Stay ahead of the curve with these three must-visit new restaurants in Bangkok.

Bangkok’s dining scene thrives on reinvention, combining global influences with its own culinary identity. The latest wave of restaurant openings signals an evolution—not solely in technique or presentation, but in the way diners engage with food, space and atmosphere. From reinterpreting Thai communal dining, elevating Italian fine dining, or merging sustainability with social gastronomy, these three new venues capture the essence of Bangkok’s food culture.

1/3 Soma: A Contemporary Thai Social Kitchen

Soma resists easy categorisation. It neither forces innovation for its own sake nor leans on nostalgia. A project by Kaleido Lifestyle, in collaboration with chefs Chalee Kader and Weerawat “Num” Triyasenawat, Soma leans into the samrub tradition, a shared Thai dining style, but with a more free-flowing style. Here, diners explore the menu without rigid course sequences.

Head Chef Pak Yamoo leads a kitchen that prioritises ingredient quality over origin. This place has got guests covered with everything from small-scale Thai seafood to Japanese market fish and Australian Angus beef. Massaman beef shank is a highlight, slow-braised to rich perfection, paired with roasted sweet potatoes and a subtle touch of rose water ajad pickle. Even familiar dishes receive thoughtful reinterpretations, such as tomato curry with fermented pork, which trades heavy textures for a fresher, more nuanced composition.

The beverage list including Thai craft beers, natural wines, and Sato rice wine, a rare Thai rice-based spirit, challenges conventional pairings and enhances the dining experience. The space itself is equally fluid, shifting throughout the night with art, music and a social atmosphere.

Reservations are highly encouraged. For more information, visit https://www.somabangkok.com. 

Siam Patumwan House, 414 Soi Kasem San 1, Wang Mai, Pathum Wan, Bangkok

2/3 Sartoria by Paulo Airaudo: Italian Fine Dining with an Edge

Sartoria means “tailoring” in Italian, and this dining space is inspired by Florence, the home of Italian suit-making. Helmed by chef Paulo Airaudo, Sartoria is set high on the 56th floor of EA Rooftop at The Empire, Bangkok’s latest high-rise lifestyle destination. The restaurant is designed to transport diners into the workshop of the first tailor in the ancient Tuscan city. The menu highlights Florentine traditions with Thai and Japanese influences featuring seasonal ingredients carefully sourced from local Thai and Japanese produces.

Unlike Bangkok’s usual split between casual trattorias and high-end excess, Sartoria strikes a middle ground. Dishes including duck cappelletti with butter and thyme and pasta alla chitarra with gamberi di mazara and sour butter highlight Airaudo’s ingredient-driven philosophy. Here, flavours remain deeply rooted in tradition, even as they take on new dimensions.

The interiors feature wooden panelling, traditional furniture, a show kitchen resembling a tailor’s trunk and a bar designed like a suit rack. The curved reception counter, bar and ceiling echo the human body and a master tailor’s organic patterns. The dark wood tones, antique mirrors and open kitchen create a backdrop for a theatrical dining experience, where guests can watch fresh pasta being prepared. As part of the EA Chef’s Table lineup alongside Le Du Kaan by Chef Ton and K by Chef Vicky Cheng, Sartoria positions itself as a force for Bangkok’s recognition as a top-tier dining destination.

The restaurant now offers a tasting menu with two options: the six-course L’Essenza for THB 3,980++ and the eight-course L’Opera Completa for THB 5,980++, with an additional wine pairing of five glasses for THB 2,900++. Or you can opt for their à la carte menu priced per dish.

For more information, visit www.sartoriabypauloairaudo.com.

56th Floor The Empire, No.1

 S Sathon Rd, Yan Nawa, Sathon, Bangkok

3/3 Lily’s at The Ritz-Carlton: Social Gastronomy with a Sustainability Focus

Overlooking Lumpini Park from the 7th floor of the newly opened Ritz-Carlton, Lily’s takes an experiential approach to modern dining, emphasising sustainability and ingredient-driven cooking. Inspired by the lily ponds in Thai homes, with open kitchens and various styles of seating including social sofas and intimate tables for two, the restaurant is designed as an “art of gathering” space, encouraging communal dining with an elegant yet approachable ambiance. The menu offers flexibility, allowing diners to mix and match small and large plates.

Standouts include steak frites bites (A5 wagyu tartare) and applewood smoked kingfish with ikura and Thai herbs, a blend of luxury ingredients and casual shareability. Khao soi crab curry with soft-shell crab, salmon roe and noodles reinterprets Northern Thai flavours, while the hay-smoked charcoal-grilled free-range chicken refines a classic into an uplifted dish. Alternatively, a convenient set lunch menu is available every weekday and features two or three courses of exceptional cuisine accompanied by a glass of wine.

Lily’s fits into The Ritz-Carlton’s curated culinary offerings, joining Duet by David Toutain (the renowned French chef’s first Asian outpost) and Caleõ, a cocktail bar inspired by the world’s most iconic social clubs. It’s not a standalone restaurant, it’s part of a curated luxury dining experience.

To discover the Art of Gathering at Lily’s, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok, please visit www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/bkkrb-the-ritz-carlton-bangkok/dining.

189 Witthayu Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok

The Bigger Picture: What These Restaurants Say About Bangkok’s Dining Scene

These new openings speak to the city’s ongoing transformation as a global culinary hub. The rise of restaurants like Soma, Sartoria and Lily’s reflects a growing interest in combining traditional methods with innovative techniques, global ingredients with local identity and fine dining with approachable, community-centred spaces. Collectively, they showcase Bangkok as a hub for gastronomic exploration, where creativity, sustainability and a respect for local culture come together to influence the future of dining.