The Ari Coffee Crawl

Bangkok · 3–4 hours · morning

Five specialty coffee stops within a few minutes' walk of each other in Ari, from a hidden-gem roastery to the city's best matcha, a quieter backup matcha stop if the queue is too long, a decade-old antler-hung institution that just earned a Steep Pick, and finishing at the most photogenic room in the neighbourhood. Go on a weekday if you can.

The route

1. Roots at Ari
Ari, Phaya Thai
Start at the hidden gem. Roots has been developing Thai specialty coffee since 2013, and the cold brew and coffee protein drink both deliver on that pedigree. Cozy, unhurried, and the staff genuinely mean it when they are nice to you, an easy, low-key way to begin the morning.
3 min walk to the next stop
2. Matcha People
Ari, Phaya Thai
A short walk down the same soi for a change of pace. The Iced Clear Matcha here is genuinely the best matcha we have had in Bangkok, minimalist and calm, best experienced on a weekday before the weekend crowds find it.
4 min walk to the next stop
3. Everest & Co. at Gump's Ari
Ari, Phaya Thai
If Matcha People was crowded, this is the backup. Everest & Co. at Gump's Ari serves genuinely good matcha at a friendlier price, tucked into a quieter corner off the main street, with a solid espresso program too if you would rather switch back to coffee. Small and easy to miss, worth seeking out.
1 min walk to the next stop
4. Porcupine Cafe
Ari, Phaya Thai
Two doors down from Everest, the antler-hung institution that has anchored this alley for over a decade and just earned a Steep Pick. Order the cappuccino or the orange espresso and give yourself a minute to just sit in the room.
2 min walk to the next stop
5. NANA Coffee Roasters Ari
Ari, Phaya Thai
Finish at the most photogenic room in Ari, a two-story build of glass, timber, and garden greenery built for a slow look around. The cold brew is excellent and worth ordering, just go in with your expectations calibrated at the register, the service does not always match the room.