Special Dinner in BKK
 

Where would you go for a special dinner in BKK?

Guidelines:

Food: Thai or Italian

Price: $50$ per person (includes a pre-dinner drink)

Type: Old Thai House

View: Garden or River

Location: Near Skytrain Station

Kinnaree. Sukhumvit soi 8. Garden atmosphere (if you dine outside). The place is a house (not so old). Face is in an older house, plus a spa. I can't recall which soi it is. I prefer Kinnaree.

Face is a favorite of mine (I haven't been to Kinnaree yet). You can look at the menu at www.facebars.com As you can see, there is an Indian restaurant there which is good, not great IMO, though a recent reviewer thought it was the best Indian food they'd ever had. I prefer their Thai restaurant. Also, there is a spa, which is one of my favorites in Bangkok. You can look at the spa menu as well. The website shows a map, it is an easy walk from the Skytrain.

I would second kinaree. Other choices are Thanying on 10 soi Pramuan silom rd, La Opera suk .soi 39 for Itanian, and Ban Kinitha only the one on soi 23, sku. We have been to all and loved them. enjoy k

Thanks Carol and Kathie - Both good choices. Face had a mango cheesecake desert that was too die for the last time I went.

thanks kmkrnn - I'll do so more research on the ones you mentioned. I've been to Ban Kinitha on soi 23 and liked it.

my wife goofed: its baan khanitha....and its L'Opera

kineree would also be my choice...

rhkkmk, you put me on to kineree about a year ago. I've been several times and always had a gret meal there.

there is another italian restaurant in an old house on sathorn rd,,,its just in town of the evergreen laurel hotel....so if you went there and walked across the side street, you would be there...

basil in the sheraton grande?? celadon in the sukathai...gallery cafe near to the sheraton orchid....

I wouldn't call Gallery a place for a special meal.

To add to the great recommendations so far the "Sala Rim Naam" at the Oriental is good for a special occasion and it's on the river. I think the price will be higher than $50/person but you'll have classical Thai dancing as well.

For the best Italian - at the moment Angelleni is very popular but I also like Zenotti. IMO you can't go wrong with either one.

http://www.angelinibangkok.com/
http://www.zanotti-ristorante.com/

zenotti was one i was trying to think of...thanks pook....however i had a reservation there last year and they called me up that morning and cancelled it...i was mad...

yes kathie you are right...gallery cafe is very casual, but has a nice atmosphere...

Oh dear Bob the next time just use my name!

On one of our first trips to BKK, back in 2001, during the holidays, we went to a place called Vientienne Kitchen (sp). I don't know if it is still there. It was in a "hut" and there was Thai entertainment. Just a thought. I have no idea about the location of the place. We enjoyed it.

carol - I went to Vientienne Kitchen back in late april. It was nice enough, but just too darn hot.

Another old favorite of mine is Lemongrass. It's located in an old Thai house, on a soi off of Sukhumvit. You get off at Emporium, and it's less than a 5 minute walk.

Kathie, you put me on to Lemongrass awhile back and I've gone several times. Great food at a fair price, and responsive service.

Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed Lemongrass!

I can think of some other places like Mahanaga... gorgeous decor, food is highly variable. China House - some love it some hate it since the remodel... oops - that's Chinese.

Long Table, Suk soi 16? Have you been there yet?

Tawandang is always special! It's by taxi only. Not close to ANY BTS station what so ever. Food is excellent, as is the live entertainment on stage (as well as the crowds of Thais dancing in the aisles as the evening wears on).

I'm studying 16 travel journals (thank goodness I organize "meals" in separate listings that are easy to find!

What about Guisco (Italian) on soi 23. It was excellent! Also, I keep seeing listings of The Bed. Guess we ate there a lot in past years. Have not been now for two years??

The Italian restaurant on the mezzanine level about the main lobby at Bumrungrad is excellent! I'd forgotten about that one. Have not been there since Feb 05. SACZ at the Majestic Grande (lobby) on soi 2 is very nice also, for Italian.

(another common meal in my journals is chili at Maeng's!!!... but she doesn't make chili the way she did when it was at the Brunswick on soi 4, so her current chili recipe is only so-so... I don't recommend it)

Bob and Karen always like Biscotti at the Four Seasons. We ate there once.

Gotta run. I'll try to get back to this thread later on tonight.

Oh, I'd just thought of Biscotti at the Four Seasons for Italian, but Carol beat me to it. Bob often cites this as his favorite "special" restaurant in Bangkok. He should be able to tell you whether it comes in at your budget or not.

you might get out of biscotti for $100/couple, but maybe not either....limit one drink...

it remains a favorite, but the price has put it up there with the it./american restaurants at home.....it is a bit unique however and being in the four seasons is always a treat....res. necessary.... the crab appetizer is K's all time favorite....soups are good, pizza is good....pasta dishes are fantastic....meats are excellent....

OK. Two more places after quick look at "meals" listings in my journals. V9. It's not Thai or Italian, but it is very nice. It's the rooftop restaurant at one of the Silom hotels.

Zanzibar on soi 11. Garden atmosphere, but you can also dine inside. Good Italian. Not great, but difinitely good. I got red spots around my ankles (tiny bug bits) from eating outside the last time we did that. It did not happen any other time... must have been the table location? Anyway, I've sent a few others to Zanzibar, and they seem to like it.

I think you already know my favorite pizza place... Via Vai on soi 8. I keep going back there because their pizza is the best we've found. But for a special meal, you don't want to go to Via Vai, I don't suppose. Kinnaree still sticks in my mind as the best choice.

Carol

Carol,

The Italian at Bumrungrad has closed. There's a new food court there instead.

That's too bad. It was really delicious! I couldn't imagine an Italian restaurant in a hospital lobby being THAT GOOD, but it was!

There used to be a really nice restaurant in the basement level at Gaysorn. We tried it about 2 years ago. I'd have to look up the name of it. We tried it once, and then the next time we looked... it was gone! It was a really very nice place. But then, I don't think Gaysorn gets much traffic, does it? And especially on the basement level.

Degas... sorry for jumping into your thread to ask a Q of our friend Pook. Is there construction now of the extension to Gaysorn? Just curious.
Carol

via vai is not a fancy place...its just very plain, but the food is good

Carol,

I haven't been to Gaysorn in ages but if I pass by I'll stop in and look for you.

When I was last in the city in May, they had not yet torn down the old NariPhand building, I don't believe. I was expecting that building to be gone by then! That is where the expansion of Gaysorn is supposed to be. Oh well.... it can take a long time in Bangkok. Take for example Suan Lum Night Bazaar. That was supposed to be closed about two years ago, and it's still going strong! Wasn't there supposed to be some new shopping center built there?

Carol

Yep you're right about the Night Bazaar. The court cases are taking forever but it's shrinking in size day by day. The Central group was suppose to build a new shopping complex there but they have to wait until the court cases are final. Basically all the remaining tenants are paying rent to a company who does not own the land and is not paying any rent them self!

"Long Table, Suk soi 16? Have you been there yet?"

Have not been yet, on my to do list, but thought it might be best for sunset drinks rather than dinner?

Drinks at sunset would be OK, but the view isn't 64 floors up, like it is at Sky Bar. If I'm going for just the view and a drink, I'll take Sky Bar anyday.
Carol

Try Salathip on the river at the Shangri La Hotel. The night we dined there we got to see fireworks on the river.

I do appreciate all these great recommendations. Hard put now to pick just one.

So true, degas. I've been to Bangkok 20+ times and I always have a long list of restaurants I want to try that I haven't gotten to yet!

can i add Supatra by the river? (thai) Not near a sky train but if staying on the river they will pick you up by boat!! KILLER views of the Grand Palance at night, lovely food.