The best cafés in Bangkok: roasters, views and neighbourhoods

Bangkok has become one of the best places in South-East Asia to drink coffee: independent roasters serve specialty coffee, often from beans grown in northern Thailand (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai), in renovated houses, galleries or air-conditioned upper floors. This guide offers a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood overview, with no rankings and no prices, which change fast, plus tips on ordering. Check each address's hours before you set out: small cafés often change their closing days.

How to order coffee in Bangkok

A filter coffee in a Bangkok coffee shop

Traditional Thai cafés: sweet iced coffee with condensed milk is drunk at street stalls and small shops. If you prefer it less sweet, ask for "wan noi" (a little sweet).
Specialty cafés: the menus match those in Europe (espresso, flat white, filter). Menus often give the origin of the beans; ask for a "pour over" if you want to taste a northern coffee.
Heat: most people order iced. Air-conditioned cafés also serve as a refuge between visits, a good use of the midday break, as our Bangkok in 3 days itinerary suggests.
Wi-Fi and laptops: many places welcome laptops, but some ban them at weekends or at peak hours; look for signs at the entrance.

Sukhumvit, Thonglor and Ari: the roasters

Specialty coffee is concentrated along this stretch of the BTS Sukhumvit Line. Around Ekkamai and Thonglor, several independent roasters and cafés in complexes such as The Commons are often mentioned. In the more residential Ari district, small cafés occupy old houses, with shaded terraces. These areas are best visited in late morning, after the Kamthieng House or a walk around Sukhumvit.

The old town, Chinatown and the river

A Thai café in Bangkok

Around Banglamphu and Chinatown, cafés have opened in former shophouses and warehouses, often with a small street terrace or a view of the Chao Phraya. They are handy for a break between temples; in the morning many open after 8:00 or 9:00. The cafés in the ICONSIAM and Siam malls offer air conditioning and long hours.

Cafés with a view or a special atmosphere

On the river: pick a terrace table at blue hour for the light on the Chao Phraya; it is nicer in the cool season, from November to February.
In a gallery or arts centre: the café at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre or in the city's galleries are calm pauses.
Outside the centre: on the green island of Bang Krachao, shaded cafés and terraces overlook the greenery, a few minutes by ferry from the centre.

How much to budget

Prices vary a lot between a street stall and a specialty café, and tend to rise in malls. We give no exact price: check the menu at the door and compare with the benchmarks in our Bangkok travel budget. Cards are accepted in most specialty cafés; keep some cash for stalls (see money and tipping in Bangkok).