Best cafes and bakeshops in Ari and Saphan Khwai

The third branch of all-day breakfast establishment Bar Storia is so photogenic, it’s bound to be every Instagrammer’s new favorite hang-out. Surrounded by leafy trees, the café is decorated with European vintage elements mixed in with more modern details. Just like the other Bar Storia branches, the menu is packed with a wide selection of all-day breakfast plates, pasta and meat plates. If you’re here for dessert, don’t pass on the creamy strawberry millefeuille (B230). The place is also ideal as an after-work meeting spot as they serve beer and cide

Grab a cup of coffee and just enjoy chilling out at this bright, sunny spot. BONCI is now on soft opening and is testing out coffees that start at the friendly price of B90. Signatures such as Dirty (B130) and Bimbom Cream (B150) are recommended, especially for those who like their coffee simple and easy to drink. BONCI will soon go full blast with operations and will also have a bar.

Visit BONCI from on Phahon Yothin Road, opposite BigC Saphan Khwai, from Wednesday to Sunday (10:00 to 18:00).

Located right next to BONCI, this cute, all-white restaurant serves à la carte and made-to-order food, such as noodles, curry and beef rice bowls, as well as coffee and cakes. The vibe is comfy and the prices are friendly.

Chu-Rose is located on Phahon Yothin Road, opposite BigC Saphan Khwai, and is open daily (10:00 to 20:00).

Sathorn residents may be familiar with F.I.X. Coffee on Sala Daeng. The coffee shop is now ready to serve Phaya Thai peeps with a new branch on Soi Pradipat. The white-washed space is small and cozy, and mostly relies on outdoor seating. 

F.I.X. Coffee is located at Somewhere Soi Pradipat 17, and is open daily (08:00 to 17:00).

This colorful cafe from Charoenkrung is now at Gump’s Ari, the community space that’s a favorite among Instagrammers. Like the original branch, Fats and Angry at Ari is set like a 1950s American diner, and serves western comfort food such as milkshakes and burgers.

Enjoy old-school American vibes every day (11:00 to 21:00) at Fats and Angry, Gump’s Ari, Soi Ari 4 Nua.

This popular coffee shop in Sathorn has opened a second branch in the Ari area. The new Kenn’s Coffee & Croissant puts the spotlight on grab-and-go purchases, although there are tables available for those who would like to sit and chill.

The menu at Ari includes items exclusive to the branch, such as mango passion fruit croissant and pretzel croissant.

Enjoy a cuppa and more at Kenn’s Coffee & Croissant on Soi Ari 2, close to Tokyo Bike, from Monday to Friday (07:30-15:00) and Saturday and Sunday (08:30-16:00).

This homey and welcoming cafe serves drinks and tasty homemade food amid vintage-style decor in a renovated two-floor house—it feels like hanging out at a friend’s place.

Knock Knock Cafe and Bar is located on Soi Ari Samphan 7 Alley and is open from Tuesday to Sunday (09:00 to 18:00). 

The owners and staff at this newly opened café are truly passionate about coffee. And they actually know what they’re doing. Ask for the drip coffee, which the barista will enthusiastically make for you. The decor is minimalist but still inviting, and a rooftop area allows you to enjoy your drink amid greenery.

You can visit Laze Cafe on Sutthisan Winitchai Road from Monday to Friday (08:00-17:30) and Saturday and Sunday (08:30-18:30).

Thanks to Oktoberfest that has now been celebrated all over the world, you must have been so much familiar with Bavarian food and beer. But do you know that Bavarian breads have more kind than just sourdough and pretzel? Now, your chance to explore the many more varieties of Bavarian bread is here, with Landhaus, a new bakery in Ari that has taken the concept and recipes from its bigger sister in Austria, Gragger & Cie, to become one of the very few places in Bangkok that offers the most authentic Austrian-Bavarian taste.

When it comes to ice-cream as Thai dessert, it is unlikely for eateries in Bangkok to think beyond typical sweet scoops of coconut cream served with familiar toppings like roasted peanut, tubtim krop (water chestnut treat) or lod chong (worm-liked green rice flour jelly). Now, the new café in Ari is now creating a buzz by coming up with creative and delicious form of frozen delights that intelligently infuses Thai elements like nothing you’ve seen before.

With the old-fashioned name that may sound rather like a grandma’s favorite eating spot, Onedee Café has the visual that looks non-different from other coffee spots dotting the hip Ari neighborhood. But it’s here you’ll find the frozen scoops unlike any other. You can enjoy the ice-cream as in parfaits that replicate Thai delicacies like khao niao na khung — the savory sweet dessert featuring salty-and-creamy moon sticky rice and shredded shrimp topping — in the form of salty-sweet coconut cream ice-cream that balances amazingly with two other accompanying elements (B99). There’s also a frozen delight inspired from the popular teh tarik, the Malay milk tea known in Thai as cha chuk, coming with a scoop of subtly-sweet milk tea, crispy mataba and a dash of Taiwanese touch from tapioca pearls (B99).

Our favorite, however, is the ice-cream version of khanom tarn, the cake-liked dessert whose bold flavor and color are benefitted from palm fruit. Here, the ice-cream version surprisingly boasts the mixture of sweet, salty and creamy notes, uncannily identical to the original version, and served alongside khanom tarn itself. Wicked!

Apart from the ice-creams, the café also serves espresso-based coffee with typical selections as well as more adventurous choices like palm sugar macchiato coffee (B85 for hot/B95 for iced) with a touch of caramelized palm sugar.

With the execution we have hardly seen before in local ice-cream parlors and with even more surprising flavors in the pipeline, we can’t help pinning this humble spot as one of the most exciting café opening this year.

Experience the real flavors of Southern Thai food at this colorful cafe, which serves dishes made using old secret recipes. The fare is rich and spicy but they also have softer flavors for those who can’t tolerate spice. Meals are best shared with friends or family.

Paknang is situated on Soi Ari 5 and is open daily (11:00 to 21:00).

Simply and stylishly decorated, this coffee-lovers cave offers delicate drinks and homemade pastries. The aromatic scent of brewed coffee greets you as soon as you walk in – wonderful smells that match the taste of each freshly brewed cup. The hazelnut milk latte is a great sipper when you just want to while away the afternoon reading a favorite book.

Popular café and dessert house Puritan has become an Instagram-worthy destination following a big renovation. Imbued with antiques and collectibles, Puritan’s interiors create an unconventional environment for enjoying tapas-style plates, a variety of cakes and a selection of fruity shakes.

Run by the people behind Peace Oriental Teahouse, Qraft is a Japanese teahouse-themed bakeshop where yuzu- and miso caramel-filled croissants are the crown jewels you don't want to miss. 

This Japanese curry restaurant serves rich simmered curry soup with a variety of toppings, such as Wagyu beef, tonkatsu, stewed pork and fried shrimp.

You can visit Senryoku on Soi Phahon Yothin 7 from Monday to Saturday (11:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00).

This cafe, set in a house on Soi Ari 1, has a spacious outdoor area for those who like to sip their cappuccino within a green and airy atmosphere. Apart from coffee and smoothies, Yellow Lane also serves brunch plates, poke bowls, salads and sandwiches.

Yellow Lane Cafe is located on Soi Ari 1 and is open daily from 09:30 to 16:30.