12 Best Restaurants in Sukhumvit, Bangkok

Paolo Vitaletti, a five-star chef whose dad toiled in a storied Roman meat market, runs this cozy space for which reservations are highly advisable. The Italian menu is mostly devoted to Rome specialties, including spit-cooked porchetta (pork roast stuffed with fennel pollen, garlic, and rosemary).

Bangkok has hundreds of Japanese restaurants, but only Isao has a line out the door almost every night, thanks to the most creative maki rolls west of California. The owner studied under the chef at the revered Green Tea in Chicago, and the repeat clientele attests to the widespread enthusiasm for his culinary flights of fancy in sleek modern surrounds.

The emphasis at this traditional Thai restaurant in a century-old house is on fresh seasonal ingredients and hard-to-find regional delicacies, with a regular menu but also a smaller one of specials that is consistently changing. The Local's decor, outdoor terrace, wood floors, antiques, and old photos make for a pleasant setting.

Launched by food critic Jarrett Wrisley, this gem of a restaurant and bar is in a converted Chinese shophouse in trendy Thong Lor and is usually packed to the rafters. It's no surprise, as the place serves some of the city's best Thai food, with double-pour drinks that are every bit as good as the food.

Thanaruek Laoraowirodge, a successful restaurateur in New York City and Bangkok, has earned high praise for this cozy shophouse venue that specializes in regional dishes based on the recipes of his grandmother. The au courant cocktails go well with the eclectic menu, and Supanniga now has two other locations in Sathorn and Tha Thien.

My Choice might be located a bit far off the main Sukhumvit drag, but it’s very popular among Thais with a taste for their grandmothers' traditional recipes. Natural light, modern wood furniture, and leafy plants create a warm and inviting atmosphere, but when the weather is cool, diners prefer to sit outside.

It's easy to laze all afternoon at The Commons, a lofty community mall known for its gourmet food stands, restaurants, and comfortable open-air seating as well as air-conditioned indoor tables. You'll see groups dining on smorgasbords at single tables with cuisines ranging from Thai to Peruvian, as well as dishes like fried chicken and waffles, artisanal sandwiches, and more—but plenty of people simply grab an iced coffee and hang out with their laptops.

Many authentic Korean restaurants do business in Sukhumvit Plaza, but even with three stories of tables, there's often a wait day or night at Doo Rae. Go for the do-it-yourself barbecue grilling, with bulgogi (thin slices of beef in a tasty marinade) and fresh veggies, as well as sake or soju, a rice-based drink similar to vodka but with a lower alcohol content.

This light-and-airy space maintains the aura of its former life as a warehouse, but it's certainly more chic than shabby these days, with polished metal and blond wood adding a hip counterpoint to cement floors. Kuppa serves traditional Thai fare as well as many international dishes, and it has a dedicated following for its coffee, roasted on the premises.

Helmed by Chef Hernán Crispín Villalva (Mexico) and Chef Roshan Kumar (India), the kitchen here has created a unique and delicious mash-up of Indian and Mexican cuisines. Global superstar chef Gaggan Anand consulted on the menu, which includes such dishes as keema quesadilla, gol goppa puffed masa, and cold curry scallop ceviche.

In an attractive, 1970s vintage house decorated with old-school Thai touches, this is one of the only restaurants in the city focused on the cuisine of eastern Thailand, particularly Chanthaburi and Trat. Don't miss the lon pu kai, a creamy coconut-chili dip made with fresh chunks of mud crab and accompanied by fresh local herbs and vegetables.