A chattering crowd of students, office workers, and tourists pack into this restaurant, which has been a favorite for quick, tasty, and amazingly affordable Thai meals since 1981. The menu has all the standards you’d want from a Thai restaurant, including crispy-fried chicken, vegetable stir-fries, and curries that won’t necessarily burn your tongue.

A Siam Square institution, Kluay Kluay is the perfect place to satisfy your banana cravings, given that the menu fixates on everything sweet and satisfying that you can create out of the fruit, from fritters to wontons to waffles to thick smoothies.

Since 1996, this Thai restaurant has gained a following for its combination of home-style family recipes and vegetarian fare. The stir-fried drunken noodles with seafood and Thai-style spicy fried chicken are musts, although the meat-free options, such as the vegetarian pad Thai with crispy oyster mushroom, are also quite impressive.

Equal parts cute and homey, Once excels in icy treats bursting with sugary decadence and riotous color. Order a bingsu and choose how to top it up from a huge variety of toppings or opt for one of the pre-conceived cereal, ice cream, marshmallow, bean, or fruit-topped options. The savory dishes also have their share of devotees. Go for the Galaxy Burger if you want something meaty or one of the creamy soups if you prefer something light.

This colorful little eatery often gets packed, mainly thanks to its signature yen ta fo or pink noodle soup with fish balls, dumplings, a generous heap of green leafy vegetables, and a sprinkling of chili. Piranya also slings other delicious dishes by the bucketload.

Grab your chopsticks and tuck into tom yum, crispy shrimp balls, and more, each one packed with punchy flavors.

This eye-catching glasshouse restaurant has been feeding hungry students and shoppers Korean comfort fare since it came to Bangkok in 2014. It's an ideal space to enjoy a hearty beef or seafood tokpokki hotpot, bite into fried rice kimbap, and be transported from Siam Square straight into the streets of Seoul.

This purveyor of traditional Thai khanom or snacks makes a big impact despite its low-key appearance, particularly when it comes to soft rolled pancakes stuffed with a variety of custardy or chewy fillings. We guarantee that, as you approach the small shop front and get a whiff of these treats cooking on the griddle, you’ll start mentally calculating just how many carbs you can eat in one sitting. The bite-sized pandan pies are also top-notch — it’s in the name after all.

Churning out this traditional Thai dish for 20 years, there is a degree of authenticity that is felt at Somtam Nua well before its signature hits the table. While the classic som tum is the go-to, you’ll be tempted to sample options dressed up with pork sausage or crispy catfish. Other Isaan dishes include grilled beef with spicy sauce and or deep-fried chicken wings.

This mecca for boat noodles has become an institution of sorts since opening its doors in 1998 — and for good reason. Each bowl of its signature dish — a mix of tender pork slices, thin chewy noodles, vegetables, chili, and blood broth — practically slaps you in the face with flavor.

Tonoak is on everyone’s list for a few reasons: fresh food, flavors you’ll find at grandma’s kitchen, and great value. This is the best balance between price and quality you’ll find in Bangkok, with the business mostly kept afloat by hungry tourists, and office workers and students looking to save their cash. The menu is full of comforting home-style meals that are perfect for sharing, such as minced pork balls, Thai-style omelettes, and cat rice (fried rice with Thai mackerel).