Champagne Lovers’ Guide to Bangkok: restaurants, bars and things to do
Bangkok is one of Asia’s most exciting cities for Champagne, combining a sophisticated luxury dining scene with some of the world’s best street food. Champagne is well established in the city’s hotels, fine-dining restaurants, rooftop bars and nightlife, while the tropical climate makes a chilled glass particularly appealing. The contrast between Champagne and intensely flavoured Thai food is also part of what makes Bangkok so interesting for wine lovers.
Thai cuisine offers endless pairing possibilities. Try tom yum, pad Thai, som tam, green curry, massaman curry, satay, grilled seafood and mango sticky rice, while exploring the enormous variety of regional dishes found across the city. Champagne’s acidity and bubbles can refresh the palate after spicy, fried or rich food, while its freshness works especially well with seafood, herbs, lime and dishes with a salty-sour character.
Bangkok is a city of constant contrasts. The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew offer ornate traditional architecture, while the streets of Chinatown are packed with food, markets and neon after dark. Explore Talat Noi for old shophouses, cafés and street art, walk through Ari for a more local and contemporary atmosphere, or spend an evening along the Chao Phraya River. Rooftops offer another perspective, with the city’s enormous skyline stretching out beneath you.
Markets are central to Bangkok’s food culture. Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the city’s most famous, while smaller local markets and street-food areas reveal a much more everyday side of Bangkok. A ride along the city’s canals, or khlongs, is another way to see neighbourhoods that feel far removed from the skyscrapers and major tourist sights.
For Champagne lovers, Bangkok is particularly rewarding because the wine can fit into almost any part of the day – from a sophisticated lunch to rooftop drinks at sunset or a late dinner after exploring the city’s temples and markets.
