Cheap Michelin Restaurants and Street Food in Bangkok- 6 Meals I Tried
Cheap Michelin Restaurants and Street Food in Bangkok- 6 Meals I Tried

Cheap Michelin Restaurants and Street Food in Bangkok: 6 Meals I Tried in 2026

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After almost a year and a half of living in Bangkok, I still haven’t run out of places to eat. You can have street food pad kaprao for 60 THB or a tasting menu costing thousands of baht per person, and lately I’ve been eating my way through the Michelin listed places where you’re still paying street food prices. Here are my reviews.

I ate at six of them: Bunloet, Ten Suns, Urai Braised Goose, K. Panich, Aheesah Roddee and Mae Prapha Crispy Pancake. Meals ran from 16 THB for a crispy pancake to 250 THB for a plate of braised goose, and three of the six fall into Michelin’s street food category.

The guide currently has 29 budget restaurants in Bangkok, and I chose these six based on the food they serve and their location. Honestly, I’m not a fan of pork belly or intestines, so I skipped those, and I went for the ones in the wider centre of Bangkok, because some of them are quite far out. Two of the six are dessert spots, and they’re the stars of the list. For each one I’ll tell you how to get there, what to do around, what I ordered, what I paid and whether I’d go back.

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Quick overview: what I ate and what I paid

PlaceWhat I orderedPriceMy score
BunloetEgg noodles with grilled pork80 THB10/10
K. PanichMango sticky rice130 THB10/10
Mae PraphaCrispy pancakes16 THB each10/10
Urai Braised
Goose
Stewed goose with rice and soup250 THB9.5/10
Ten SunsBraised beef with soup and noodles160 THB7.5/10
Aheesah RoddeeChicken biryani65 THB7/10
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Michelin restaurants in Bangkok: my POV, and why there are so many

There are three types of Michelin listing, so when someone tells you they’re going to “a Michelin restaurant” in Bangkok, it’s worth knowing which one they mean.

  • Michelin stars: one to three stars for exceptional cooking. Most of them offer tasting menus that cost a few thousand baht.
  • Bib Gourmand: places serving good quality food at good value.
  • Selected: places the inspectors visited, rated and recommended.

You’ll spot red Michelin plaques all over Bangkok, and some of them are old, from a single year, the last one in 2019, and then nothing. I’ve also learned they’re no guarantee of a great meal. I’ve had some amazing meals and some pretty average ones, which made me dig a bit deeper and find out why there are so many in the first place. It’s because the Thai government actively funds the Michelin Guide Thailand partnership to boost tourism.

The street food category is much smaller. In the 2026 guide it has only eight places in the whole Bangkok area, and I’ve eaten at three of them: Bunloet, K. Panich and Mae Prapha, all on this list.

The only one with a star is Jay Fai, who you’ve probably seen all over social media. I haven’t eaten there and I’m not planning to, because I’m simply not drawn to a viral sensation that in reality is still a simple eatery charging 1,500 THB for an omelette. I’m sure the food is tasty, so if you go, let me know how it was.

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The 6 cheap Michelin restaurants and street food spots I ate at in Bangkok

1. Bunloet

Location: Nakhon Sawan Road
How to get there: Grab, tuk-tuk, canal boat to Panfa Leelard Pier
What to do around: visit the Nang Loeng Market, Wat Saket and the Old Town
My score: 10/10

I stumbled across this eatery when I went to explore the Nang Loeng Market, which is the oldest land market in Bangkok. It had Michelin stickers for six consecutive years, so I was hooked. They have outdoor seating and an air-conditioned room inside. I came at lunch time and it was packed inside, but a lovely Thai lady offered me a seat at her table and then made sure I was handed a menu, because the staff weren’t really on it.

This little gem specialises in egg noodles and grilled pork, and that’s exactly what I ordered. There was an option to have it with or without soup, and in a small or large portion. I went without soup and chose large, because I knew portion sizes in Thailand generally aren’t that big.

It was really good, not sweet, just a delightful charcoal taste to the pork and fresh noodles, and there wasn’t a single fatty bit in it. It also came with wonton dumplings and some greens, and the portion size was just right. They also have crispy pork with rice and red sauce on the menu. You can wash it down with roselle, pandan jelly juice or Thai iced black tea.

I paid 80 THB for my meal and really wished this place was closer to home. I’d definitely go back because it was delicious.

2. Ten Suns

Location: Ban Phan Thom
How to get there: Grab, tuk-tuk, canal boat to Shrine of King Taksin the Great
What to do around: visit Khao San Road
My score: 7.5/10

This little traditional eatery is famous for its long-braised beef broth with noodles. We went on a Saturday morning, arrived just past 11am, and there was only one other guest. You can choose your beef with or without soup, with noodles or rice, and pick from slow-cooked cuts like cheek, tongue, shoulder, shank and Kobe beef. To make it easier, they have a laminated card with photos of each cut, which I found very helpful because I don’t like the fatty, gelatinous cuts.

I ordered the braised beef with soup and noodles. The meal was served within seconds, and the meat was super soft and nearly falling apart, but there were some gelatinous bits in mine, which I’m not a big fan of. The noodles were lovely and the broth was full of flavour, though a little too sweet for my taste.

This was the second most expensive spot on the list at 160 THB. I’m glad I tried it, but I’m not sure I’ll be back.

3. Urai Braised Goose

Location: Song Wat Road
How to get there: river boat to Ratchawong, Grab, tuk-tuk, MRT Wat Mangkon
What to do around: wander around Song Wat Road, Talad Noi and Chinatown
My score: 10/10

I’ve been to this spot at least three times already, which tells you how much I like it. The speciality here is braised goose with aromatic spices, and the family has been perfecting the recipe for over sixty years.

They open in two slots: 10am till 1pm, and 4pm till 7pm. On my last visit I arrived just after 12pm and got the last portion, so they sell out quickly. I think that’s mainly down to the location, which gets packed with tourists and Bangkokians, especially at weekends. So if you want to be sure of a meal, come around 11am or at 4pm for the second opening, and go during the week if you can. I’ve only seen massive crowds here at the weekends.

There are only a few tables, some inside and some out on the street. I always go for the stewed goose with rice and soup. It’s served with fresh coriander and soy sauce, and the star of the show is the dip made from ginger, garlic and vinegar.

The small portion of chopped goose, ideal for one or two people, costs 250 THB, the medium is 430 THB, and a portion of rice is 10 THB.

4. K. Panich

Location: Old Town
How to get there: MRT Sam Yot, Grab, tuk-tuk
What to do around: see the Giant Swing, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, the Grand Palace
My score: 10/10

K. Panich is known for one thing, and that’s mango sticky rice. They’ve been open since 1932 and have held a Michelin Bib Gourmand since 2019. They’re open from 7am till 5pm, and I’d really recommend coming earlier rather than later. I once came at around 3pm and they’d already sold out. Bear in mind they’re closed on Sundays.

The way it works is you order, pay in cash, and then they send you to a little eatery across the road where you can also order fruit shakes. Once it’s ready, they bring it over to you. You can of course also get it as takeaway.

It cost 130 THB and it’s one of the best I’ve had in Thailand. The sticky rice is just right, not overcooked or undercooked, the coconut cream has the right balance of sweet and savoury, and the crispy mung beans are the cherry on top. It’s a great sweet stop while you’re wandering around the Old Town.

5. Aheesah Roddee

Location: Khao San Road
How to get there: river boat to Phra Arthit, Grab, tuk-tuk
What to do around: Baan Chao Phraya Art Gallery, the National Museum, Old Tow
My score: 7/10

Aheesah Roddee is halal, and it’s one of those many simple eateries you’ll come across during your stay in Bangkok. We ordered the chicken and beef biryani. It was Saturday lunchtime and the place was pretty full, but we only waited about a minute for a table.

The meal came with a few slices of fresh cucumber, crispy fried shallots and a green biryani chutney, which I again found a bit too sweet. It was good, but honestly it wasn’t the best biryani I’ve ever had. The chicken one was only 65 THB and the beef one 85 THB. If you’re in the area looking for a cheap meal, I’d stop here.

6. Mae Prapha Crispy Pancake

Location: Phra Sumen Road
How to get there: river boat to Phra Arthit
What to do around: Khao San Road, Baan Chao Phraya Art Gallery, the National Museum, Old Town
My score: 10/10

This little place isn’t a restaurant, more like a place where you pick up your food and go. Although when we got there on a Saturday afternoon it started raining so heavily that one of the kind owners brought us two little stools to sit and wait on.

I don’t usually buy khanom buang, the crispy taco-shaped pancakes with sweet or savoury fillings and white cream, and honestly I wasn’t even planning on eating any. We only stopped because my husband loves them, but I tried one and ended up eating four on the spot.

They’re absolutely delicious and super crispy. They sell two types: the savoury one comes with shrimp, sprinkled with what I think was spring onion, and still has a hint of sweetness to it. The sweet one was less sweet than I expected, with a generous amount of shredded coconut and golden egg yolk threads.

You can buy as many as you like and they’ll box them up for you. One piece costs 16 THB. What struck me was that this little hidden gem didn’t even have its Michelin sign on display.

How to plan a Michelin food day in Bangkok

I deliberately chose restaurants in the central part of Bangkok. Most of them are in the Old Town and the surrounding areas, so you don’t have to spend hours travelling between them. In just a few hours I managed to visit Ten Suns, walk to Aheesah Roddee, and then finish with crispy pancakes at Mae Prapha.

Where to stay to be closest to them

Staying in the Old Town puts you within walking distance of most of this list. Chinatown works well too if you want Urai on Song Wat Road on your doorstep. Sukhumvit is fine as well, if you’re happy to combine canal boats (or metro), taxis and a bit of walking. If you’re still deciding, I’ve written full guides to:

Where to Stay in Sukhumvit, Bangkok: Best Areas & Hotels for Every Budget
Where to Stay in Old Town Bangkok: Best Hotels in Rattanakosin
Where to Stay in Bangkok Chinatown: Best Hotels in Yaowarat

Sort out your data before you go

Walking between some of these places, I wouldn’t have found them at all if I hadn’t had Google Maps open on my phone. You’ll also need data to book a Grab taxi or a tuk-tuk through MuvMi.

You can read more about why I use the eSIM Saily, or buy your Thailand data plan here.

FAQ: Michelin restaurants and street food in Bangkok

Does Chinatown, Bangkok have a Michelin star restaurant?

Yes, Potong is hidden away in the little alleys of Bangkok’s Chinatown. It’s run by Chef Pam, who was voted the World’s Best Female Chef in 2025. I haven’t eaten there, just walked past, but the design looks stunning. There’s also a cocktail bar on the top floor.

Which street food restaurant in Bangkok has a Michelin star?

It’s Raan Jay Fai, known for its crab omelette. It’s conveniently located in the Old Town, not far from Wat Saket on the Golden Mount.

How many Michelin star restaurants are in Bangkok?

As of August 2026 there are 41 Michelin-starred restaurants in Bangkok. Thirty-one have one star, eight have two stars, and only Sorn and Sühring have three.

What are some affordable Michelin restaurants in Bangkok?

All the restaurants mentioned above are pretty affordable, from a 65 THB chicken biryani to a 250 THB plate of braised goose that two people can share.

What is the Thai version of Michelin?

If you don’t want to follow the Michelin guide, follow the signs above the restaurants instead. Thailand has its own food guide, Shell Chuan Chim, better known as the green bowl. Pay attention and you’ll notice that some places have this sign of a white bowl with gold lining and a green pattern, a famous Thai food recommendation system created in the 1960s.


If you’re planning your trip to Bangkok around food, make sure to check out my guides to where to eat in Bangkok and the best restaurants in Sukhumvit.

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