Happiness is… treating yourself every now and then.
Bangkok is the perfect place to spoil yourself rotten. There is a never ending selection of amazing foods to try, incredible cocktail bars to visit and of course, it is the home of Thai massage.
If you are in Bangkok for a short stop over – or even a longer stay, there is no excuse not to indulge a little Bangkok luxury during your stay. You will walk away feeling on top of the world.
It’s no secret that we love Bangkok, and it’s even less of a secret that we love food! So we are going to take you on a foodie journey of where to eat in Bangkok. But one cannot only eat – so we’re going to throw in a few fun and luxurious things to do in Bangkok while you are digesting your food babies as well.
Where to Eat in Bangkok
⇒ Click Here to listen and learn about the fascinating (& surprisingly recent) history of Thailand’s National Dish – Pad Thai on our Travel & Food Podcast “The Dish”
It seems you can’t swing a cat in Bangkok without hitting food vendor or restaurant of some kind. Food is readily available all hours of the day, week in and week out. And not just Thai cuisine either. Bangkok is in fact a melting pot for both international and thai fusion food.
Admittedly it can be hard to sort through the bright signs and people calling out “sa wat dee kha” (hello) as you walk by breathing in the delicious aromas. But how do you know which restaurants will be good? Well you’re in luck, becasue you’ve got us to help you out.
Thai Cuisine – Le Issan – UPDATE 2019 Le Issan Closed Down
In Bangkok it can be such a treat to sit down a in a nice restaurant, with air conditioning, and enjoy a meal.
One of our personal favourite restaurants to visit is Le Isaan, a fantastic Restaurant, Wine and Cocktail bar located in Thung Maha Mek.
Isaan is a style of food from Northern Thailand, so it’s a little different to the standard food you will see in a restaurant in Bangkok, or any Thai restaurant around the world. What makes Isaan food different is the use of slightly different ingredients, including: chili peppers, lime, peanuts, dried shrimp, fresh fruits and vegetables, sticky rice, cilantro, mint and other fresh herbs.
While dining at Le Isaan we sampled Brucetta and Satay Chicken skewers
and Isaan pork balls which are a little spicy – but so awesome.
We also fell in love with their deep fried ice cream – yum!
They also make a mean pad thai as well – far superior than many others I’ve tried (and I’ve sampled quite a few)
We also had the great pleasure of being served by Kim – waiter and bartender extraordinaire. Ladies and Gentleman if you want to sip exquisitely blended cocktails then Kim is your man! A self taught mixologist, Kim has spent his time working in some of the best bars in Bangkok, paying attention to every detail of how these drinks are made. He also comes up with some incredibly unique blends depending on your own personal preferences.
Tommo posing with his specially made cocktail
We also had the pleasure of meeting up with the co-owner Lek who has an incredible ‘self taught’ story of his own. As a boy he grew up poor, working in the rice fields of Thailand, however he was someone born with determination. At 17 he came to Bangkok to find work and to make a difference, this is where he found himself as a dishwasher at a 5 star hotel. Due to his exceptional desire and hard work Lek worked his way up and in time was awarded 2 separate scholarships from his employer where he was able to attend a hotel school in Switzerland.
Fast forward to 2015 Lek is a respected business man and inspiration to others due to his amazing story. Lek not only co-owns Le Isaan, but he also owns 2 spas – Le Spa Suanplu 8 and Le Spa Bangkok and has recently opened a newly built guest house.
UPDATE 2019 Le Issan Closed Down
See our other article on food: What & Where To Eat In Bangkok for more info on dishes and restaurants.
International Food
Sometimes eating Thai food day in, day out can get a little overbearing. So there is nothing wrong with trying some of the incredible international food on offer in Bangkok. BUT we don’t mean KFC or McDonalds!!!
Love Indian Food? We discovered the best place for Indian food in Asia (outside of India itself of course)
Indus Bangkok delivers the very best in Indian cuisine and has won countless restaurant awards in Asia due to their exceptional food.
While at Indus we were delighted to try a selection of their best dishes:
What also makes Indus amazing is that it is way more healthy than traditional Indian food, as Executive Chef Jimmy uses Rice Bran Oil instead of butter Ghee. This means you don’t need to feel so bad for ordering an Indian feast and dessert as well ????
Gulab Jamun – one of our fav Indian sweets as dessert
Speaking of healthy food, we recently tried out the selection of food on offer at Dressed Bangkok. Dressed is an international chain that you can find in the United States, China, Taiwan and of course in Bangkok. Salads with Style is their tag line, and if you are looking for a healthy break from all the rice and noodles – then this is the place to visit.
Ok now you’ve stuffed yourselves with food it’s time to chill out and enjoy what Thailand does best – massages!
⇒ Want more Bangkok food? Listen to our What To Eat in Bangkok Episode on “The Dish” Travel and Food Podcast HERE
Get A Copy Of Our Bangkok Tourist Map – Free Interactive Tourist Map
We’ve put together a google map overlay with all our top picks of attractions, restaurants, foodie experiences, accommodation, transport locations and more! Save yourself a bunch of time by having our huge list of Bangkok highlights instantly at your fingertips. Get Our Bangkok Tourist Map NOW – Click Here.
- Works on any device over 4G or wifi – follow the map as you travel
- It’s FREE!
- 75+ highlighted spots to visit
- Super easy to use on google maps
- Includes every location we mention in this article
Get The Bangkok Tourist Map
Fun – R&R in Bangkok
We teamed up with Siladon Spa Bangkok to experience the Siladon Voyage package. We thought this was perfect for us, being on a never ending voyage and all.
The Siladon Voyage package was 4 hours of absolute bliss where we were treated to
- A Foot Soak & Massage
- Body Scrub
- Herbal Ball massage
- Aromatherapy massage – with choice of massage oil
This was pure indulgence to the max and what makes it even better is they are currently offering a 2 for the price of one deal – perfect for couples looking for a little bit of luxury on a budget.
Our Thai massage ladies were so sweet and took the best possible care of us, even giving us a half time tea and biccies break. We loved sitting in our dressing gowns and slippers sipping out herbal tea and feeling perfectly relaxed.
Located in the heart of Silom, the Siladon Spa is a great idea for those on a break in Thailand. Flown a long way? Treat yourself and someone special to a day of pure indulgence. All of your stiff shoulders and puffy feet will be massaged away and you will leave floating on air.
Look how happy we look ????
Another relaxation option is visiting a float tank centre in Bangkok. Actually if you look up spa & wellness on trip advisor, a deprivation tank experience is the number 1 thing to do! We thought this sounded like a bit of an adventure so we contacted Theta State Float Centre to try it out.
Now this experience might freak a few people out. But honestly, this is one of the most relaxing experiences I’ve had in my life!!!
Firstly you are greeted with tea and the process is explained. A sensory deprivation chamber is a tank that is filled with body temperature water and so much salt that you can’t help but float – kinda like the dead sea. You are completely shut off from light and sound, and you float as if free from gravity for 60 or 90 minutes.
It was explained to us that on our first visit that we might find it boring inside the sensory deprivation chamber – but for us it was the complete opposite. As crazy work-a-holic bloggers we find it hard to switch our brains off from work, even on days off we find ourselves talking about the blog. Hell, I even dream about it. But after a few minutes of being engulfed by complete darkness and silence, I found my mind clearing.
I can’t say that I really thought about anything much in particular, perhaps just about the sensation of floating…I really can’t say. It was weird – in a good way!
What I can say is that once the 60 minutes was over I came out of my personal capsule feeling more relaxed than I’ve ever felt in my life. Seriously! If we ever get a place of our own, I want to save up and get one of these!!! (or anyone got a spare $12,000 they can lend us? lol)
The idea of being in total darkness, inside a capsule can be daunting for those that have issues with enclosed spaces, that is why they also offer a larger tank so you don’t feel so enclosed. There is also the option to have soothing lights on while inside the capsule. It’s all controlled by a button inside the tank, so you have total control.
Also, you can get out whenever you like. You close the lid when you are ready, and if you are freaking out, then you just open it again. But seriously I don’t like small spaces – I get freaked out if I get my head stuck in a tight sweater – and I love love loved my float tank experience!
Where to stay in Bangkok
As this is an article about food and relaxation then there is one hotel that we can recommend – Amari Watergate Bangkok. This hotel is the perfect place to indulge in your foodie urges, but to also experience luxury, comfort and traditional Thai hospitality.
Upon arrival in the foyer we were greeted with the sound of traditional instruments being played, a beautiful traditional yet modern Thai design and of course, impeccable service. We were shown to our rooms before we went to one of the restaurants in Amari called Cascade, to try out some of the signature dishes on offer. Ok we tried more than just some….
Think this is ice cream? This is lime cheesecake – and it was heavenly!!!
Cascade has a relaxed cafe setting that offers a selection of local and international dishes – and sweets to die for!
The food here was exceptional and afterwards, we had to return to our room to slip into a food coma before heading to the executive lounge for drinks and canapés in the evening.
Note: Only certain rooms have access to the executive lounge, please keep this in mind if you want this experience.
The executive lounge is open for breakfast in the morning and complimentary drinks and canapés in the evening, all while enjoying stunning views of Bangkok. This is the perfect place to sit back and relax after a busy day of sightseeing – or a busy day of relaxing – either way, works.
Amari Watergate also offers one of the best pool and fitness centres we have ever seen at a hotel. A state of the art fitness centre where you can join a class or workout with one of their fitness trainers, squash courts, a stunning outdoor swimming pool, and our personal favourite feature – a steam and sauna room.
We have found that many hotel steam rooms are a bit lack lustre – not at Amari! If we weren’t eating ourselves stupid, we spent our time going from the steam room to taking a dip in the pool – and then the process was repeated all over again. Heavenly!
Check prices & availability for Amari Watergate HERE
Get A Copy Of Our Bangkok Tourist Map – Free Interactive Tourist Map
We’ve put together a google map overlay with all our top picks of attractions, restaurants, foodie experiences, accommodation, transport locations and more! Save yourself a bunch of time by having our huge list of Bangkok highlights instantly at your fingertips. Get Our Bangkok Tourist Map NOW – Click Here.
- Works on any device over 4G or wifi – follow the map as you travel
- It’s FREE!
- 75+ highlighted spots to visit
- Super easy to use on google maps
- Includes every location we mention in this article
Get The Bangkok Tourist Map
Looking for more hotel or hostel options in Bangkok?
Check out our Ultimate Bangkok Hotel Guide
Looking for more information about Thailand in general?
Check out our Thailand Destination Hub
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Disclaimer: We received our dinner at Le Isaan, voyage massage, float centre experience and stay at Amari Watergate complimentary. All opinions remain our own. This article contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our blog by using these links
