TOP 5 Hidden Local Food Gems in Bangkok Old Town

Are you bored of eating the same sandwiches and bread in your hostel around Khao San Road? Does the usual "Thai Food" at super malls just not taste authentic? Well, keep reading! Here are the top five hidden local food spots in Bangkok’s Old Town recommendation from The Routes Roots.

1. Seri

Image Credit: Kumtorn A, Google map

📍 Location
🕒 Hours: 10:00 - 21:00
📅 Closed on Sundays

Opened over 30 years ago, this restaurant is located inside the historic Phraeng Phuton neighborhood. The owner, a former royal palace cook, serves up ancient Thai recipes dating back over 100 years. Unlike modern Thai food, Seri’s dishes are not overly sweet but stay true to their original flavors of the Central Region. For an even cozier experience, head upstairs, where the bright blue walls, vintage photos, and air conditioning make you feel like you’ve stepped into a family home and taste their homemade food. FYI, since Praeng Phuton neighborhood used to be a royal palace (which you can read more in our self guided audio tour here), it feels as if you turned back time, eating old school Thai meal prepared by a royal cook at Seri

Our Favorites:

• Crispy Fried Pork with Salt and Chilies - Moo Krob Krua Prik Klua (order seafood sauce on the side—it's amazing!)

Our Tip : Go upstairs to be seated in a room with air conditioning! 

2. 100 Years Old House (Baan Roi Pee)

📍 Location
🕒 Hours: 10:30 - 13:30
📅 Closed on weekends

Image Credit: ATP Son, Google Map

Tucked away inside a small passage in a local community near Democracy Monument, 100 Years Old house is a family-run gem where the owner, a kind-hearted grandma, cooks fresh daily specials displayed on a whiteboard offering a Menu for locals. The dishes here, from preparing the ingredients, to cooking the food, are all prepared by the grandma herself. Since the restaurant is self serviced, regular customers often help serve food and clear tables, adding to the homey charm of this century-old house.

Each day, the menu is different and there is a limited amount of food to be made, and the food is usually out by 12:30, therefore, please make sure to come before that! Otherwise, you would have to come back tomorrow!

Our Favorites:

• Stir Fried Shrimp with Garlic - Kung Kra-theam (extra shrimp fat topping from grandma!)

• Shrimp Paste Fried Rice - Khao Kluk Kapi (a good way to try “Ka-pi” or shrimp paste in a softcore way)

Our Tips : 

-Don’t forget to take a sneak peak on the house where its name originates. That’s the royal officer house from King Rama VI’s era, around 1920s

3. ลงเอย (Long Oei)

📍 Location
🕒 Hours: 11:00 - 14:00 / 16:00 - 19:30
📅 Opens Everyday

Image Credit: ณัชชา ชาช่า, Google map

Behind a trendy café in front of Rachabophit Temple, lies this secret restaurant with a black interior, often mistaken for a regular townhome. Don’t be afraid!, nothing suspicious is going inside! By reading colorful stickers on the glass door, this place is actually a popular restaurant among the locals around Bangkok Old Town, known well for its delicious food and cozy atmosphere. Here, customers enjoy beer and authentic Thai dishes while chatting the evening away with only a few tables inside, one nice lady, and one auntie who cooks the meal for everyone! These two ladies have been running the store for over 18 years!

Our Favorities:

• Crab Stir-Fried Crab with Yellow Chili - Pu Pad Prik Luang

• Stir-Fried Clams  with Roasted Chili Paste - Hoy Lay Pad Prik Phao

• Crispy Pork with Salt and Chili - Muu Krob Krua Prik Klua

Especially recommended is their crispy pork, a rare find in Bangkok, where deep-fried citrus leaves add a tangy aroma to each bite, and the portion of the food is large!

Our tips: Generally, when you encounter old stores who look like they are just normal houses in Bangkok, don’t judge a book by its cover! Just trust your guts, and go in and try the food! They are always worth the money.

4. ต้มยำหัวปลา ตาป๋อง (Tom Yum Hua Pla Ta Pong)

📍 Location
🕒 Hours: 11:00 - 21:00
📅 Closed on Sundays

Despite its name translating to "Fish Head Tom Yum Grandpa Pong," this eatery serves much more than tom yum. Popular among office workers and civil officers, the restaurant is known for its savory Chinese-Thai style dishes of what we call “Ran-Kao-Tom” where you can order a variety of dishes to be eaten with either rice or rice porridge. 

For the base, choose between white rice or rice porridge (rice cooked in warm water). We personally recommend ordering the boiled rice, as it helps balance the greasiness of the food, leaving only the delicious flavors behind. Additionally, this place still serves traditional rice porridge, cooked in a clay pot over a charcoal stove!

There's no printed menu—just a white sheet of paper and a pen for customers to write down their orders, all displayed in Thai at the entrance. 

Our Favorites:

• Stir-Fried Crispy Pork with Deep-Fried Garlic - Moo Krob Thord Kra Theam

• Fermented Pork sausage Omelette - Kai Jeaw Naem

• Deep-Fried Pig Intestines with Garlic - Sai Thord Kra Theam

Our tips:You can sit facing the road and watch people walking by, allowing you to fully enjoy the street food experience!

5. ก๋วยเตี๋ยวคั่วไก่ป้าเพียร (Aunty Pien Charcoal Stove Fried Noodles)

📍 Location
🕒 Hours: 9:00 - 16:00
📅 Closed on Sundays

Image Credit: Arinrada Rukchobthum, Google Map

Unlike the other restaurants on this list, this food stall specializes in one dish: Stir-Fried Chicken Rice Noodles - Kuy Tiew Krua Kai. Located at the entrance of a small alley, this no-frills eatery features a simple setup—just a few foldable tables and a small cooking station and a basic roof on top. Orders are straightforward: tell the vendor how many bowls you want, pick a noodle type, and find a seat.

The dish is cooked using a charcoal stove and brass pan, giving it a nostalgic, smoky flavor that reminds locals of childhood home-cooked meals. It’s so flavorful that most diners skip the dipping sauces altogether.

Our Favorite pick: Our most beloved type of rice noodles is the yellow egg noodles! Make sure to order Sen Bah Mi as your selected rice noodle!

Our tips: You can also ask for an extra pork BBQ sauce on top for a more intense flavor!

Experience Bangkok’s Hidden Culinary Gems

All of these spots are simple, no-frills eateries without fancy decorations or air conditioning. What they lack in aesthetics, they make up for its authentic flavors and a true taste of Bangkok’s Old Town. These hidden gems reflect the city’s local community and its deep-rooted food culture, where restaurants thrive not just on service, but on the taste of their dishes and the personal connection between sellers and regular customers.

Keen to try? You can navigate through Bangkok’s old town neighborhoods and stop by these places along the way with our self-guided audio tour here.