The best restaurants and cafes in Ekkamai

Yes, it’s stylised as ‘Cüm’ – pronounced ‘coohm’. Inside The Office coworking space in Thonglor, this coffee kiosk serves respectable specialty brews, from dark-roast Brazil Santos to lighter seasonal blends. Then comes the limited-run ‘Cum Drops’ menu, with flavours such as Yuzu Cum and Butter Cum. The tagline, ‘Thanks for cüming’, isn't exactly subtle either.  125/1 Soi Sukhumvit 63, Thong Lo, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110. Daily, 8.30am-8pm

Originally a viral hit in Singapore, Pralet has landed in Ekkamai and wasted no time making itself at home. The format here is unusual – square sourdough doughnuts, made using a natural starter that's been kept alive for over 14 years and bubbles up through a 72-hour fermentation process that yields dough that's genuinely light and notably not greasy. The burnt butter honey glaze is the shop’s signature: glossy, fragrant, sweet against a faintly bitter note. For the more adventurous, the catfish nam prik doughnut – crispy fish, prawn floss, kaffir lime and dried kombu – is worth the leap. If that’s a step too far, pistachio raspberry crunch rounds things out for the more gourmet-leaning crowd. Pralet BKK. Ekkamai Corner. 9am-8pm

One of our ‘Greatest of All Time’ picks – and, conveniently, a nod to the owner’s Chinese zodiac year – GOAT serves what it calls offbeat Thai-Chinese cuisine. Chef Tan-Parkorn Kosiyapong names each dish after the Thai province where its ingredients originated, so the tasting menu unfolds less like a set list than a road trip: Khao Yai, Chiang Rai, Saraburi. Everything is sourced within Thailand, ensuring the ‘offbeat’ never comes at the expense of the ‘Thai’. Fermentation runs through the menu and happens as visibly as the cooking itself, in an open kitchen beneath a Sino-Portuguese-style ceiling on Ekamai 10.  GOAT, 12 Soi Ekkamai 10 Yaek 2, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok.

Ekkamai gets a lively new player with Somsak, a modern Isan spot from the team behind Fatboy Izakaya and Kim Jeong Grill. The restaurant is named after Somsak, a taxi driver who won the lottery in London before returning to Bangkok to open this personality-packed eatery. The space is full of personality, with music, colour and a slightly chaotic energy that sets the tone from the start. The menu runs wide, covering som tam, laab, grilled meats and sharing plates, all dialled up with punchy seasoning. Start with fried squid tossed in laab spices, or for seafood fans, garlic tomalley river prawns and pla dib with wasabi nam jim seafood. There are also grilled cuts and playful twists across the menu. Whether you’re settling in for a proper meal or just swinging by for a lively night with friends, this place gets the energy to match. Open now. Somsak, Ekkamai Corner, Sukhumvit Rd. Sunday-Wednesday 11am-10.30pm, Thursday-Saturday 11am-11.30pm

Maynard Seekala’s humble eatery in Ekkamai is undoubtedly 2022’s most promising pizza spot. Hype is centered around its 48-hour sourdough bun, which is topped with sauces and seasonal ingredients from all over Thailand. Best of all is the restaurant’s unpretentious no-frills vibes. 

There's a brass pot at the entrance here that has been bubbling for more than 40 years. The kitchen never fully extinguishes it, so each morning's broth begins as a continuation of the day before, drawing from decades of accumulated flavour and collagen until the liquid turns dark, rich and almost mahogany.  That's the foundation for the kuay teow neua, one of Bangkok's great  beef noodle institutions: gelatinous, herbal, deeply savoury and perfumed with Chinese medicinal herbs, star anise and cinnamon. It comes topped with brisket, melt-soft stewed beef, springy meatballs and tendon. Choose your noodle – fine, wide or glass – then settle in at one of the ground-floor steel tables, non-air-conditioned, worn-in and exactly as it should be. The goat stew is the move if you want to go deeper. Dishes to order: Kuay teow neua (beef noodles), slow-simmered goat stew. Price range: B80-200 336-338 Ekkamai Rd., Watthana. Open daily 9am-7pm

What is it?: Chef Francesco Lenzi’s Italian eatery in Soi Phrom Si brings the tastes of Tuscany to Bangkok. Why we love it: The art of charcoal wood-fired grilling is much in evidence here with Chef Stefano Merlo leading the charge. Having honed his skills at three-star Michelin restaurant Le Calendre, Merlo knows how to cook with fire and flair. For a meaty delight, try grilled Tasmanian grass-fed lamb chop (B1,280) – tender, medium-rare lamb paired with a creamy carrot puree. Alternatively, if you’re really hungry, a hearty serving of roast beef (B3,800) will do the trick. Made with top-tier Black Angus beef from Australia, this 500g sirloin is grilled to perfection, robed in a rich red wine sauce, and topped with a Parmesan samayon – a silky sauce made with egg yolks, sugar and wine.  Time Out tip: For dessert, the restaurant keeps it classic with Italian favourites such as bomboloncini ripieni (B230), which is deep-fried doughnuts stuffed with creamy Italian goodness and drizzled with berry sauce.

It’s been over two years since Jay Sangsingkaew, a former chef at L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon Bangkok, moved on from the much-respected, yet short-lived, restaurant to launch her own venture. No longer a young hopeful aspiring to break through Bangkok’s culinary scene, Chef Jay pays homage to French cuisine at Restaurant Stage (pronounced “staj”), a name that alludes to the culinary term for unpaid internships.  When she opened Stage in 2020, the Europe-trained chef was committed to using only imported ingredients to create a series of multi-course menus that are assigned a number that suggests the restaurant’s constant progression. Recently, Chef Jay unveiled Stage Experience 7.0 (B4,500++), a 10-course set that, instead of solely focusing on international produce, emphasizes the use of local ingredients sourced from producers across Thailand, such as king prawns from Surat Thani and sweet potatoes from Phetchabun. The meal starts off with a four-bite amuse bouche that includes taramasalata rosette, egg mimosa, duck confit puff, and wild boar. Following closely is a delicate white asparagus dish with razor clams. In the third course, Ox & Bone, Chef Jay uses different parts of the animal to create a series of small dishes, namely oxtail terrine, bone marrow croquette, and tarragon emulsion. The potatoes from Phetchabun figure in the next dish, cooked using a special method that gives the root crop a different texture. Three seafood dishes follow, featuring king prawn,...

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).

Tuba is part bar, part Italian-Thai restaurant, part vintage furniture showroom, with almost everything on the walls technically for sale. It feels unmistakably Bangkok, and it has survived because a loyal crowd keeps coming back. The karaoke room fits the same spirit: less a dedicated singalong zone than the natural extension of a long dinner that refuses to end. The song selection leans Thai and English, and is updated regularly enough to keep things current without overthinking it. Come for the laab moo tod, stay for the strong cocktails, and you will probably end up singing longer than planned. 34 Ekkamai Soi 21, 02-711-5500. Open daily 11am-2am. BTS Ekkamai.