Simple wooden-house riverside restaurant between ICONSIAM and Millennium Hilton, with fairy lights, live music and wallet-friendly Thai dishes.
Be My Guest is one of those riverside places you’d walk straight past if you didn’t know it was there. Down a small lane beside the Millennium Hilton, a modest white-and-blue wooden house opens onto a low deck just above the Chao Phraya, wedged between the hotel and ICONSIAM’s glittering towers. Inside it’s simple and a little worn-in – plastic-covered menus, wooden tables, a small stage – but once you sit down, it becomes clear why locals keep sending friends here. Plates of Thai seafood and stir-fries arrive quickly, beer stays reasonably priced and the view is pure big-river Bangkok: barges drifting past, dinner cruises turning slowly in the channel and the skyline lighting up as the evening goes on. It’s not trying to be fine dining; it’s a relaxed, slightly old-school neighbourhood hangout that just happens to sit on one of the best stretches of riverfront in the city.
The menu reads like a greatest-hits list of Thai restaurant staples: tom yam, curries, fried rice, stir-fried morning glory, spicy salads and a long line of seafood dishes. Fried fish with herbs, steamed sea bass in lime and chilli, prawns, squid and shrimp cakes are regular crowd-pleasers, backed up by easy plates for less adventurous eaters. Flavours lean approachable rather than ultra-fiery; if you want proper spice and local seasoning, it’s worth telling the staff you like it “Thai style”.
What you’re really paying for here is the combination of atmosphere and value. Compared with the neighbouring hotels, prices stay refreshingly down to earth, and you can linger for hours over a few shared dishes, a big plate of river fish and cold beers while the river show plays out in front of you. Live music most evenings – usually Thai classics and soft pop – adds a gently festive feel without turning the place into a party spot. Couples, families, solo travellers and expats all fold in together, which only adds to the easy-going, “come as you are” charm.