Top Riverside Restaurants in Bangkok

Bangkok’s Riverside is home to some of the best restaurants in town, many of which take advantage of the cool breezes, sumptuous views across the water and sit in ideal spots next to the Chao Phraya River’s many piers and luxury hotels.

The stretch of the river offers a great escape from Bangkok’s often oppressive traffic and inner-city stuffiness. Hugging the banks of the Chao Phraya River, you’ll find old temples, wooden houses and old buildings and warehouses as well as a whole host of stunning hotels offering great river views. Make your way up and down the water on one of the many shuttle boats and choose among these best restaurants in Bangkok’s Riverside for a memorable dining experience.

Steve Cafe and Cuisine well and truly fell into Bangkok’s list of ‘hidden gems’ when it first opened in 2012. With its nondescript entrance and out-of-the-way location tucked away beside the Chao Phraya River, Steve Cafe gets packed out most nights drawing in locals, expats and tourists with their delightful views, tasty Thai menu, and quaint little dining space.

This riverside restaurant delivers on the picturesque views, but the crowds don’t just flock for that reason alone. All dishes are fresh, and the menu has an emphasis on both classic Thai as well as some more unusual offerings from around the country. To find it, take a boat to Dhevet Pier and walk towards Thevarakunchong Temple.

Location: 68 Sri Ayudhaya Road, Soi Sri Ayudhaya 21, Wachira Phayaban, Dusit, Bangkok 10300, Thailand

Open: Daily from 11 am to 10.30 pm

Phone: +66 (0)2 281 0915, +66 (0)2 280 2989

Mei Jiang Restaurant at The Peninsula Hotel offers fine Cantonese food and a refined dining atmosphere. Just like the hotel, this restaurant presents some rather stylish surroundings and you’ll rarely hear a bad word said about their delectable signature dim sum dishes.

The restaurant’s full-length windows look out over a garden and the majestic Chao Phraya River, giving you a spectacular view to enjoy while tucking into your lunch or dinner. Aside from their dim sum, Mei Jiang Restaurant’s standout dishes include roast duck, deep-fried snow fish with salt and chilli, and the tenderloin beef with pepper paste.

Location: 333 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan, Bangkok 10600, Thailand

Open: Daily from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm and 6 pm to 10.30 pm

Phone: +66 (0)2 020 2888

Le Normandie, situated in the Garden Wing of The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, offers a full a la carte French menu of exemplary seafood and meat dishes. Even so, there’s always an alternative but no-less-exquisite set menu, both at lunchtime and dinner. It isn’t cheap but it’s well worth splashing out for a special occasion, especially for a memorable moment in Bangkok’s Riverside area.

Location: 48 Oriental Avenue, Khlong Ton Sai, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Open: Monday–Saturday from 12 pm to 2.30 pm and from 7 pm to 10 pm (closed on Sundays)

Phone: +66 (0)2 659 9000

Sala Rim Nam is more than just a Bangkok riverside restaurant – it’s a whole cultural experience, with exciting entertainment in the form of Thai dance and a mock battle. Pair this together with some excellent fine-dining, all against the backdrop of the stunning Chao Phraya River, and you’re bound to have a memorable dining experience.

Located at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Sala Rim Naam is set in a gorgeous Thai-style pavilion is reminiscent of an elaborately decked northern Thai sala, with high ceilings, pitched, sweeping roof and polished teakwood finishes. The dinner (and show) usually runs from 7.45 to 9pm every night and it’s recommended to book ahead.

Location: 48 Oriental Avenue, Khlong Ton Sai, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Open: Daily from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm and from 7 pm to 10 pm (Thai dance show from 7.45 pm to 9 pm)

Phone: +66 (0)2 659 9000

The Deck at Arun Residence is a Bangkok restaurant sitting directly opposite the majestic Wat Arun. It doesn’t disappoint on the food front either, serving some delectable Thai classic using slightly rarer ingredients than you’d find on the streets.

Examples of this include their pomelo salad and frog’s legs with chilli and pepper. You’ll also find European-style dishes at The Deck at Arun Residence, such as duck confit, which satisfy as much as their Thai offerings, just with slightly milder flavours.

Location: 36 Maha Rat Rd, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Open: Daily from 11 am to 10 pm

Phone: +66 (0)2 221 9158

Sala Rattanakosin is directly opposite Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn), offering one of the most iconic views on the riverside. The owners of this boutique hotel have made the most of this privileged location by constructing the entire side of the property out of glass.

As well as a 15-room hotel, Sala Rattanakosin is made up of several areas: an alfresco riverside deck, a modish 2nd-floor restaurant replete with bare brick and brushed concrete, and a 5th-floor rooftop lounge. If you’re coming to dine, the menu is pretty much split down the middle with Thai classics and Mediterranean-style dishes.

Location: 39 Maha Rat Rd, Phra Borom Maha Ratchawang, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Open: Daily from 11 am to 4.30 pm and from 5.30 pm to 10.30 pm

Phone: +66 (0)2 622 1388

Sheepshank Public House’s interior has a distinctly industrial feel to it, with plenty of black metal fixtures contrasting the warm wooden tones throughout. It’s difficult to categorise the cuisine here, but popular dishes include crab and apple salad, mushroom risotto with Lao pine nuts, oxtail-stuffed tortellini, and coffee-rubbed beef tenderloin.

Sheepshank Public House is along a hidden alleyway, but finding it is much easier by boat. Disembark at Pier no 13 and spot the bright restaurant lights glowing across the water of the Chao Phraya.

Location: 49 Phra Athit Rd, Chana Songkhram, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand

Open: Monday from 5 pm to 1 am, Tuesday–Sunday from 11 am to 1 am

Phone: +66 (0)2 629 5165

Benihana is a Japanese restaurant at Anantara Riverside Resort & Spa. It offers diners 2 of Japan’s most popular dining options: sushi and teppanyaki (hot plate cooking). The restaurant has become famous for its outgoing teppanyaki chefs, who cook with flair and personality right in front of your table.

Since starting in New York in the 1960s, this chain and has spread to several countries around the world with its unique take on Japanese cuisine, where delicious food is complemented by a fun and frivolous atmosphere. The restaurant is located in the forested grounds of the Anantara Riverside Resort, alongside the Chao Phraya River.

Location: Anantara Riverside Resort, 257/1-3 Charoen Nakhon Rd, Samre, Thon Buri, Bangkok 10600, Thailand

Open: Daily from 12 pm to 2.30 pm and from 5 pm to 10.30 pm

Phone: +66 (0)2 476 0022 ext. 1416

For luxurious riverside dining in Bangkok, Flow at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok is up there with the best. Its large open-plan dining area has 2 sections: a brightly lit indoor space and an outdoor terrace that’s great for riverside views.

This all-day restaurant has 4 open kitchens serving up a vast menu of international treats, as well as Thai and Asian delights. It hosts regular special events, such as riverside dancing by the Patravadi Theatre Group (Thursday evenings) as well as wine and cheese events (Friday nights). You can get there by taxi to Millennium Hilton Bangkok or river ferry to Klong San Pier.

Location: 123 Charoen Nakhon Rd, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San, Bangkok 10600, Thailand

Open: Daily from 11.30 am to 2.30 pm and from 6 pm to 11 pm

Phone: +66 (0)2 442 2000

Dining at the Royal Orchard Sheraton’s Thara Thong is a distinctly traditional Thai affair. The restaurant’s floor-style seating tables are reminiscent of the Royal Court (table seating is also available) and the décor features plenty of polished teakwood, Thai designs and artwork in keeping with the whole feel of the place.

The menu doesn’t diverge from the Thai theme either, with local favourites such as king prawns with chilli and garlic, steamed seabass, together with a range of coconut-based soups and curries.

Location: 2 Charoen Krung Rd, Soi 30, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Open: Daily from 6 pm to 10.30 pm

Phone: +66 (0)2 266 0123