Downtown by Fran’s

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.