It's been raining absurdly hard in Bangkok these past few weeks — crossing the street means mentally preparing to sacrifice your shoes. But the city's dining scene hasn't slowed down one bit. If anything, the rainy season has brought out several new spots worth making a special trip for — from a Milanese institution's Southeast Asian flagship, to a one-night-only Japanese sake pairing dinner, to a royal Thai menu that writes post-storm ingredients right into its dishes.
Cova— known to connoisseurs as Pasticceria Cova — first opened its doors on Milan's Via Montenapoleone in 1817, right next to La Scala opera house. This new outpost at One Bangkok marks the LVMH-owned brand's only flagship in Southeast Asia, with a two-story space decked out in gold trim and dark walnut. The opening ceremony drew Pasticceria Cova CEO Paola Faccioli and Italian Ambassador to Thailand Paolo Dionisi. Signature offerings include intricately structured pastries, the brand's famous pralines, and the globally beloved Cova Panettone — enough to carry you from morning espresso all the way to evening Aperitivo. The brand has also hinted at an standalone fine dining space opening before year's end, though details remain under wraps.
Meanwhile, over atMezzaluna by lebua, a one-night-only six-course sake dinner took place on July 2, spotlighting Fukui Prefecture's Jōzan sake brewery. Perched on the 65th floor with sweeping views over the Chao Phraya River, this French-Japanese restaurant has been helmed by chef Ryuki Kawasaki since 2015. For the occasion, Jōzan's ninth-generation brewer and Higashiyama Sake Brewery president Shinpei Tokoyama flew in from Japan to walk guests through the fermentation process and the thinking behind the label design, right at the table. The sake lineup spanned Junmai Ginjo, Junmai Daiginjo, and traditional Junmai, with varying rice-polishing ratios delivering everything from bone-dry to subtly sweet notes. The showstopper: Murakami wagyu from the chef's home prefecture of Niigata, paired with smoked skate, green asparagus, and wasabi — reason enough to book a table at this restaurant.
For those who want to hit up Bangkok's entire pop-up map in one go,World in One Biteis running simultaneously at Central Chidlom and Central Embassy through July 12, under this year's theme "Eat with Smile," bringing together over 120 of Bangkok's most popular food stalls. This edition partners with illustrator 3LANDBOY for its visual identity. On the LG floor, Eathai hosts street food favorites like Suki Por Siri, PASTA AMA, and Pad Thai Khun Choo, while the G floor's The Smiling Ground features an "MBTI drink-matching quiz" — after which you can head straight into SIWILAI City Club, now helmed by chef Narongrit "Inn" Saekho.
For those craving Japanese regional cuisine without leaving Bangkok, head toTsu Japanese Restaurantinside JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok. From July 1 through August 31, chef Atsushi Yoshida is handing the entire menu over to Tokushima Prefecture. The highlight is Sudachi Buri Sashimi — yellowtail cured with local citrus peel for a clean, fresh finish free of any fishiness — alongside Kabutoni simmered in sweet soy. Mains include Tokushima ramen topped with sweet soy-glazed char siu, or the traditional claypot Tai Meshi (sea bream rice), with a yuzu trio to close things out.
New Faces PoolsideTōst 49has opened at Townhall Sukhumvit 49, right beside the Marriott Apartments lobby. The purple signage gives away its focus right away — an extensive by-the-glass wine list with over 30 options, organized by music genre: Rock, Pop, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Disco Funk. The menu features a "bikini" pressed sandwich inspired by Barcelona nightlife culture, made with airy honeycomb-textured shokupan bread. On the other end of the spectrum, Western-style chicken, mushroom, and beef broths get the "khaotomified" treatment, served with jasmine rice, crispy chili flakes, ginger, cilantro, and scallions — essentially a hangover cure for Bangkok's morning-after crowd.
For those in the mood for something livelier,UNO MASat Centara Grand at CentralWorld is rolling out unlimited tapas and live-cooked pan seafood paella from 6 to 8 PM on July 23. Chef Borja Terry Borrego is teaming up with Red Sky's chef Luca Russo, plus guest chef Nicolas Aparicio "Manxeff" flying in from Lievre Gastronómico in Madrid. Priced at THB 999++ per person, with several limited-edition dishes exclusive to the event.
Most fitting for the rainy season theme isWisetwiso, where chef Chakkrapoom "Poom" Boonyakorn has launched a new royal Thai tasting menu built entirely around the concept of ingredients that regrow from the land after heavy rain. The opener, Kun Pra Bunjerd's Pa-naeng, pairs Lanna beef with palm seeds and coconut meat, with rice tossed in palm sugar syrup. The winter melon soup arrives with a glass dome lifted tableside, releasing the aroma of freshly smoked Andaman sea fish. In keeping with the restaurant's zero-waste philosophy, the Thong-Su-Wan dessert transforms corn into a sweet-savory ganache montée, served with roasted corn silk tea and a butterscotch piece stamped with corn leaf patterns. The final course, a "Rainbow" petit four selection, includes Kao Hai vanilla passionfruit cheesecake, ginger-calamansi macarons, traditional Kayasart candy, and mango sticky rice puffs. Reservations can be made via the LINE official account @wisetwisobkk or by calling +66 98 919 2244. Full booking details and pricing for the other six venues should be confirmed directly with each establishment.
