Once one of my favorite restaurants, I haven’t ventured out to Anna and Charlie’s Cafe in Bangkok, Thailand in a while. Located on the opposite side of the city from where I live, with so many dining choices in Bangkok it’s sometimes easy to forget your favorite places. But, last weekend I finally made it back to Anna and Charlie’s Cafe when a close Thai friend took me out for dinner and suggested we go there. With its selection of Thai and western food, Anna and Charlie’s Cafe, as usual, was perfect for both of us. So much so, I won’t be forgetting it again in a hurry.
Location of Anna and Charlie’s Cafe – Situated on the corner of Narathiwas and Ratchada in the Chong Nonsee area of Bangkok, Anna and Charlie’s is a large cafe with both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a VIP area.
Atmosphere at Anna and Charlie’s Cafe – While I’ve eaten here during the day, I much prefer the evening time as, to me, the delightful atmosphere of Anna and Charlie’s Cafe really comes alive.
During the day, it’s very much a typical Thai restaurant with large floor to ceiling windows, which make it light and bright, and an open-plan design. But, as it’s also an absolutely massive place, it’s not particularly cozy or warm-feeling . Plus, as it’s decorated quite low-key and a bit stark, to me during the day it’s not the prettiest of places. But, at night, when the darkness closes in, with the large windows and the dimmer lighting, Anna and Charlie’s is warm, cozy and romantic – and that’s what I love about it.
The staff at Anna and Charlie’s is lovely too. Knowledgeable about the food they serve, friendly (but not overly so), they take your order quickly, the food arrives fast and, unlike at some restaurants in Bangkok where staff has a problem with the accent of westerners speaking Thai, you always get exactly what you ordered.
Food at Anna and Charlie’s Cafe – As a Thai friend of mine said, and I agree with her, Anna and Charlie’s doesn’t serve the best Thai food in Bangkok but they do serve consistently good Thai food. Besides, even if you’ve never eaten here before, when you first arrive you know it must be good as it’s always crowded with Thais. Believe me, Thais never eat at a bad restaurant more than once and Anna and Charlie’s Cafe has been packed for years.
The menu is large, with a wonderful mix of Thai and western cuisine. I tend to order only the Thai food, as it’s good, but on the couple of occasions I’ve eaten western fare, it’s also been excellent.
On my last visit to Anna and Charlie’s Cafe, I ate with a Thai friend who always has to order half the menu. He has a big appetite and an even bigger wallet so ordering seven dishes for two people is par for the course.
We started off our order with sauteed shrimp and broccoli (lovely). We then added kaeng kiew warn gai, a chicken green curry that at Anna and Charlie’s they serve with roti. Pork donuts (fried battered pork), yam plaa dook foo (spicy fried catfish with mango sauce) and stir fried chayote in oyster sauce finished out the Thai dishes. We also ordered baked spinach gratin, which is excellent here and quite large in portion size, and an order of Anna’s mashed potatoes.
To say I rolled out of there a couple of hours later would be an understatement. We ate so much food I could barely breath for the rest of the night but, as it was all delicious, my discomfort was worth it. My Thai friend, of course, ate even more than I did and barely seemed to register being full. Thais….I don’t know where they put the food and still all stay so thin.
You’ll find Anna and Charlie’s Cafe at 236 Soi Srinakorn, Chong Nonsee in the Yanawa area of Bangkok.
