Revelations in Convent

Soi Convent has a strange pull. Crawling with office workers by day, it welcomes drinkers and diners by night. At one end is a cloistered convent protected by high walls, at the other a hospital and a church, and in between a motley selection of an Irish pub, street stalls, cafés, bars, dessert shops, dining venues, a som tam joint and an all-girls school. Flanked by the gaudy lights of Patpong and the business-minded Sathorn, the 800m soi in the busy financial district has a discreet but unfailing, perennial charm.

For diners of all budget ranges, Soi Convent features a collection of the simplest food street to cosmopolitan fare. Over the years there have been steady fixtures as well as shooting stars that rose and fell quickly. The street has a popular som tam place thronged by Silom white-collar workers, a well-known yen ta fo noodle joint and a khao man kai stall that serves a quick meal to passers-by on Silom. The sub-sois to adjacent Pipat and Saladaeng offer more choices, including the popular kuay tiew ped.

And while Sukhumvit remains the nerve centre of cool dining, Soi Convent puts up a selection of classy choices, from Vesper to Indigo, from the fresh-faced Via Maris to the long-established Eat Me, from Mash bar to dessert café Wan Lamun.

In this first in the series reviewing neighbourhood highlights, we round up the best spots on Convent.

Hai Somtam Convent

Walking down the soi from the Silom end, you will encounter one of the city's much-loved som tam joints on your right.

Hai Somtam Convent is its official name, but is frequently shortened to Somtam Convent. This time-honoured open-air eatery, flocked by office workers by day and tourists by night, serves no-frills Isan food on plastic plates.

Its menu boasts the likes of grilled chicken (120 baht per half a chicken), a variety of green papaya salad (60-180 baht), roasted pork collar (100 baht), sour and spicy pork ribs hot pot (95 baht), tom yum goong with tiger prawns (180 baht) and pad Thai noodles (80-110 baht).

- Open Mon-Sat, 10.30am-8pm. Call 02-631-0216.

Molly Malone's

Across the street from Somtam Convent is Molly Malone's.

This Irish pub and restaurant is renowned for having a large selection of draught beers on tap to go with traditional Irish fare.

Best-selling dishes include steak Diane with brandy cream and shallot sauce (590 baht), bangers and mash (400 baht), beer-battered fish and chips (400 baht), Irish lamb stew (400 baht) and steak & ale pie (300 baht).

- Open daily 9am til late. Call 02-266-7160.

Indigo

This fine-dining restaurant occupying a neatly restored colonial-style house in a private back alley across from Starbucks on the strip has long been treasured for classic French cuisine.

It is owned and run by a French man who takes his culinary heritage seriously.

Recommended dishes include endive salads (350 baht), lobster mousses (290 baht), baked French escargot (320 baht), hand-cut steak tartare (490 baht), beef Stroganoff (480 baht), duck confit (450 baht) and cote de boeuf steak (1,850 baht). Parking available on the premises during dinner time only.

- Open daily, 11.30am-11pm. Call 02-235-3268.

Vesper Cocktail Bar

This best-loved drink-centric establishment founded by Choti and Debby Leenutaphong in 2014 has recently transformed itself from a bar & restaurant into a full-fledged cocktail bar.

That is with a newly-revamped, yet smaller, interior being described as "vintage European with an eclectic twist".

The bar manager Supawit "Palm" Muttaratana is a multi-award winning mixologist. His current selection of cocktails is inspired by the modern art movement of the 60s and 70s but with an upgraded and updated touch. The menu also expands to cover some of the well-known and not-so-well-known modern classic cocktails to suit every palate and occasion. Live DJ music every Friday and Saturday night.

- Open daily, 5.30pm-1am. Call 02-235-2777.

Via Maris

Taking over half of the space once occupied solely by its sister Vesper bar, the 40-seat Via Maris, which began operations a month ago, offers what it calls "naive yet democratic Mediterranean dishes".

Food is prepared by Sardinian-born head chef Francesco Deiana -- the one to be credited for Vesper's culinary glory.

The menu is inspired by flavourful recipes of countries along the Mediterranean coastline, showcasing prime-quality fresh oceanic harvests complemented by indigenous herbs and spices.

Not-to-be-missed dishes are carpaccio of local organic black grouper with fresh figs and lemon granita (380 baht); milk-poached and slow-roasted cauliflower steak with Greek strained yoghurt cheese and Middle Eastern spice mix (340 baht); Sicilian-style mixed seafood couscous (590 baht); and suckling pig roulade with sultana rice, date paste and saffron cream sauce (650 baht).

Weekday lunch sets are also available at 290 baht (two courses) and 370 baht (three courses). Cocktails can be ordered from Vesper next door.

The casual restaurant, decked out in warm sun-kissed hues, is complemented by an enlivening mix of world beats and affable service. There's no service charge. One complimentary corkage fee is offered per two guests.

- Call 02-236-5558.

Mash

Another booze-centric joint, Mash is an American bar focusing on craft beer -- including from Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan and the US.

The place, decked out to mimic a brew pub, offers a big food menu of American classics.

Worth-having dishes include American burger (275-295 baht), Philly cheesesteak sandwich (295 baht), slow-cooked barbecue ribs (395 baht), dry-age tenderloin (695 baht) and herb-crusted chicken tenders with orange mayo (165 baht).

- Open daily, 5pm to midnight. Call 089-692-5666.

Eat Me

Just a few metres off Convent in Soi Phiphat 2 is one of the city's best-loved eateries tucked behind a stark greyish façade.

The kitchen has been under the same hands-on culinary direction of highly-celebrated head chef Tim Butler since it first opened in 2000.

The menu offers a seasonal selection of dishes that is a modern and indefinite blend of international fare.

Must-have starters are shima aji tartare, a humble combination of chilled slices of the raw Japanese striped horse mackerel, sesame seed oil, ginger marinade, pickled seaweed and fresh chilli (575 baht); and tom yum Maine lobster prepared with butter-poached meat and claws with roasted chilli oil (750 baht).

For main entrée, flame-charred Japanese abalone with lemon-butter seethed plankton rice (900 baht) is to die for.

Red meat extremists can't afford to miss having Japanese omi wagyu A5 tataki with creamy scoops of top-graded sea urchin roe (750 baht); and grilled veal tongue with black garlic aioli glaze and spicy kimchi vegetables (500 baht).

Clientele is a mix of keen local epicures and highbrow expats. The restaurant has a private parking space just a few steps away.

- Open daily, 3pm-1am. Call 02-238-0931.

Kika Kitchen and Bar

Opened in November last year, Kika is the brainchild of restaurateurs behind Oskar Bistro, Birds Rotisserie and Quince.

The 65-seater is decked out with an open-kitchen counter and high tables to encourage a communal feel. Its culinary direction takes cues from the gastro evolution of Barcelona and Madrid, and is under the helm of French chef-owner Julien Lavigne, who partners with Argentinian-born Joel Bonino, the restaurant's chef de cuisine.

Part Spanish, part French, with a strong influence of seasonal local produce, Kika's cuisine is presented through the chef's original renditions of versatile New World fare.

Permanent offers include 42-month-aged jamon Iberico bellota, from 100% acorn-fed, pure-breed Spanish black pig; and a variety of premium-quality canned tapas.

Oven-charred garoupa with silky-yet-pungent wasabi-seethed avocado purée and toasted sunflower seeds (330 baht); bacalao brandade of Spanish salt cod with mashed potatoes (340 baht); and barracuda cooked in a woodchip smoker and served with salad of chickpeas, toasted hazelnuts, pickled shallots, dried black olives and house-made Sriracha aioli (360 baht) are brilliant.

From half-a-dozen items of meat and poultry on the current menu, try coriander seed-crusted slow-cooked Iberico baby lamb neck with carrot and ginger purée (360 baht).

Caramelised pineapple with mascarpone, coconut ice cream and minty sugar (160 baht) promises to give your meal a nice finish.

- Open Mon-Sat, 5pm-1am. Call 095-592-0510.

Bistro Convent

The 100-seat eatery mimics the comfortingly quaint ambience of a Parisian sidewalk café.

Owned and run by a group of veteran restaurateurs, the bistro occupies a lovely two-storey atelier with a roofed terrace on the shady, pedestrian-friendly Convent strip.

While its mallard-green trimmed interior, lulled by soothing French tunes, is lent a warm, cheery feel by an extensive window façade.

Cuisine-wise, the kitchen takes pride in classic French fare prepared by a European-trained Thai chef.

Its all-day à la carte menu features Gallic favourites such as baked snails, duck confit, chicken coq au vin and a variety of quiches and sandwiches.

Worth-having are soupe à l'oignon, the bistro's best-selling caramelised onion soup with gratin cheese topping (300 baht); moules marinière (480 baht); classic steak frites prepared with Australian rib-eye (680 baht); and boeuf Bourguignon served on a bed of fresh fettuccine pasta (380 baht).

- Open daily, 11am-11pm. Call 02-233-8233

Coffee Club

Should you wish to partake in all-day breakfast fare, walk toward the Sathon end of the street. And opposite from BNH hospital, you'll find Coffee Club.

The café, one of the brand's latest additions, offers an extensive menu of Western and Thai dishes. This is not to mention the sweeping variety of beverages.

Chai latte (155 baht) and sparkling frappé (150 baht) are worthy of every baht spent.

Go for eggs Benedict on toasted ciabatta bread with smoked salmon (310 baht); chicken schnitzel with Italian slaw (340 baht); roasted chicken with avocado sandwich (280 baht); classic fish and chips (280 baht); and The Fat Boy Angus burger (400 baht).

For dessert, don't miss the Passion (230 baht), a tasty platter of mango-passion fruit tart with coconut panna cotta and sherbet; and deconstructed Red Velvet cake with strawberry-yoghurt parfait and raspberry-lychee ice cream (230 baht).

- Open daily, 6.30am-10pm. Call 098-250-9047

Wan Lamun

This well-known Thai dessert shop features an array of traditional fare that should wash down your heavy meal perfectly. Wan Lamun has a full repertoire of Thai sweets, from khanom chan and khanom tom, to bua loy (taro balls in coconut syrup) and tua phap, all in a comfortable price range. It would be a shame to go to Convent without popping in for a quick sweet bite or a few packs to go home.

- Open Mon to Say, 10am-6pm. Call 02-632-0923.