Ahh, coffee: that glorious social lubricant. Unlike its sister alcohol, it actually keeps productivity levels up. And if you’ve got a case of the Mondays (where “Monday” actually means “Monday through Friday”) that ingenious little bean might even work as an antidepressant, since it’s related to rises in serotonin and dopamine levels.
Productivity and mood-boosting benefits aside, sometimes you just want to get out of your apartment or your cubicle – or find an alternative to your usual liver-deteriorating hangout – and get a coffee. But you’re in a city of over eight million inhabitants, where coffee shops abound, new ones open often, and worst of all, you’re indecisive.
How do you know where to go? Delve deep into your soul, understand what you’re really after, and consult our guide. Coconuts Bangkok has staked out the best spots – matched to your mood – to grab a cup of that other brewed goodness.
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You’re channeling an alter ego (say, a Victorian-era character who is resistant to diabetes): Black Sugary Coffee Boutique
This European, vintage-style café, with its floral wallpaper, antique chandeliers and birdcage bric-a-brac is an environment for those Oscar Wilde or Emily Bronte types who are working on a novel. You’ll have a hard time deciding which mismatched, overstuffed armchair best deserves your bottom. They’re all comfortable, so just pick one and focus on the coffee. Black Sugary serves up their own signature beans or those from the premium brand Davidoff Café, a coffee “sommelier” that caters to those that call themselves “connoisseurs.” Embed yourself in the sugary atmosphere and opt for the sweet stuff: the mocha (55THB) will make you think you’re drinking a hot chocolate; a caramel macchiato (55THB) will taste as saccharine as the surroundings. You’ll only faintly hear Celine Dion or a single from the Pocahontas movie in the background. Ignore it and focus on the romantic symphony orchestra in your head.
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Black Sugary Coffee Boutique
Piriyapul Building
Intersection of Ratchaprarop and Chaturathit Road
BTS Phaya Thai
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You’re feeling unpretentious… but you’re in Ekamai: Provoke U Coffee
You’ll walk past this little gem if you don’t keep your eyes open or off the well-dressed passerbys. The barista will take her time with your order, but you’re guaranteed freshly ground beans and a latte (45THB) worth Instagramming. Actually, the whole interior is worth opening a photography app and capturing. Operating in conjunction with a design studio, the décor features vintage bicycles, black and white photographs hung with scotch tape, and piles of old design magazines to browse through. The recycled-paper menu is handwritten and you won’t find a coffee over 60THB here.
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Provoke U Coffee
418/2 Ekamai 24, Sukhumvit 63
BTS Ekamai
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You miss home and you need to Skype: Tom N Toms
The Korean coffee brand knows what the watery-eyed, jaded, laptop-toting expat wants: a bit of privacy in order to Skype family and friends back home. Sure, it’s a large and fast-spreading chain of coffee shops, but the enclosed and cozy booths are perfect for seclusion. Electrical outlets abound and the wifi is reliable. Noise decibels diminish in the boothed areas, perfect for studying, working, or not looking like a weirdo as you engage in baby talk with your newborn nephew back in the UK (aka your laptop screen).
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Tom N Toms
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You’re feeling refined: Kuppa
The high-end coffee shop and restaurant (and spa) imports gourmet beans from around the world and roasts them in-house. The décor in the high-ceilinged hangout proves it: a gleaming roaster, bordered by sacks of coffee beans, decorates the corner of the restaurant. The roomy café is trendy: it’s got an industrial, minimalist style with polished concrete, metallic fixtures and lots of fine-grain wood. Dress smart-casual. You’ll be surrounded by a mix of hi-so types positioned on the sofas that line the walls, expat businessmen lunching and loungey jazz music playing overhead. Try their house brews sans cream and sugar to really experience the aroma of their hand-roasted beans; or go counterintuitive: order the espresso con Panna (100THB) – a shot of espresso topped with enough whipped cream to give your dentist a heart attack.
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39 Sukhumvit Soi 16
BTS/MRT Asoke
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You’re nocturnal: Coffee Society
The place is open 24 hours, encompasses three stories, and pretty much feeds insomniacs caffeine through an IV drip. Reliable wifi, worthy workspaces. Oh, and you’re hungry? There’s food here, but who cares. Just keep working, reading, or recovering from your night in Patpong by ingesting reasonably-priced but mediocre coffee. When the dawning pink sky appears and the BTS starts running again, it might be time to leave – but Coffee Society won’t force you to.
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Coffee Society
12/3 Silom
BTS Sala Daeng
MRT Silom
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You need fresh air: Coffee Alley in the Garden
Who are you kidding!? Let’s be honest, you’ll have to go quite a few kilometers out of this city to get some semblance of fresh air. But if you’re climate-indifferent and capable of drinking a hot one in sweltering humidity, Coffee Alley has the sort of small foliaged area that appeals to those who like hanging out on patios. You can sip outside on their terrace sofas, or amidst the greenery in their endearing, semi-maintained garden. The coffee shop serves up your typical concoctions, at a more reasonable price than its neighbor Kuppa down the street. Don’t be confused by the “Bangkok Matching” sign that appears above the coffee shop vowing to match up single-and-ready-to-mingle folks – that’s a separate establishment.
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28 Sukhumvit Soi 16
BTS/MRT Asoke
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You’re a cyclist, living in Bangkok sans cycle, because you’re too scared to take on Bangkok city streets by bike: Café Bicycle
Lose yourself in their good coffee and cycle-themed light fixtures: illuminated bike tires hang like chandeliers from the ceiling. The socially responsibly café serves up delicious coffee in a convenient location with a casual atmosphere; two floors and an outdoor area make for ample seating. And for the brave ones: yes, there’s a bike rack. Café Bicycle’s “green” and sustainable approach comes across in their menu, which offers a mix of verdant salads and sandwiches made with fresh bread. Try their foamy cappuccino (75THB), have a seat upstairs in their comfy armchairs, and bemoan Bangkok’s hazardous roadways with your pseudo-cyclist friends.
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Mahutan Plaza
BTS Ploenchit
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You’re craving coffee with a side of wine: Bar Storia Del Caffé
Your caffeine-seeking self will get to this stylish cafe, intent on working or just enjoying some good coffee. And then this boutique establishment will throw you completely off, because their booze list now sounds far more appealing than getting an Italian-inspired coffee. It’s not just because “bar” is in the name of the place. The recently opened café has a wrap-around bar with comfortable stools lining it, and a young and attendant “bartenders” who know what they’re doing. Their beans are their pride though, so opt for their coffee (at least at first) – try their Espresso on the Rocks (90THB) and then check out the chic vintage shop it’s connected to.
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Bar Storia Del Caffé
Ground Floor, Ei8ht Thonglor
Sukhumvit Soi 55
BTS Thong Lo
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You’re counting calories: Parferio by Sfree
If you like your coffee with enough cream and sugar that it tastes like cake – but you tell yourself you’re watching your weight – head to Parferio by Sfree. This isn’t a coffee shop. It’s a sweets shop first, with every decadent cake, ice cream, and elaborate sucrose masterpiece available. But don’t veer past the first page of their menu. There, you’ll find a wide selection of coffees under the brand Aldy’s Coffee Lite. Each are made with lower-fat and sugar-free ingredients with calories noted. Their café latte (75THB), cappuccino (75THB), and even mocha (85THB) options all clock in under 200 calories. After you’ve ordered that first coffee, stop browsing the menu. Sweets abound and you’ll find it difficult to resist.
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Parferio by Sfree
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You’re not counting calories: Chu Chocolate Bar & Café
Wait, what are calories again? This is not a café, this is a chocolate bar. You order your chocolate with coffee, and if you’re really hormonal, you just order your chocolate. This place markets itself as having “Bangkok’s Best Hot Chocolate.” But Chu’s variations on hot chocolates taste best when combined with the caffeinated options, made from 100% Aarabica beans sourced from Chiang Rai. This café is best for the choco-neurotic: they offer the percentage of raw cacao in each chocolatey-rich drink. If the sugar doesn’t take effect soon after your first sip, the caffeine will: all coffees come with two shots of espresso.
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Chu Chocolate Bar & Café
Second Floor, Exchange Tower
BTS/MRT Asoke
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You’re craving coffee and have a warped sense of style
Just keep walking. Soon, you’ll find a Starbucks and this afternoon’s venti-soy-latte fashion accessory.
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Everywhere
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