3 unique places in the city for a tasty cuppa, plus a sip of something extra.

by Alexander Eeckhout

Coffee shops are abundant in Bangkok and although it’s easy to go to True, Starbucks or, and only if you really must, Au Bon Pain, it’s often more interesting to go to smaller, independently owned shops. They usually serve better coffee and are cozier and more intimate. We’ve selected three unique places in the city that all offer a tasty cup of old Joe, as well as a sip of something extra.

WWA

The fashion connoisseurs amongst you might recognize the name WWA. The Thai haute couture brand has been around for 12 years and when they moved to a bigger shop, the idea of having a café for their customers popped up.

The menu was created by English pastry chef Davina Pickering and thus features some British classics like a Welsh rarebit (THB 200) and a scone with clotted cream (THB 150). Nonetheless, the menu has been specially created for the shop and quite unique. The execution and presentation of the dishes is on-point – something that is to be expected from a fashion house. Even a simple iced Americano (THB 90) is served on a porcelain tray in a notably beautiful glass.

The interior of the shop is very industrial and minimal, and the latter can be said for the amount of seats as well. Eight seats keep the place quiet and exclusive. The owner explains that the main business is the shop and the café is an extension of it.

Do come if you’re curious about the fashion, and the food is a good introduction to the shop. Also come if you’re interested in enjoying a different experience. However, don’t come if you’re tired after a long day of shopping at Siam Square and are looking to get a proper meal.

WWA, 428 Siam Square Soi 7, Bangkok
(It’s close to the Hard Rock Café)
https://www.facebook.com/wwa.bangkok
http://www.wwa.co.th/
Open daily from 1 to 9 p.m.

One Ounce for Onion

Tucked away on Ekamai soi 12 you’ll find a place that looks like a clothing shop inside a coffee shop that is named after a vegetable. But interestingly, it’s a coffee-roasting business as well.

One Ounce for Onion is the result of a group of friends who decided to merge their coffee-roasting business, clothing shop and coffee shop together.

The coffee comes from Brave Roasters, which sources premium coffee from the North of Thailand and delivers to many establishments in Bangkok. They try to show that Thai coffee can be delicious as well. They serve coffee from other countries and also light meals. For example, a fruit waffle for THB 100 or smoky sandwich for THB 130. If you’re bored, look around the shop for the newest and hippest selection fashionable American attire, carefully selected by Onion.

To find it go down Ekamai soi 12 and take a left down a smaller soi opposite Niko Café, and you’ll pass a Mediterranean restaurant called Olive on the way.

One Ounce for Onion,
19/12 Ekamai 12, Sukhumvit 63 Rd., Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok
T. +6621166076
www.facebook.com/oneounceforonion
Open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Roots Coffee

When you walk into the shop you are greeted by the warm and rich scent of fresh coffee. Roots is primarily a coffee-roaster and sells mostly wholesale coffee, but they decided to let the public get a taste and turned their space into a café on Saturdays and Sundays, from 12 to 6 p.m. Although they might seem open during the week, as the space for their café is also the space for the roasting business and can look busy, they aren’t.

However, you should definitely drop by for a cup of coffee (THB 100) and a croissant (THB 50) at the weekend. The coffee they serve is simple but delicious. They don’t venture into fancy areas like aeropress or cold brews but rather let the coffee speak for itself. They want to show that coffee doesn’t take complicated machinery or processes to be good. Of course, the fact that they meticulously source and roast their own coffee is already a guarantee for a quality beverage.

If you like good coffee, this place is a must-see and if you’re longing for their black beverage after your visit, you can always subscribe to their coffee delivery service on www.rootsbkk.com.

Roots Coffee, Ekamai Terrace #2-4 295 Ekamai 15-17, Khlongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok
T. +66 88 190 5950
http://www.rootsbkk.com/
Open only at weekends from 12 to 6 p.m.