Bangkok offers plenty of options for a proper Christmas dinner, from hearty German fare to a New Orleans buffet to a traditional British roast. Here are three of my favorite restaurants for the holiday, with their locations, menus, and prices.
It was around seven thirty. The staff came out and lined up on the floor. I took a bite of my chicken, watching closely, then put my fork down, grabbed my daughter, and balanced her on my knee. We both peeked over the balcony of the second level, where we had been eating our dinner. The music came on and the staff below us began to sing and dance. They slid their feet and circled their hands. My daughter, enjoying the theatrics, tilted her head left and right to the rhythm of the music.
From the inside, it would’ve been hard to tell that we were in the middle of Bangkok, celebrating what would normally be a cold and snowy night in New Jersey. But if you looked past the decorations and the giant tree, toward the front door, just through the stained-glass window, you could make out the colorful taxis and speeding motorbikes and fish ball peddlers. All of which give Bangkok its unique character.
Key Takeaways
- Bangkok has Western Christmas dinner options well beyond the big hotel buffets if you know where to look.
- Bei Otto serves classic German food and has moved from Sukhumvit 20 to New Phetchaburi Road.
- Bourbon St. in Ekkamai runs a large Christmas buffet that suits families and groups.
- The Old English Pub on Thong Lo serves a traditional British Christmas Day set menu.
- Expect Western prices at these spots rather than local Thai prices.
- Christmas menus and prices change every year, so confirm with the restaurant before you go.
- Book ahead, as the best tables fill up quickly on Christmas Day.
And there’s nothing wrong with that. But every Christmas, I feel the need to do the day differently. And that means taking the family to one of our favorite restaurants for a Christmas dinner. Below are three of my favorite spots. I’ve included them, not just for the food, but for their ambiance and service.
Bei Otto
Otto Duffner opened Bei Otto in 1984. The restaurant was small and simple. But over the last 40 years the German eatery has developed into a one-of-a-kind restaurant. Aside from the eating area, they have a wine bar, a deli, a bakery, a butchering facility, and an eat-in diner.
Whenever I take my family out to eat, Bei Otto is always on top of my list. The restaurant holds a special place in my heart. So I might be biased by including this restaurant on my list. But then again, maybe not. It looks like I’m not the only one who feels this way. Diners still rate it among the best German restaurants in the city, even after its move.
It’s not so much the food that gets me—although it’s up there with my Oma’s home-cooked German meals. It’s the ambiance. Looking at Bei Otto from the street, you’d never guess you had your back to Bangkok. I don’t know how they did it, but the owners managed to redesign the existing structure to make it look like a German cottage, or what they call a “schwarzwaldstube.”
Every time I eat at Bei Otto I forget, if just for a few hours, that I’m in the heart of Bangkok. The motorcycles and tuk-tuks and street vendors are silenced on the inside of the cottage, where the family-style seating and pictures on the wall and wood trimmings and smells of sauerbraten and goulash, and the taste of potato balls and cucumber salad, all remind me of Christmas dinners at my Oma and Opa’s house.
Location
Bei Otto moved from Soi Sukhumvit 20 in 2021 and now sits on New Phetchaburi Road, near Italthai Tower, with the entrance between the Esso and Shell petrol stations. Check their website for the exact address and opening hours.
Food
Bei Otto serves mostly German food. Their menu consists of kartoffel-lauchsuppe, a potato leek soup topped with crispy bacon and served in a bread bowl, as well as German classics like sauerbraten, rinderroulade, and rindergulasch. They also have a selection of vegetarian dishes and sandwiches.
Service
I’ve never had any issues with the service at Bei Otto. The staff are attentive and often come by the table to check how you’re doing. And they all dress in traditional German outfits. Except on Christmas, where they dress in another traditional outfit: Santa’s.
Prices
Just because you’re in Thailand don’t expect to get Thai prices at Bei Otto. Your food bill will run you the same as it would had you eaten at a German restaurant back home. Plan on roughly THB800 to THB1,600 per person for a full meal with a drink, with the mains making up most of the bill. Check the current menu before you go, as prices have climbed over the years.
Bourbon St. Restaurant and Oyster Bar
Doug Harrison opened Bourbon St. Restaurant and Oyster Bar back when the New York Mets won their second ever World Championship in unforgettable fashion. And although the Mets have never won a championship since, Bourbon St. has continued to win. Bourbon St. has been transformed from a small restaurant to an entire building, complete with New Orleans-style apartments.
I’ve never been to Bourbon Street in New Orleans. But I have been to Bourbon St. in Bangkok a handful of times—once on Christmas. And if you ask a Yankee like me, they’ve nailed what I expect to be the Southern experience.
The owner makes his rounds to each table, introducing himself to new patrons while catching up with old friends. The staff are cheerful and take pride in their work.
For the restaurant, it does give off a Southern feel. The outside of Bourbon St. looks like it belongs on, well, Bourbon Street. On the inside, a bar spans the first floor dining area. And the second floor seating overlooks the entire restaurant.
Location
Bourbon St. Restaurant and Oyster Bar is located on Ekkamai Road, down the block from BTS Ekkamai on the Sukhumvit line.
Food
Bourbon St.’s Christmas buffet is perfect for families. If you plan on having lunch or an early dinner, you’ll have to make reservations from 12:00pm to 4:00pm. After 5:00pm, it’s first come first serve. Their buffet has over forty items, including salads, pastas, seafood dishes, a variety of meats, and desserts. Regulars who do the Christmas buffet consistently praise the quality, saying the kitchen keeps its standards high despite the set price.
Service
The staff at Bourbon St. are always within arm’s reach. And if you decide to order something other than the buffet, you won’t have to wait long for your food. If you’re a veteran Bangkok foodie, then you’re used to getting appetizers after or during your main course. But at Bourbon St., everything comes out in the expected sequence.
Prices
Bourbon St. runs a Christmas buffet every December. Expect to pay on the order of THB1,000 per adult, with reduced rates for children and seniors and free entry for young kids. The exact price and seating times change each year, so confirm with the restaurant closer to the date. For regular dining off the menu, budget around THB800 to THB1,600 per person.
The Old English Pub
If you want a Christmas dinner that feels like home for the British crowd, The Old English Pub on Thong Lo is hard to beat. It is a proper pub for most of the year, with sport on the screens and a pool table in the back. But every December it puts on a traditional Christmas Day menu that pulls in families and groups of friends.
It is the kind of place that does the holiday without fuss. No dress code, no stiff service, just a warm room, a pint, and a plate piled with turkey and all the trimmings. For homesick Brits, it is about as close to a Christmas back home as you will get in Bangkok.
Location
The Old English Pub is on Sukhumvit Soi 53, a short walk from BTS Thong Lo on the Sukhumvit line.
Food
The Christmas Day menu is a three course set. You start with pumpkin soup or pigs in blankets on mash with cranberry, move on to a traditional turkey dinner with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, brussels sprouts, cranberry sauce, and gravy, then finish with a selection of Christmas desserts. There is a nut roast for vegetarians, and you can upgrade the main to beef Wellington if you book ahead. The rest of the year the kitchen serves British, international, and Thai pub food.
Service
This is a relaxed pub rather than a formal restaurant, so expect a friendly, casual setting. On Christmas Day they run several seatings through the day, so book the slot you want early because the popular ones go fast.
Prices
The Christmas Day set menu costs THB995 for adults and THB495 for children under ten. Festive menus are priced fresh each year, so confirm the current rate when you book.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re looking for a small eatery or a large restaurant to eat Christmas dinner at in Bangkok this year, I hope these three less-talked about options will help. If you want more ideas, see our roundup of the best restaurants in Bangkok, and for festive sightseeing, here is where to find the city’s best Christmas trees and lights. Once the holiday is over, you can start planning for the Thai New Year celebrations too. And how about you? Where’s your favorite place to eat Christmas dinner in Bangkok? Let me know in the comments section below.
Deutsch:
Français:
Español: