandwich and coffee set B250). G/F, Dusit Central Park, Bang Rak. Daily 8am-10pm.

Details for smaller independent venues – including Pinki's Deli, Never Snooze and Griddle Panini & Smoothie – are best verified directly with each venue before visiting, as hours and menus can change. Check their respective Instagram accounts for the most current information.