Seven Seafood-Forward Restaurant In Bangkok That Never Disappoint

I’ll be honest: my family’s occasional ‘hot-season’ jaunt to Thailand is really just a poorly masked excuse to dig into the country’s seafood. And since March to April is the peak window for catching healthy snapper in regions like Phuket and the Racha Islands, that’s another point in their favour. Festivities usually kick off at 7:30 am when Hoi Thod arrives via room service because it is “technically breakfast food” and go on until midnight, concluding only when every order of mussels is scooped clean. As my father likes to reiterate, if you’re a true Bengali, you’ll naturally toast a few drinks in anticipation of the crab curry-focused lunch planned for the next day.

Fortunately, after several years of travelling to the city to report on its food scene and studying up on my family’s personal biases, we nowadays have a dialled-down list of go-to restaurants, based just on how gorgeously they handle their crustaceans. I’m sharing them below, along with a hearty appeal to go on a seafood binge with fellow fin-atics and support the economy by ordering more giant lobsters than you can manage. There aren’t many days of the year when this kind of excess feels entirely appropriate.

Also, check out our selection of tea houses in Bangkok for serious sips and calming ambience.

Where to dine for some of the best seafood in Bangkok

Somboon Seafood (Bang Rak)

When Somboon Seafood opened in Bangkok’s Samyan district in 1969, it introduced what would become one of the city’s most recognisable dishes — Fried Curry Crab, or pood phad phong karee. As the restaurant grew into a small chain, the dish travelled with it, anchoring menus that draw on Thai-Chinese seafood traditions. Today, diners come for that signature crab but stay for a wider spread that reflects Bangkok’s coastal pantry, from tom yum goong to deep-fried fish with basil and roasted prawns with glass noodles.

• Address: 169 7-12 Surawong Rd, Suriya Wong, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand
• Google Map

Thipsamai, Maha Chai Road

Pad Thai might be Thailand’s most exported dish, and Thip Samai remains one of the most dependable places to have it. Charcoal-fired woks turn out plate after plate with a distinct smoky edge, from classic versions to the tiger prawn versions — wrapped in a thin, crepe-like egg with a generous amount of shrimp oil. Is it undoubtedly one of the most best versions of this seafood dish you’ll find in Bangkok? Maybe not. But is it where you can head without overthinking it when a craving hits? Very much so. Everything lands hot, fast, and just indulgent enough to do the job.

• Address: 313, 315 Maha Chai Rd, Samran Rat, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
• Google Map

Also, explore our guide to must-visit wine bars in Bangkok.

Beer Hima (Chatuchak)

Behind its unassuming facade in Chatuchak, Beer Hima has drawn a loyal following of Bangkok diners for over three decades, many returning for its uncompromising take on Southern Thai cooking rooted in recipes from Nakhon Si Thammarat. In keeping with those roots, the kitchen turns out boldly spiced dishes like Sour Yellow Curry with Grouper, layered with house-made curry paste and often enriched with catfish roe, and Prawns Stir-Fried with Shrimp Paste and Bitter Beans, punchy with fermented depth and heat. The menu also stretches to crowd-pleasing plates such as Crab Fried Rice, made to order with hand-picked blue swimming crab meat, and Black Pepper Crab, typically using mud crab for its natural sweetness.

• Address: 12/12 Thetsaban Songkhro Rd, Lat Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
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Sorn

Fine dining at its finest, and the one I’d definitely recommend for celebrations, Sorn can be read in two parts. There are the dishes that foreground precision and technique, arriving in a tightly controlled sequence — temperature-sensitive bites of Southern Thai seafood, calibrated and served the moment they are ready. And then there are those rooted more directly in memory, drawn from Chef Supaksorn ‘Ice’ Jongsiri’s upbringing and his grandmother’s cooking, where chilli heat is unapologetic, and flavours are allowed to build with intensity. Working almost entirely with ingredients sourced from Southern Thailand, the restaurant moves between these two modes with ease, supported by a front-of-house team that explains the origin of each course.

The Michelin-starred, 22-course tasting menu focuses on authentic Southern Thai cuisine, and reservations open at 12 am (Bangkok time) on the 15th of each month for the following month; international guests can book via email.

• Address: 56 Sukhumvit 26, Khlong Tan Nuea, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
• Google Map

Also, check out our roundup of the best places to try Thai crab curry in Bangkok.

Lek Seafood

A Chinatown stalwart that thrives on doing the basics exceptionally well, Lek & Rut is the one we keep circling back to without overthinking it. Its Yaowarat-Soi Texas corner location makes it an easy stop when you’re in the thick of things; just time it for sunset, and aim to clear up a couple of plates of stir-fried crab curry and charcoal-blistered prawns. If it’s your first time or you’re solo and your head’s spinning, just get the Lobster with Spicy Noodle Salad and sort the rest out by shamelessly looking over other people’s shoulders like it’s part of the dining experience.

• Address: Phadung Dao Rd, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100, Thailand
• Google Map

Mam Tom Yum Kung

Street-side seafood spots around Khao San Road can often feel interchangeable, but Mam Tom Yum Kung makes a strong case for lingering. With two near-identical stalls sitting side by side, it’s less about picking the “right” one and more about ordering well; think Tom Yum Kung that lives up to its name, its broth hitting that near-perfect balance of sour, salty, and just-sweet, with prawns prepped to draw out every bit of flavour. Add Clams (slicked) in Chilli Paste, and a fragrant Crab Stir-Fry into the mix, and this is exactly where we land almost every single time after a temple run, especially when the where-should-we-eat debate kicks in.

• Address: หน้า อาคารจอดรถ Soi Kraisi, Talat Yot, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
• Google Map

Also, after you have had your fill of seafood, you can also check out these Chinese restaurants in Bangkok.

ICONSIAM Thai Street Food

It’s easy to spend days chasing Bangkok’s seafood spots across the city, but SOOKSIAM at ICONSIAM neatly gathers many of those flavours under one roof. Our favourite pre-airport stop, the lineup here leans into regional staples, from Northern-style Khao Soi and deeply flavoured Boat Noodles to quick-fire plates of Pad Kra Pao and Som Tam, each cooked with the kind of punchy balance that defines Thai street food.

If you find yourself there during peak summer, definitely look out for the snappers. They can be a bit tricky to spot, but we order them every single time, arriving simply done over the grill, the flesh flaky and just-charred at the edges, usually finished with a sharp chilli-lime dressing that cuts through the richness. Once you’re hooked, you’ll rack up an embarrassing number of empty plates without quite realising it. If you need to follow it up, you can never go wrong with Gaeng Som (tangy spicy fish curry) and mussel pancakes, rightfully attracting long queues worth joining.

• Address: ICONSIAM LG Floor, เลขที่ 299 Charoen Nakhon 5 Alley, Khlong Ton Sai, Khlong San, Bangkok 10600, Thailand
• Google Map

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(Feature image credit: Sneha Chakraborty)

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The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.

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