We have been to Bangkok so many times that we never do anything touristy… One day my kids will have to go there (when they are all grown up) and visit the temples, Grand Palace, night and floating markets… All the things that tourists do. When I go, however, it is more about eating and shopping. Sleep. Repeat. But let me tell you now that travelling with a three-year-old is a real pain in the bum for that. Expectations need to be non-existent as a three-year-old neither cares if you miss out on eating your favourite Thai dish or if you have time to shop. And sleep… that’s another thing altogether. Which is why coffee and cafe hopping is needed! Luckily, there is no shortage of cafes in Bangkok.
One of our regular places to eat, Chili Cafe.
I booked our holiday to Thailand through Luxury Escapes. A deal that was just too good to be true and yes, I was thinking of my three-year-old. The package came with two nights in Bangkok, staying at the Westin Grande Sukhumvit and then six nights in Hua Hin, staying at the Sheraton Hua Hin Resort and Spa (both now owned by Marriott).
Heaven, you say? Unfortunately, I’m not a traveller that likes to sit by the sea all day. And especially not in Thailand where food, culture, shopping and adventure abound! The idea of six nights stuck at a resort made me twitchy but I desperately wanted to take advantage of this great deal! I booked the package and prayed it would not be unbearable… first world issues I know. (I’ll tell you more about our experience in Hua Hin later. What I will say now is that it was beautiful and thoroughly enjoyed!)
To come… my write up on Hua Hin.
Whenever I buy something that sounds too good to be true, I always expect that something will not work out. Happily, our trip with Luxury Escapes involved hardly any hitches! The only thing that didn’t work exactly as planned was a car seat for my three-year-old. Please note that this trip and write up was not sponsored. We paid for our escape completely by ourselves. We bought the Ultimate Five-Star Thai Holiday for eight nights and paid for for the Celebrity Upgrade. Stay tuned for what I thought of Hua Hin.
A latte and Thai filter coffee at Roots Coffee, The Commons
Two nights = two cafes in Bangkok
Our accommodation at the Westin was fantastic. The room was comfortable and though the decor felt a bit tired, service levels were just as they should be. The Westin is right next to Terminal 21, a shopping centre that has an upmarket find-anything street market vibe. Be careful you don’t get lost in the rabbit warren of little shops, escalators to different floors and packed crowd.
Adjacent to the Westin and shopping centre is the Asok BTS (Bangkok’s train system) so we found it easier to just hop off and on the train if we wanted to go anywhere. Even with a three-year-old, it was just fine… until he discovered the existence of tuk-tuks, those crazy, open air, speedy three-wheel-mobiles that buzz around weaving in and out of traffic and prey on the tourist dollar… Once he had a ride on one, all he wanted to do was ride on tuk-tuks.
Sorry for the pic. This was taken from a car as we were going past in legendary Bangkok traffic.
Because we were staying in such a convenient location, tuk-tuks were actually a great way to get around… if you can brave them and not care too much about a fair fare because there is no meter and the only way is to negotiate with the driver.
Two nights in Bangkok with kids slowed us down a little so we didn’t get much done. But we did get to visit two cool cafes in Bangkok. One I had never been to and another that is an old favourite.
The Commons
The Commons looked kid friendly, even on Instagram. To be completely honest, I just wanted to try Roots Coffee. So, bright and early on a drizzly Saturday morning, after a huge buffet breakfast at The Westin (included in our package), I was dragging the family to The Commons. My evil plan was to stop for coffee and then visit a Thai restaurant called Supanniga. Neither were places I had been to.
One of the cool thinking spots at The Commons
The Commons in Thonglor was a short taxi ride from our hotel and it is a concrete monstrosity, both trendy, modern and designy. It houses Roots Coffee and numerous other food stalls on level one. Four levels tower above, joined by stairs and platforms, making it easy as you wind your way up with kids in tow. At each level and along the way are sitting areas and spaces to relax in. The top deck, where café Roast is located, there is a grassy patch where my three-year-old enjoyed running around in circles. How I wish I could have stayed for lunch at Roast but it was packed! And I was dying for some Thai food instead of the more cafe-style, Western menu at Roast.
Would have loved to have brekky here!
Back on level one, Roots Coffee is right at the entry looking all hipster with coffee connoisseurs and Instagrammers hanging around while skilled baristas work away. It’s just a bar area with perhaps four benches along the side but you can take your coffee to an area upstairs overlooking the bar or to any of the other loungy spaces at The Commons.
I tried their Thai filter coffee which was rather exceptional and now I wish I had bought a bag or two of the beans home with me.
Thai beans! I had no idea that Thailand produced specialty coffee.
Emquartier and D’ark Cafe
Our second evening in Bangkok was spent catching up with friends who recently moved there. We took a tuk-tuk to the restaurant and back. This resulted in our three-year-old saying the word tuk-tuk far too many times for my liking! Being the “designated parent” that evening, I had the kids back in our room and tucked into bed by 9.30pm. The Vegetarian took the liberty of staying out to visit his tailor and have a couple more drinks with our friends. He’s been going to Raja’s for over 10 years now and even if he hasn’t been there for several years, Bobby, the owner still remembers him and greets him by name when he walks through the door. He was not back till very, VERY late… Or should I say early in the morning? 😉
Doesn’t this seat look so welcoming!
This being the case, I had to get the kids out of the room so I took them to one of my favourite places. Emquartier and D’ark Cafe. We had a couple hours to kill before our noon transfer to Hua Hin and D’ark was the perfect location for a quiet coffee. The cushioned lounges were so inviting. I had a visions of a quiet, relaxed coffee while the kids played happily in the courtyard. This lasted about three minutes.
I had to bribe them to sit still with a hot chocolate… (top left).
Still, it was a lovely morning, just the three of us. I also tried my very first acai bowl… I am not a fan but they sure are pretty!
The offending but very pretty acai bowl.
Reluctantly we said bye-bye to Bangkok and off we went to Hua Hin. Spoiler alert, we did find some cafes in Hua Hin too! That post to come.