About a 10 minute walk from the Grand Palace, right along the Chao Phraya River and next to the docks of ferry boats that bring you to and from many different locations throughout Bangkok, is an award-winning Michelin restaurant called Rongros. Nestled down the end of a short street, surrounded by parked tuk-tuks and the sound of boat motors nearby, Rongros is small and cozy, with only a handful of tables inside and on the rooftop. I was ready to get my hands on delicious Thai cooking, and Rongros was highly rated on many lists that I found. Not only is their food sinfully delicious, but you can’t beat the incredible view of Wat Arun as you enjoy a plate of pad kaprow and the cold, refreshing juice of a young coconut. We dined here for lunch after spending the morning at the Grand Palace, with our concierge at our hotel making the reservation for us about 3 weeks in advance. Reservations are a must, even for lunch, and especially if you want a table at the window (which requires a minimum spend).

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Right next door to Rongros is another award-winning riverside Thai restaurant called Suppaniga Eating Room. This restaurant has a few branches around Thailand with a couple in Bangkok, and it’s also not full of many tables so a reservation is a must. We chose to dine at Suppaniga Tha Tien, as it’s the one on the Chao Phraya river. We tried to order different things here than we did at the restaurant next door, such as tom yum soup and a passionfruit mocktail. The beau also introduced me to kanam krok, which are mini coconut milk pancakes, and one of his absolute favorite treats in Thailand. We visited several temples in the morning before arriving a bit early for our lunch. Despite being a half an hour early, they still seated us at a lovely table by the window. This was our lucky day, since the river had been shut down for a dress rehearsal of a royal procession.

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The concierge at our hotel told us that we should consider a lovely leisurely walk around the flower market after lunch. As we stepped inside the vast market, the scent of jasmine and orchids filled the air. The flowers were stunning and extremely well cared for, and after a half an hour of walking around, the beau ended up buying a few bags of jasmine flowers that he thought I’d like to enjoy in a bath (he was right!). Before we made our way back to our hotel, we decided to stop at Floral Café at Napasorn, which was also our concierge’s suggestion, especially after we saw a sweet, sleepy kitty outside the front door. The café is upstairs from a cute flower shop, and feels very much like an open secret. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d have no idea. We chose to visit after lunch time, when everyone was back to work or exploring, so we had the café to ourselves for a bit. We enjoyed some refreshing Thai iced tea, and even though we were quite full from lunch, we still managed to have room for their freshly baked, fluffy, and flavorful lemon poppyseed cake in a setting that felt very much like nature had found its way indoors.

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I knew our visit to Bangkok would not have been complete without at least one romantic dining experience at one of the city’s many rooftop restaurants overlooking the vast metropolis. Most of Bangkok’s rooftop restaurants are dreamy, but one of the dreamiest I found was Paradise Lost. Surrounded by hues of pink and luscious greenery, with a stunning view over the majority of Bangkok, including the Grand Palace in the distance, we sat down with glasses of wine just in time for sunset. Our sunset views became obstructed, however, when an evening thunderstorm began to roll its way in. As we began to dine on delicious crispy chicken and cheese baos and caesar salad spring rolls. The menu has changed since we last dined there, but it still looks absolutely delicious if you’re looking for a twist on American cuisine. Plus you can’t beat the view and the drinks. Reservations are recommended, and they are a must if you’d like to reserve a table by the glass edge.

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I wrote about Chon Thai in my post about our hotel The Siam, but I have to list it again anyway because it is just that good. Even if you are not staying at The Siam, it’s absolutely worth a visit for a quiet, romantic dinner on the river. We ate here for breakfast every morning (hotel guests only), but we also indulged in two lunches and a dinner. The dinner was on our last night in Bangkok, and even though our romantic sunset dreams were dashed by a lengthy, intense thunderstorm, it still made the entire experience perfect for lovers. As we sipped delicious California red wine and incredible rosella mocktails, we devoured the most amazing phad kapraow gai (spicy wok-fried chicken with garlic, holy basil, and chili typically served with rice). The beau, who is no stranger to Thai food, has repeatedly said it was the best phad kapraow gai he’s ever had in his life. I was in love with it too, but what I also fell in love with was their desserts. Not only do they have this dreamy, creamy coconut sensation, but they also have jasmine rice ice cream – jasmine flavored ice cream with rice pieces inside – and that instantly became my favorite ice cream flavor in the entire world. I’d go back to Chon Thai just to eat their phad kapraow gai and jasmine rice ice cream any day. Reservations aren’t required but I would make one anyway, especially if you want to eat inside in the AC.

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