Bangkok cafe afternoon — Spaghetti, Fish & chips, Iced espresso latte!
Bangkok hipster cafe spread — spaghetti vongole, fish & chips, iced espresso latte. The Western detour during a Thai holiday afternoon.
Bangkok holiday day three — early evening, post-lunch nap, time for a cafe stop before dinner. We needed a break from the constant Thai-food chase, so we ducked into one of the Sukhumvit hipster cafes for a Western menu detour.
We ordered:
- Spaghetti (vongole-style)
- Fish & chips
- Iced espresso latte
The spaghetti was the surprise — fresh clams, garlic, white wine, parsley, olive oil, chilli flakes. Properly al dente noodles tossed in the clam jus, with the clams still half in their shells. A squeeze of lemon at the end lifted it. Bangkok cafe chefs trained in Italy or Australia are not rare these days, and you can taste it.
Fish & chips arrived as a textbook battered fish fillet — golden, crispy, with flaky white fish inside that steamed slightly when you cut it. Chunky chips on the side, tartar sauce in a small ramekin, mushy peas, and a wedge of lemon. Classic British-pub style done well.
The iced espresso latte was the cafe’s strength — a fresh shot of espresso poured over cold milk and ice, with the layers settling for a few seconds before you stirred. Strong, sharp coffee flavour with the milk doing just enough rounding. Bangkok’s third-wave coffee scene rivals anywhere in the region.
Bangkok cafes punch above their weight because rents are still reasonable, the trained-abroad chef pool is deep, and the customer base demands the same quality they got in Tokyo or Melbourne.
Overall: 4.5 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Cafe spread done right — would queue again next trip.
