Nine of the Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Bangkok

Nine of the Best Middle Eastern Restaurants in Bangkok

People come from all over the globe to visit Bangkok, and of course the local Thai cuisine is one of the main factors of appeal for many of them.

However, it’s sometimes surprising for visitors to the Thai capital to witness just how diverse the range of food on offer actually is. Thai cuisine, whether budget street food or expensive dining, is of course everywhere across the city. But there is also a fairly wide range of other choices should you get a little bored with chili-based dishes for whatever reason.

And so in this particular post we are focusing on the best Middle Eastern restaurants in Bangkok, of which there are actually surprisingly large and also growing numbers.

These particular eateries tend to be found around three main areas of Bangkok, namely the Sukhumvit Road area in the ‘Arab Quarter’ (which is covered in another post in more detail) around Soi 3/1, which is a kind of maze of back-streets sometimes referred to as ‘Soi Arab’, and an area abundant in restaurants trading in Lebanese, Egyptian, and Iranian styles of cuisine, among others.

However, this stretch is not for the majority of Thais, although the popularity of Middle Eastern cuisine has slowly spread out up to other stretches along the Sukhumvit somewhere between the slightly more modern and trendy areas between Soi 22 and 39, going into the Phrom Pong and Thing Lor regions, where you’ll find affluent Thais seeking different flavours along with visitors and expats.

Silom Road is another city central region where you’ll find, quite close to the Sala Daeng BTS station, a wealth of yet more Middle Eastern eateries. Silom Soi 23 has a reasonable Turkish population so you’ll find this kind of cuisine in just that area, along with a couple of other Lebanese and Persian offerings.

So let’s take a closer look at some of the best Middle Eastern restaurants that Bangkok currently has to offer. 

 

1. Beirut Restaurant

With branches in both the Silom and Sukhumvit areas of the city, here is a Middle Eastern restaurant in Bangkok that always seems to be packed.

Offering some of the best Lebanese food to be found in the Thai capital, the restaurants serve a range of freshly-made Lebanese cuisine and other Mediterranean-style dishes. This comes by way of an extensive menu which includes appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, vegetarian items, grilled meats, and combination platters, as well as a range of traditional sweets.

The restaurants do get quite busy at lunch time as they are all in centrally-located areas, and although you shouldn’t need a reservation during the week, it might be wise to make one if you are in a larger group, especially at weekends.

 Ploenchit Centre (Basement Level), Sukhumvit Soi 2, Bangkok

Hours: 10 am -10 pm

Tel: 026567377

 

64 Silom Building (Ground Floor), Silom Road, Bangkok

Hours: 11:30 am – 12 am

Tel: 026327448

Website: http://www.beirut-restaurant.com/

 

2. Nadimos

Here is another Lebanese restaurant with a modern approach to Middle Eastern food in Bangkok.

The restaurant specialises in traditional Lebanese cuisine in a modern and elegant setting, using only imported ingredients cooked by Lebanese chefs of the highest standards. 

The menu comprises an extensive choice of the usual favourites such as kebab khashkhash (tender skewers of charcoal-grilled lamb made with a rich tomato sauce), mokibbeh (the national dish of crispy wheat in a torpedo shape filled with a fragrant meat filling). There is also an extensive range of appetizing dips like hummus and grilled eggplant dip baba ghanoush.

Address: Address: Soi 24, Khwaeng Khlong Tan, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110

Hours: 10:30 am-9:30 pm

 Tel: 02 261 9816-7 (Sukhumvit Soi 24) or 02 266 9081 (Holiday Inn Silom).

Email: nadimos@nadimos.com 

 Website: https://www.nadimos.com/

 

3. Al Saray

Fine Lebanese & Indian Cuisine is the name of the game in this establishment located again in central Silom.

The exotic backdrop rife with aromas of colourful spices and regional seasonings is a veritable home-from-home when stepping in from the chaos of the Bangkok high street.  The homemade-style food and coffee come across as welcoming indeed to hungry visitors. 

On offer is a wide array of homemade cuisine on the menu, from intricate Lebanese mezze to grilled & baked dishes. The menu also comprises selected Indian curries, as well as a range of desserts. The dishes are strictly prepared according to Halal standards, and are made with prime ingredients related to true Lebanese and Indian traditional food

Location: 60/2 Soi Silom 2/1  Silom Rd. Bangrak, Bangkok 10500 (Opposite Silom Complex, BTS Saladaeng Station)

Open daily: 11:00 – 24:00

Tel: (+66) 22344988

Email: alsaray@gourmethouse.co.th

  

4. Arabesque

This restaurant is well known as a fine dining experience centred upon Egyptian & Indian cuisine, right in the heart of the metropolis of Bangkok, on Sukhumvit Road.  

Almost like a taste of Cairo on the backstreets of Bangkok, Arabesque is characteristic in all ways of the Arab quarter, in that the interior is exotically-decorated in arabesque designs and patterns, resplendent in subtle lighting. There’s a reasonably spacious outdoor area for dining which is primarily for drinkers.

Egyptian cuisine differs slightly from some of the other Middle Eastern fare like Lebanese and Persian in that that it tends not to rely so heavily on spices; and is somewhat more simplistic, with more emphasis on beans and vegetables. In this establishment though, the cuisine is influenced by dishes from across the region, and you’ll find kebabs brought centre stage and cooked to perfection in authentic clay ovens.

You’ll also find influences stemming from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan alongside traditional Egyptian recipes comprising exotic marinades and fragrances.

The Arabesque experience includes delicacies from the Royal house of Mughal including barra Kebab, sikandari raan and hyderabadi  biryani, to name but a few.

Bread and rice remain staples, and molokhiyya (a spinach-like vegetable) and the national dish foul mudammas, consisting of cooked, creamy fava beans, are eternally popular dishes in Egyptian cuisine.

You’ll find mixed mezze platters, and a variety of dips including the familiar grilled eggplant dip, hummus, tahina (creamy sesame dip) and baba ghanoush (pureed eggplant); which all go rather well with the freshly baked bread.

Then there is the somewhat more specialised murgh barra (spiced chicken chunks grilled kebab-style), Egyptian grilled barbecue fish, or another typical Egyptian dish, the fattah mozzah (layers of crunchy bread and rice topped with tender cubes of lamb in vinegar and garlic sauce).

If that all sounds a little on the heavy side, then there are a few salads on offer here such as the sweet, tangy fattoush, a mix of greens, pomegranate, chunks of tomato and cucumber, mixed in pomegranate molasses. There’s also a variety of tagines to choose from, which are basically tomato-based stews cooked in clay pots.

For that sweet tooth there is plenty of choice at the end of the menu, like the konafa, a crisp, syrup-soaked pastry with layers of nuts and honey, or maybe the labban eiraan (Egyptian yogurt). The authentic surroundings and extensive menu, not to mention the attentive service, all make this place worth a visit if Middle Eastern cuisine is on your list while in Bangkok.

Location: 68/1 Sukhumvit Soi 2, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10100
Phone: +66 2 656 9440, Mobile: +66 6181 6 6660

Contact: info@arabesquebangkok.com

Website: https://www.arabesquebangkok.com/

 

 5. Mohsen Restaurant

Another Silom-situated Middle Eastern restaurant comes by way of Mohsen, an Iranian establishment which offers a diverse and delicious range of fresh home-cooked Iranian food, otherwise known as Persian food.

Persian food is an almost unique slant on Middle Eastern cooking in that it uses fresh herbs blended with subtle yet aromatic spices like saffron with fruit, nuts, pulses, and vegetables.

Open for lunch and dinner, the reasonably-sized Mohsen Restaurant can accommodate 60-odd diners, and the menu contains a decent range of appetising Iranian cuisine such as kebabs and other grilled meats, lamb shanks, hummus, salads, rice dishes, soups, and fresh bread .

The style of Iranian cooking is similar to much of the other Middle Eastern styles, with all meats being Halal, except for the fact that it tends to be somewhat milder and more subtle in its choice of flavours in the same way as Egyptian food can be.

Even though this establishment is set in Silom, it shares an atmosphere similar to the best of those in the aforementioned Arab Quarter in terms of authenticity, and this is easily one of the most reasonably-priced restaurants that you will find for this type of food. 

Location: 6 Prachum Alley, Khwaeng Suriya Wong, Khet Bang Rak, Silom Road, Silom Bangkok 10500

Phone: 0642393616 – 0654793691 – 022353970

Hours: 11 am-9 pm

Website: http://mohsen-restaurant.com/contact/

 

6. Hummus Boutique

Here’s a Middle Eastern-style Bangkok restaurant dedicated almost entirely to Hummus, with the name being something of an indicator. Hummus lovers will find all manner of crafted variations on a theme in this place, a favourite with vegans & vegetarians due to its meat-free menu, or indeed with anyone preferring healthy approach to Mediterranean and ME cuisine.

Included in the menu of this company with 25 years of experience are Moroccan, Lebanese, and Turkish variations as well as Greek and Italian style dishes, and a few delights in terms of hummus such as avocado, cauliflower, and mushroom variations. Mmm.

Location: 999 Sukhumvit Rd, Khwaeng Khlong Tan Nuea, Khet Watthana, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok 10110 (BTS Thong Lor)

Hours: 11:30 am-8:30 pm

Tel: (+66) 092 819 8131

Website: https://hummusboutiquebkk.com/

 

7. Persian House Bangkok

Apparently Persian House was the first, and hence the oldest Persian restaurant in Bangkok, having been established around 30 years ago. These days the restaurant doubles as a retailer for the Dove Food & Beverage Company, a major supplier in Thailand of exotic and unique super food and their products.

The aim of Persian House has always been about introducing and offering prime, authentic, home cooked Persian cuisine in Bangkok, with focus on the ingredients, and tried and tested, original recipes.

High-quality, organic ingredients are the staples used to make the range of kebabs, stews, salads and dips offered by the kitchen of the restaurant, making for a delicious and healthy alternative to Thai food when you are in the nation’s capital.

Location: 48/2-3 (Soi Wat Khak), Pan Road Silom, Bangkok 10500

Hours: 11:00 am-10:00 pm

Website: https://persianhousebkk.com/

 

8. Shoshana

If you head out to Khaosarn Road for a look you’ll also find a few Middle Eastern-type restaurants as this is a popular place for tourists from all over to check out, including those from Israel.

Which is pretty much wherein the origins of Shoshana lie, in that the owner, after a visit to Thailand, decided to come back and try his hand at opening a guesthouse. Having its fair share of Israeli guests as part of the clientele, the guesthouse began serving up Israeli and other Middle Eastern-tinged cuisine, earning it the current name which means ‘rose’ in Israeli.

The reputation of the place and the food spread initially by word of mouth alone, and earned Shoshana a name as being a purveyor of some of the finest in the area for this type of food, which has huge appeal to many Khaosarn visitors and passers-through.

Location: 86 Chakrapong Rd., Talat Yod, Phra Nakron, Bangkok 10200

Tel: (+66) 02-282-9948 Mobile: (66) 084-942-6954

E-mail: shoshanarestaurant@yahoo.com

Website: https://shoshanarestaurant.com/

 

9. Ottoman Turkish Restaurant

Ottoman Turkish Restaurant is the place to find the flavours of Turkish cuisine, and especially the traditional Turkish-style shish-kebabs (beef, lamb, and mixed).

Even better, the place even offers Turkish-style flatbread pizza (pide), and also has a fair range of traditional, filo pastry baklava (try the one filled with walnuts and topped with butter syrup), and of course the Turkish coffee is a must (or tea).

This place has a Turkish owner and chef, from the southern regions, and hence offers cuisine with the same quality of dishes like those found in Turkey. Kilis, the owner’s point of origin, is considered the heart of Kebab and baklava country, so you won’t be disappointed if you fancy a bit of Turkish cuisine.

Location: Baan Silom Lifestyle Arcade, 653 Si Lom

Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500

Hours: 10: am-10:00 pm

Tel: (+66) 80 375 0816

Website/Menu:  https://ottomanturkishbkk.business.site/