Dining Down by the Riverside

THE crowded banks of the Chao Phraya River were once considered the heart of Bangkok. But these days the river is largely peripheral for everyone but tourists — the main business districts in the Thai capital are well inland. This is a shame because river life in Bangkok is still relatively vibrant, the temperature always seems to be a few degrees cooler, and the well-lit monuments along the Chao Phraya are gorgeous at night.

Fortunately there are a number of places to sit and enjoy the spectacle of life on the Chao Phraya, ranging from the cheap and cheerful to the more elegant, cloth-napkin variety.
The luxury hotels along the river (Mandarin Oriental, Shangri-La, Peninsula and Hilton) are reliable and easy choices for a riverside dinner. But here are three other restaurants that won’t leave you wondering if the only Thai people in the place are those cooking and serving the food.
Khinlom Chomsaphan (11/6 Samsen Road Soi 3, Phronakorn; 66-2-6288-3823; www.khinlomchomsaphan.com) describes itself as the “Best Restaurant on the Chao Phraya River.” In a city that cares a lot about food, those are fightin’ words. I’d call it one of the best values on the river.

Four very fresh and tasty dishes from their extensive menu and a handful of beers here cost the equivalent of about $30. The stir-fried fish with garlic and the green curry with chicken are both excellent. Khinlom Chomsaphan has great views on the Rama VIII Bridge — the restaurant’s name roughly means to chill out and admire the bridge.

Popular with Thais and expats, this is the kind of place where you forget all your hangups about not wanting ice in your beer and drop a few cubes in your glass, Thai-style. If you’re coming on a weekend, best to reserve the riverside tables. Before 7 p.m., you get to Khinlom Chomsaphan by hopping on the express boat to Phra Arthit Pier and then walking or taking a cab for the remaining quarter-mile or so.

Downriver is the Deck, which is attached to a boutique hotel, Arun Residence (36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong, Maharat Road; 66-2-221-9158; www.arunresidence.com), and has stunning views onto Wat Arun, the 19th-century temple that has a sandy, gray pallor in the daytime but comes to life with golden radiance once night falls and the lights go on.

The best view is from the fourth-floor bar: climb the rickety staircase and have an aperitif or digestif. You can dine on the outdoor patio, in the indoor air-conditioned section or on the second-floor deck. The stir-fried chicken with spring onions, sweet pepper and vegetables is very good, and tom kha kai (a Thai classic soup of coconut milk, chicken, mushroom, lime, galangal and coriander) is rich and filling. Dinner for two will run about $40 with beer, no wine.

Supatra River House (266 Soi Wat Rakhang, Arunamarin Road; 66-2-411-0305 or 66-2-411-0874; www.supatrariverhouse.net), on the opposite side of the river and across from the Grand Palace, is the most expensive of these three spots. A recent dinner for two — including a tender steamed sea bass with lemon and spices and a dessert of mango and sticky rice that will send you running to the treadmill — cost about $100 with beer but no wine.

One big draw is the elegant teak-paneled boat that the restaurant uses to pick you up anywhere along the river. It’s like a pre-dinner river cruise without the tackiness. The boat service is reasonable — 250 baht per person, or about $7.45, at 33.56 baht to the dollar — and operates until 10:30 p.m. You need to call the restaurant to arrange a pickup.

Supatra River House is in the former home of a Thai aristocrat and has both air-conditioned and outdoor, riverside sections. After dinner, the boatman can take you back to any point along the river.

By THOMAS FULLER
Published: September 21, 2008

In travel.nytimes.com