Three sois in the heart of town have filled up with so many new restaurants and cafes we decided to designate it a foodie zone. It could be the fact that there’s no more space on Sukhumvit Soi 31 (if there was a Thai version of Monopoly, this would be Park Lane) and with Appia, Bella Napoli and Isao reigning supreme, diners can be seen queuing for dinner at ridiculous hours like 4:30pm. So what are new restaurants to do? Scooch down a couple of sois, it seems. We’ve compiled a list of new eateries in Sukhumvit Sois 31, 33 and 39 so you’ll be able to plan your whole day and night around this area and avoid having to curse and honk your horn at the non-moving traffic. Hurry on down before everyone decides to migrate to Sukhumvit Soi 41.
Sukhumvit Soi 31
Wonderwall: The Kaffebar
You don’t have to be a coffee-addict (or even admit it) in order to stop by this kaffebar and try the variety of specialty beans on offer. The owners travel all over the world and bring back the best beans from local roasters so you can expect new flavours to try every time you visit. On a recent visit to Hong Kong, they returned with the good stuff from Rabbit Hole, Cupping Room, The Coffee Academics and Hazel & Hershey. If you’re feeling peckish, Mushroom quiche and Apple crumble would make a perfect accompaniment to your latte.
- Mon-Sat 7:30am-7pm, Sun 10:30am-7pm. Avora 31 Residence, 28 Sukhumvit Soi 31, 02-108-7575, fb.com/WKaffebar.
Sukhumvit Soi 33
Peppina
This new joint is courtesy of the team behind Appia just down the road, with Paolo Vitaletti again at the helm of the kitchen. Staying true to the rustic style of cooking, it serves up traditional Neapolitan pizza, wood-grilled meats and craft beer. The home-made rosemary and chilli oil is simply dynamite and adds a fiery kick to the crusty pizza. Of course you can expect this place to be packed, even during this soft-opening stage, so do call ahead to book.
- 6:30-11pm. 27/1 Sukhumvit Soi 33, 02-119-7677, fb.com/peppinapizza.
Bao & Buns
Soft white buns of goodness — and no, it’s not salapao, it’s much better. This new venue serves up Taiwanese street burgers or gua-bao as the locals call them. The fillings change every now and then — we’ve seen Signature pork bao and Crispy chicken bao so far, both of which are simply mouthwatering. This dainty shop is still working on new menu items but it’s proving so popular that sometimes they run out within two hours of service. And there’s no need to wait for a seat as they provide handy takeaway bags for grab-and-go customers.
- 10:30am-9pm. 27/1 Sukhumvit Soi 33, 090-950-1666, fb.com/baoandbuns.
Jaiyen Cafe
Let’s all agree that Bangkokians need to chill in terms of horn-honking and getting angry because the weather is just too hot. For some urban relief, head to Jaiyen for some premium desserts like waffle, affogato and more than 24 flavours of home-made ice cream such as Caramel macchiato, Banoffi and Matcha green tea. You can also order Jaiyen dips — eight scoops and three dipping sauces — that come in a shabu pot, making sharing a lot more fun for you and your friends.
- 10:30am-8:30pm. 27/1 Sukhumvit Soi 33, 098-251-6485, fb.com/jaiyencafe.
(Peppina, Bao & Buns and Jaiyen are right next to each other so feel free to resto-hop and sample a bit of everything)
Fat Beagle Cafe
No, this is not a pet destination, but in fact a dessert cafe that offers delicious goodies like Banana nutella cream cheese muffins, Double mocha brownies, Choc chip cookies, Carrot cups, Young coconut cake, Lemon tart cheesecake bars and Bacon cheddar jalapeno cornmeal muffins. Baked fresh daily with original recipes and quality ingredients, the cafe is worth dropping by and not just for the cute name and slim chance of petting an actual beagle.
- Wed-Sun 11am-6pm. 19/5 Sukhumvit Soi 33, 081-928-8506.
Sukhumvit Soi 39
Kopi-O Board Game Cafe
Forget the finger-swiping games on your iPad and head to this old-school-cool board game cafe that houses over 600 games ranging from modern ones such as Settlers of Catan and Takenoko to the classics like chess and Scrabble. You can enjoy a nice cup of joe that uses locally produced coffee beans and authentic home-cooked food made fresh from the kitchen. And don’t worry if you’re new to board games as their friendly staff will guide you through every step of the way. With free Wi-Fi and parking, Kopi-O is a great place to work, meet new people and - if you feel like it - join a RPG or zombie-bashing night.
- 10am-10pm. Sukhumvit Soi 39 (Next to Raveevan Suites), 083-010-6888, fb.com/kopioboardgame.
La Creperie
Savoury or sweet, French crepes will never fail to put a grin on your face. The stand-alone white house sits in the midst of a luscious garden where you can enjoy sumptuous crepes with fillings like Fresh salmon, spinach and lemon cream, or the more classic Nutella, ice cream and Chantilly cream. Come for a laid-back weekend breakfast or if you’re passing by. A non-crepe menu, coffee and tea are also available.
- 10am-9:30pm. 86 Sukhumvit Soi 39, 02-662-6499, fb.com/lacreperiebangkok.
Kram
Kram serves up genuine Thai dishes that are slow-cooked to perfection. The highlights are gaeng kua pu bai chaploo (curry with crabmeat and wild betel leaf), khao soi gai (Northern-style noodles with chicken), krajiab pad moo sub (stir-fried okra with pork), gaeng gai normai jeen (chicken curry with bamboo shoots), and pla rak gluay pad prik khing (stir-fried freshwater fish with chilli paste). Set in a stand-alone house in the middle of Sukhumvit Soi 39, customers can enjoy the real taste of Thai food in a cosy restaurant that features a spacious garden (great for al fresco dining when winter comes) and plenty of parking.
- Tue-Fri 11:30am-10pm, Sat-Sun 11am-11pm. Soi Phop Mit, Sukhumvit Soi 39, 02-258-8170, fb.com/krambkk.
