Dining - Mahesak/Silom/New Road Area

Some excellent restaurants are hidden away in this area. Upmarket hotels such as The Oriental and Orchid Sheraton have exceptional dining options - both Thai and international. But if hotel dining isn't your preference, try Mahali Chacha's, off Charoen Krung Road - a small Indian restaurant serving Southern Indian Cuisine, or Harmonique - a gorgeous Thai restaurant set in an old Chinese house near the river off Charoen Krung Rd. Closer to the Oriental Hotel is Thai Tongue - open for lunch and dinner, or a range of places within River City Complex including Korean BBQ, Thai Seafood, and international cuisine restaurants.

Phloenchit/Pathumwan Area
Lots of eating opportunities here. Not only do you have a number of large shopping complexes and hotels crammed full with restaurants, supermarkets, bakeries, cafes and food stalls, there are also a lot of stand alone restaurants along the streets, making choice an agonising process.

Hotel Dining
For hotel dining, try the Grand Hyatt Erawan, which offers Spasso Italian Restaurant & Entertainment Centre - tasty Italian cuisine featuring buffet lunch and a la carte dinner daily with two circular bars. Crunchy Pizzas cooked in wood-fired oven. Live U.S. band entertains for dancing till the early hours. Also very nice is the intimate noodle cafe You and Mee -featuring noodle dishes from all over Asia at very reasonable prices. Nightimes they feature buffet rice congee & condiments. The Erawan Bakery & Espresso Bar - is great for a cup of espresso or cappuccino accompanied by your choice of cakes, breads, pastries, chocolates and home-made ice creams. Also available are homemade sauces, herbed vinegar & oils and imported teas, candies and cookies. Snax - is a convenient self-service style corner located on the 2nd floor of Amarin Plaza next to the hotel, ideal for taking a break from shopping to enjoy wholesome sandwiches, salads, hot dogs, home-made ice creams and much more. If its Thai food you're seeking try Ruen Thai Restaurant - offering fiery curries, spicy salads and traditional dishes prepared with the freshest ingredients. Live Thai classical music during dinner.

Not far from The Hyatt, is the Regent Bangkok Hotel, which features Biscotti - a fun, casual, contemporary and very Italian restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Spice Market offers a selection of Thai cuisine in a setting that resembles an old Thai spice shop, and Shintaro is a contemporary innovative Japanese sushi bar with a casual feel. Along Ploenchit Road next to Gaysorn Plaza is Le Royal Meridien Hotel, with 3 great restaurants to choose from; Shin Daikoku Japanese Restaurant - in a typical Japanese setting serving all the traditional favourites, Summer Palace specialising in Chinese cuisine, and the new Latin Pub El Nino, which serves a varied menu and offers live entertainment and lots of dancing.

Shopping Centre Eateries

Central Chidlom - Bordering on the Sukhumvit area along Ploenchit Road, Central Chidlom has a good supermarket, Starbucks, the Oriental Bakery and one or two caf? restaurants in its upper floors - good for lunch times or snacks when shopping. Open until about 10.00pm daily. Alongside Central Chidlom on Chidlom Road, is Pho - a trendy Vietnamese cafe open for lunch and dinner - also has a good selection of wine.

World Trade Center - Isetan and Zen department stores both have well stocked supermarkets - Zen has an Oriental Bakery on the ground floor. Within the complex are 3-4 very good Japanese restaurants, 2 good Thai food halls (for standard cheap fare), a Sizzler Restaurant ( for when you need a steak and salad fix), the usual mix of international food outlets such as KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, a very nice noodle bar aptly named "Nood"along with an assortment of Thai style cafes, pizzerias, icecream parlours, a Vietnamese Restaurant, coffee houses etc

Siam Square - lots of Thai style cafes, noodle houses, bakeries and food stalls here. Bangkok's Hard Rock Caf? is great for grills, hamburgers and salads of giant mouthwatering proportions, with live music and entertainment. For a touristy but good Thai restaurant, try Bahn Khun Mer - opposite the Novotel Hotel, set in an old Thai house crammed full of Thai artifacts and photos. On the opposite side of the same square is See Fah, very low-key canteen style restaurant serving seafood and Thai dishes for reasonable prices.

Siam Center - opposite Siam Square, has a few small cafes catering for shoppers and teenagers, and a good food hall on the top floor. Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and McDonalds are featured here also.

Siam Discovery - next to Siam Square, has Au Bon Pan French Bakery serving wonderful pastries, sandwiches and coffees. Upstairs is the new concept in Japanese restaurants - an all you can eat non-stop buffet for Baht 450 a head, open lunch through to dinner. On the same floor is theArtists Caf? an a la carte restaurant serving a mix of Italian and Mediterranean style dishes plus wine.

Gaysorn Plaza - home of Planet Hollywood where you can find a selection of all American favourites - hamburgers, fries and salads, with all the trimmings in giant proportions, pastas, pizza and a good kid's menu, plus a good selection of exotic cocktails and drinks. Local favourite "Jasmine" is located on the 3rd floor with exquisite Chinese cuisine. Also available is Botanica - a Thai style caf? serving Thai and western dishes in a comfortable lounge like setting in the Plaza's central atrium. In the basement lies the Fisherman's Basket - where you choose your ingredients and have the chef prepare in whatever style you prefer.

Narayana Phand - Not the most upmarket place in town, but never-the-less a good place to grab a cheap tasty bowl of noodles or soup in between shopping venues. Head for the food hall at the back on the ground floor and buy your coupons at the entrance. Try their Thai style Sukiyaki, fried rice, or duck noodles - about 30 Baht per bowl.

Mahboonkrong Similar in standard to Narayana Phand, you can grab some tasty Thai treats here if you are not concerned about atmosphere and d?cor. A very antiquated food hall is situated on the ground floor behind the cinemas. The ground and upper floors of the complex are dotted with cafes and eateries catering for teenagers and families - always busy but very moderate in price for lunch time eating.