For a fun lesson combining food and the birds and the bees, head to Cabbages and Condoms, where condom art fills the walls and the focus is on education, sexual awareness, and fun. You can eat good food for a good cause here. The restaurant raises funds for the family planning program with the Population & Community Development Association. It offers well-prepared standard Thai dishes such as sour and spicy shrimp soup, fried fish with chili, and chicken with cashew nuts, in a pleasant, covered but open-air dining area. If you want it really spicy, tell them: the heat is generally toned down for foreigners. Groups are well catered to here as there is plenty of space.
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For eating good Thai food for a good cause, Cabbages and Condoms is noteworthy.
Dave's expert tip: The Asok and Nana Skytrain stations are just about equidistant from Cabbages and Condoms. Walk from either station to Soi 12 and then just slightly down the alley.
With plenty of space in their fashionable dining room, large parties will love an evening of superb Indian food at Rang Mahal. Located in the chic Rembrandt Hotel with great views over Bangkok, you'll feel like you are dining in the time of the Raj here, surrounded by divans, cushions and oozing ambience. But it is not just the d�cor that sets Rang Mahal apart. The food is extremely rich, with a sauce laden Northern Indian menu the focus. Standouts include the Kashmiri Rogan Josh, a heavenly goat curry, and the Makhanwalla chicken, which is thick with the flavor of ghee (clarified butter). The garlic naan right out of the tandoori oven is also a common favorite. Yes, you will be paying for the food and experience here, but the atmosphere, location, and sumptuous meals are well worth the splurge and make reservations, as you won't be alone.
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For superb high end Indian cuisine, Rang Mahal ranks at the top.
Dave's expert tip: A good way to really enjoy all that is on offer at Rang Mahal is to come on weekends for the buffet brunch, where 950 baht will allow you to sample all the dishes and eat like a Maharajah!
While the French cuisine should be the main reason for coming here, perhaps even more enticing is the entire restaurant itself. L'Appart, hidden from the chaos of crazy Suhkumvit below, is a transported 19th century Parisienne apartment come alive in Bangkok. The open kitchen is light and airy, and even more charming than the well set tables and patterned floors are the various nooks and niches to be found in the adjacent rooms known as "the library." French classics are set on every table, along with newspapers and magazine, plush chairs and sofas, and every space just begs you to make yourself at home. The outdoor terrace is no slouch either, giving dazzling views of Bangkok's night skyline. With the tremendous amount of space they have here, large groups can take an entire room or niche for themselves, with plenty more to spare. Atmosphere aside, you are here for the food, and chef Jeremy Tourret churns out delicacies like steamed snow fish with black ink risotto or pan fried Australian lamb filet rolled in kaddaif, or the wonderful slow cooked chicken breast stuffed with Roquefort cheese and walnuts, and served with garden vegetables from the Royal Project. Needless to say, the accompanying selection of fine wines and champagnes are as good as it gets here in France, er, um, Bangkok.
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For some stylish French food in an amazing location, groups should head to L'Appart.
Dave's expert tip: Good idea to book in advance here, and also make requests for particular tables depending on whether you want to dine al fresco, in the kitchen, or set up in the romantic library nook.
For an amorous evening dining by the riverside and being entertained by classical Thai dancers, Sala Rim Naam remains one of Bangkok's classiest dining options. While the food may be spiced down for foreign palates, it is still a great spot to enjoy a wide range of royal Thai cooking, with classics such as tom yam goong spicy seafood soup or khao soy northern style noodles in yellow curry. The location of Sala Rim Naam is its big draw, set on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, and the restaurant is housed in a traditional Thai pavilion in the northern Lanna architectural style. Additionally, classical Thai dance performances that are featured with dinner here each night are an excellent accompaniment to an elegant night out. As the dining area here is immense, large groups are well catered to as well.
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For traditional Thai food accompanied by dancing in a gorgeous setting, Sala Rim Naam is excellent.
Dave's expert tip: The best way to get to Sala Rim Naam is to take the Mandarin's free hotel ferry boat from the pier outside the Saphan Taksin Skytrain station, and then take their cross river shuttle to the restaurant.
Got a big party that needs stylish place to enjoy a meal? Head for the unique Long Table, Bangkok's longest dining room venue, which features a 25 meter long table seating up to 45 people located up on the 25th floor of the elegant Column Tower, with views looking out over the city and Thai inspired fusion cuisine for all the folks at the table to sample. The minimalist diner is created by the people behind Bed Supperclub, the former most prestigious nightclub in Bangkok which recently shut its doors. Go for the chef's recommended menu which includes grilled Chiang Mai sausage, fermented pork ribs with fried garlic and grilled chicken wings, stuffed with pork & prawn and served with jim jeaw sauce. There are also excellent signature cocktails to go with the food. True to form, the official name of the restaurant is the Long Table of Bangkok, except that Bangkok's real Thai name, which is longer than this entire writeup, goes on the end, making it far too long to print here.
Recommended for Group Friendly because: for Bangkok's longest dining table, Long Table is it.
Dave's expert tip: Reservations are needed here, and there is a dress code, with no sandals for men, nor singlets or shorts allowed.
Based on a traditional Japanese izakaya, yet with a very sophisticated and elegant twist, and designed by Noriyoshi Muramatsu, the renowned architect and design head of Tokyo's Studio Glitt, Zuma features some of Bangkok's freshest and most innovative Japanese cuisine, in an immaculately planned urban setting. With a spacious open dining room along with a private area for parties, Zuma is well equipped to handle groups, and there will be something on the menu for everyone. While dinners can set you back quite a bit in the wallet, this famed eatery, with branches in London, Istanbul, Miami, and elsewhere now serves a set lunch where 490 baht for the classic course and 790 baht for the signature course gets you a meal that includes Zuma's famous black cod served along with miso soup, salad, chawan mushi, braised pork belly and steamed rice.
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For outstanding Japanese fusion in a warm environment, Zuma is a great choice.
Dave's expert tip: Absolutely not to be missed at Zuma is their unique signature cocktail, the "rhubabu," which combines rhubarb infused sake and vodka chilled at -42 along with passion fruit and served as a martini. Additionally, Zuma's outstanding wine cellar is stocked with over 1500 bottles of fine sake, wine, and champagne.
It might be more like going to a magic show than a restaurant when you see what comes out of the kitchen at Sra Bua. Modeled on the award winning Kiin Kiin restaurant in Denmark, run by chef Henrik Yde-Andersen and Lertchai Treetawatchaiwong, a Thai engineer-cum- gastronomist, Sra Bua sets out to overwhelm its patrons with dishes of amazing taste, texture, and presentation. Best of all, this amazing place is large enough to accommodate large parties. The tasting menus here are the way to go, offering a gastronomic road trip through all the best of Thai cuisine. The dishes don't look anything like what you are used to in Thai restaurants, yet all the flavors have been preserved and enhanced to the utmost. The tom yum soup is served as a broth with prawn noodles accompanied by a bowl of the ingredients like galangal and lemongrass which have been made into cold foams and powders. Mix the two together and you get one of the most amazing renditions of the dish you will ever experience. Another signature dish is frozen red curry with lobster, in which the red curry has been made into frozen ice cream and is served topped with lychee foam and comes on a plate that is smoked with liquid nitrogen. Mango and sticky rice for dessert comes disguised as a cotton candy ball, which explodes when syrup is poured over it, revealing the mango inside. Food presentation and taste doesn't get better than this, and Sra Bua is truly a Bangkok experience not to be missed.
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For molecular magic, there is nowhere quite like Sra Bua.
Dave's expert tip: reservations are essential and dinner is not cheap, running 2700 baht for a tasting menu. Get here by taking the BTS Skytrain to Siam, then walking through the Siam Paragon Mall following the signs for the Siam Kempinski.
Owner Kan Markawat and his sister Ploy come from a family of traditional foodies, and they have put their love of traditional and hard to find dishes from all over Thailand on display at the lovely new eatery, The Local, where one can dine in a 70 year old traditional teak home, outfitted with antiques, wooden bird cages, old paddles from the floating market, and bookcases full of Thai cookbooks from throughout the ages. There are private rooms for large groups here too, making it an excellent choice for a big gathering. The menu is large and varied and standouts include gaeng lun juan, which comes from the Rama V Royal Court and is made with beef or pork laced with aromatic Thai herbs and shrimp paste, highly aromatic and bursting with flavor. Another menu winner is the gaeng kua pla bai som pan kee maa, a spicy yellow curry fish with hard to find orange leaves from the south, and don't forget to save room for the homemade ice cream and perhaps one of the signature cocktails such as the Safflower, made with Mekong whiskey, safflower, and kumquat juice, and a perfect complement to the food.
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For outstanding hard to find traditional Thai food, the Local is a great choice.
Dave's expert tip: The Local is a good 15 minute walk up Soi 23 from its intersection with Sukhumvit. Best to hop on a motorcycle taxi (20 baht) from the corner. It's located just after the first intersection.
If you are looking for a unique and fun place to eat with a group, you can't beat Katron. Katron specializes in chicken, and to be precise, in flying chicken! At Katron, grilled chickens are put into catapults and then shot across the room to the waiters. They ready themselves on the other side - armed with helmets that have metal skewers attached to them, with which to spear the flying birds! If this weren't a stunt enough, the waiters additionally are riding unicycles, and they pedal full bore to meet the on-rushing chickens. On rare occasion, you might even see someone riding on the waiter's shoulders, somersaulting into the air to make a poultry catch as well. At other times, the chicken is set aflame before being launched! There is plenty of room in here to sprawl out, as it is outdoors and designed for large parties. The food here is average at best, but you aren't coming here for a gourmet experience, just to have a load of fun while munching down some grilled chicken!
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For fun and games with chicken, Katron is a novelty.
Dave's expert tip: Make sure to come before 8pm. Once a few chickens get launched, the show slows down until other diners arrive and order their own birds!
Not only is this a great place to come with a large group, it really is a non-touristy and really happening Thai nightlife and fun night out venue. What started out as a German microbrewery has morphed into one of Bangkok's best all encompassing entertainment venues. Now at two locations, the original Tawandang still combines a country western pub complete with excellent grilled ribs and tasty micro beer along with a very Thai music vibe, featuring live rock and pop acts each night, along with providing a giant dance floor for the sated diners to work off their dinners. It gets very lively in here and is an excellent insight to the Thai live music world, not to mention just a great spot to dance your *** off!
Recommended for Group Friendly because: For a fun group night out, Tawandang is unique.
Dave's expert tip: not an easy place to get to, but most taxi drivers know it (but make sure not to confuse it with "Isan Tawandang." Location is on the Chao Phraya River near the Rama 9 bridge.