The best restaurants and cafes in Ekkamai

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

What is it? A Bib Gourmand from the MICHELIN Guide Thailand and quite possibly the place in Bangkok that takes khao chae most seriously. 2026 marks a decade of the restaurant's existence and the kitchen has expanded its condiment offering to ten items in deliberate reference to the anniversary – including signatures like the fried salted egg yolk balls and ma-uan, a stuffed horse-shaped side dish that regulars tend to order extras of. Why we love it: Two new additions join the spread for 2026: prik hang bang chang tod, a dried chilli stuffed with smoked crispy fish, and pan sip jum laeng, a dumpling, reimagined for the dish. The rice itself goes through a multi-stage process – washed, cooked, polished, steamed and then smoked with scented candles – before meeting cool jasmine water. Time Out tip: The set is priced at B1,890 for two and advance booking is required – don't attempt to walk in. Two branches are available if one is full. Khao. Ekkamai 10 (also at Wireless Rd). Daily until May 31.

Dimly lit to attain the most romantic ambience possible, In The Mood for Love is inspired by the Wong Kar Wai movie of the same name. The menu consists of fusion rolls such as the C4 Signature Roll, an east-meets-west treat that combines unagi (eel) and mozzarella. Those craving a more fulfilling sushi experience can head over to the bar and ask for the special omakase set, which features the fresh imports of the day.

100 Mahaseth, the restaurant near Charoenkrung that has elevated nose-to-tail eating and given a gourmet twist to less appreciated meat cuts, has branched out to Ekkamai. The new dining room boasts a more casual bar vibe, and serves creative tipples to go with soulful dishes that celebrate locally sourced ingredients from the northern and Isaan region. Wooden details permeate the establishment’s two floors, giving the feel of one of those suan arhaarn eateries outside Bangkok. Chef/owner Chalee Kader wants this second branch to feel less formal, designing it as a casual dining spot before party-goers hit the watering holes and clubs in the area. There are plans to include more tapas-style bites in the menu but, for now, you can enjoy 100 Mahaseth’s popular fusion dishes such as American-style beef pho and sai oeur hotdog. The restaurant also gives Isaan food a creative twist. The som tum ponlamai (spicy fruit salad) mixes pineapple with plara (fermented fish sauce),cockles and sliced green taro. For heavier fare, order the grilled bavette (locally sourced) served with a sauce of bai ya nang (bamboo grass) and grilled onion flower stem, or the Western-style blood sausage with spicy larb. Pair these boldly flavored dishes with drinks that pile on Thai spirits. Chamchan is a heady concoction that combines Isaan rum and New Moon (a spirit made from fermented jasmine rice) with lemon juice, purple lemonade and a shot of M150. Equally fun is Nam Dang Lumyong, which brings back...

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. 

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

A champion of egg noodles with barbequed pork and soft-boiled egg, this old-school noodle shop morphed from a simple pushcart and is probably the most famous eatery of its kind in Ekkamai. Waits are notoriously long (its name translates to “Uncle Slow”) but the food is definitely worth it

What started as a low-key spot above a noodle shop has now become a certified seafood institution – and a six-time Michelin Bib Gourmand winner to prove it. At Here Hai, the crab fried rice is cooked over intense heat with traditional Chinese techniques, the rice comes out deeply aromatic, every grain seared with wok hei and packed with flavour. The crab is generous, fresh and straight from Surat Thani. Go for the ‘koad kan chiang’ (insane lump crab meat fried rice) if you're serious. 112/1 Ekkamai Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana. 063-219-9100. Open daily 10am-3pm, 4pm-5.30pm. Closed Monday

This new noodle parlor specializes in soupy street-style egg noodles with barbequed pork and pork wontons. The eatery is highly popular during lunch among hungry office workers so you may want to consider popping in early to avoid waiting in line.

When it comes to Spanish cuisine, most Bangkok eateries tend to follow the rulebook to claim authenticity to their establishments—think very Spanish-sounding names, clichéd decor (Moorish tiles, and hackneyed red and yellow hues, for instance), and regional specialties. Breaking away from this restrictive reputation, Broken Eggs is a hip Spanish tavern that’s unafraid to inject a contemporary spin to tapas bites. Starting out as a low-key kiosk in Phra Khanong’s W District, Broken Eggs takes on a new undertaking as a two-story eatery in Ekkamai. Stripped off the typical decorative elements that permeate Spanish establishment, the restaurant is a study in understated cool. One wall is dedicated to a massive mural depicting an octopus, elephant and a hen engaged in some kind of culinary threesome. Opposite is a shelf stocked with European wine, with Spanish labels making up the majority. Thumping hip hop tracks blare from the ceiling, another unexpected element that establishes a party vibe. Broken Eggs’ menu was put together by Chef Jacobo Astray (also the mastermind behind private dining concept Gula), and features two types of tapas: a set of classic small bites alongside Astray’s own interpretations, mostly influenced by his expansive traveling. Start out with the sous-vide egg, a creamy effort accentuated by sweet pumpkin purée, sautéed mushrooms and salty Ibérico ham (B240). The deep-fried shrimp is another kitchen triumph, wrapped in bahn mi noodles, and given a tangy...