The Bangkok-based entrepreneur and co-owner of Sarnies Group lets us in on his favourite dining spots in the land of smiles
When you think of Sarnies, you immediately think of proper sandwiches and coffee. The local coffee brand needs no introduction. Back in 2019, an expansion of the Sarnies Group saw it break into Bangkok’s brunch scene where it took over the space of a former 150-year-old boat repair shop along one of Bangkok’s hippest districts in Charoen Krung. Today, having successfully opened and operated more than 20 outlets across Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, the group looks to Bangkok’s emerging cocktail scene where they most recently debuted F*nkytown—the group’s very first cocktail bar.
As part of the Asia tour, F*nkytown pops up in Singapore where they will showcase their funky libations—like oyster, tom yum and pain au matcha—on March 6 at The Elephant Room.Tatler Dining caught up with co-owner Eric Chan—who relocated to Bangkok in 2017—ahead of his homecoming to ask about his favourite cafes in Bangkok right now. Here are his recommendations in no particular order.
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Songwat Coffee Roasters
“There are many coffee shops and cafés in the old city and Chinatown area, but these guys stand out with great coffee. Song Wat is a cool road that runs parallel to Yaowarat Road (Chinatown), previously undiscovered but now gaining popularity. I often spend my weekends in the old city exploring Chinatown, the markets, and searching for local food eats, and this is a great place to start the day with excellent coffee. Try their Viennese coffee; it comes with delightful salted butterscotch cream and some local chocolate shavings. One of the owners of this café, Golf, also has a fantastic local beef noodle store a few shops down if you’d like to fuel up.”
Songwat Coffee Roasters
Address: 578 Song Wat Road, Chakkrawat, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100