For the past six months, I have been making my way around Bangkok’s many, many corners. One thing I have made particularly good use of is working from cafés.
And Bangkok has to be one of the best places in the world for that.
So if I ever find myself recommending cafés to friends in Bangkok, these are the three places I would send them to.
Piccolo Vicolo – Ratchathewi
Piccolo Vicolo feels like a little oasis, with plants everywhere, brown leather furniture, wooden tables, and green lamps and walls. There is also a lovely outdoor area.
The café is slightly hidden away. On my way there, I found myself thinking several times: “Surely this cannot be the right way?” But once you find it, you discover a real little gem.
The atmosphere is relaxed and unique, with jazz-hip-hop playing in the background.
The food is also excellent. I had a chicken and pesto panini, that made me think: damn, I need to get myself a panini press.
A hot Americano costs 100 baht, while the chicken and pesto sandwich costs 250 baht.
And yeah… money well spent.
The staff are young, cool, and of course very friendly – we are afterall in Thailand.
Oh, and the café is located in the most adorable little area. A tiny lane filled with cafés and shops.
Citycup BKK – Khlong Toei
Holy. What a gem.
Citycup BKK is a really cool place. In a way, it feels like stepping into someone’s enormous apartment. It’s on the 11th floor on top of SSP Tower, with a great view of Bangkok.
Someone with a serious passion for furniture has clearly been involved here. There are designer pieces, quirky furniture, beautiful furniture, rugs, lamps and all sorts of interesting things on the walls.
The music is fairly loud, and I honestly think that is part of the setting. There is a DJ booth, after all. The music has a Bill Withers, Olivia Dean and Frank Ocean kind of vibe. Nothing wild. Just loud enough to reach the entire room.
The food selection is not huge, but I had a bacon twist and an iced Americano for 240 baht. Luckily, both were really good.
The staff are young, cool, sweet, friendly, smiling and relaxed.
Basically, the kind of place where you go for a coffee and end up wanting to stay for the entire day.
Envies Café – Samphanthawong
At this point, I honestly cannot decide which of these cafés is my favourite.
Envies Café feels like walking into a very cosy living room. There’s a brown leather sofa, soft music playing in the background and a small dog taking a break on the couch.
The dog was not particularly interested in saying hello, though. Its owner was out running errands, so the staff were looking after it. And apparently, the dog was not entirely thrilled about the arrangement. So yeah, it did growl a little when I tried to say hi.
The staff, meanwhile, were – like pretty much everywhere else in Thailand – incredibly sweet, friendly, kind and smiling.
I had a hot Americano and a bagel with cream cheese for 248 baht, both really good.
The area itself is also fantastic, with loads of little gems nearby. You are close to BKK Warehouse, with food spots, creative spaces, pop-up markets and bars.
So if you are looking for a café where you feel like you have accidentally entered someone’s very stylish living room, Envies is a pretty good bet.
