The Best Restaurant in Dusit and Northern Bangkok, Bangkok

An alley near the National Library leads to this off-the-beaten-track restaurant on a pier overlooking the Chao Phraya River. Kaloang Home Kitchen, which is attached to a guesthouse of the same name, might not look like much with its simple wooden chairs and tables, but it's a local favorite for waterfront breezes that keep things reasonsably cool, as well as generous grilled seafood platters and giant river prawns. The outdoor terrace affords a good view of Rama VIII Bridge to the south, especially at night when the bridge is illuminated.