The midcentury villas and affordable apartments in Ari, an area just south of Bangkok's riotously fun Chatuchak Weekend Market, have long drawn artsy types who have moved there to open art galleries and beer gardens along its leafy roads. But in recent years, a younger generation has arrived, adding photogenic matcha bars and burger joints in pastel-hued next-gen concept spaces like Gump's. Now, mobile som tum vendors hawking plates of crunchy green papaya salad share corners with stamp-size espresso bars, and visitors can find artisanal doughnuts (try the ones at Chubby Dough) alongside syrupy khanom, or traditional Thai sweets. Wander down the low-key streets Soi Ari 4 and 5 for a taste of what's seduced so many locals and expats.
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Where to grab breakfast—or a nightcap
Though you're better off staying close to the Chao Phraya for easy sightseeing, you should still hit up the Wes Anderson-esque Josh Hotel, if only for the carbs: Volks makes excellent bagels (try the activated charcoal and black sesame varieties) slathered with wasabi or wild-raspberry cream cheese. If you visit after dark, ask for the key to room 72: It leads to a speakeasy-style cocktail den.
Get your caffeine fix
What sets Nana Coffee Roasters apart from the myriad other hip cafés nearby is its tree-lined garden. A hot spot for digital nomads, the second outpost of this local favorite has more than 30 single-origin beans in its arsenal, which baristas prepare at the slow bar, the siphon brewer, or in sweet espresso-based concoctions with coconut foam and yuzu soda.
Find artistic inspiration
Having also lived in Melbourne and London, creative director Rom Sangkavatana sees Ari as Bangkok's analog to buzzy, community-minded neighborhoods like Fitzroy or South Kensington. At his year-old gallery and retail space Townhouse, he aims to channel the area's creative energy with flower-arranging workshops and coffee cupping-courses, plus exhibitions by Thai artists.
The local mainstay to try
While neighboring businesses have come and gone, the glass-and-concrete exterior of Salt has been a constant in Ari's social scene since 2010. Clued-in locals stop by for casual dinners that fuse Italian, Japanese, and French flavors and techniques—think duck confit and scallop noodles—and to sip organic wine in the cactus-studded courtyard.
Pick up some new threads
The city's indie fashion scene is loaded with treasures, but it can be tricky to navigate without language skills and insider intel. The industry vets behind concept store HIDE. (who go by Tao and Fang) have made everything easy for you, stocking the shelves with Thai-designed shirts, shorts, and dresses in natural hues and breezy silhouettes, plus a range of monochrome basics from their own collection, H. by HIDE.
Sip on something local
When the sun sets, the neon lights flick on at quirky Oh! Vacoda Café, where avocado appears in all of the dishes (and some of the drinks); the change signals its transformation into Fruit Bar, a dive-y social club with mismatched furnishings and scribbly patterns on the walls. You'll find more than 40 types of umeshu (plum wine) and home brews made with SangSom Rum and plums grown by hill tribes in Northern Thailand.
This article appeared in the September/October 2021 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
