The Old Phra Arthit Pier

Despite its determination to be the first restaurant on Phra Athit row to serve decent authentic Thai food, the Old Phra Arthit Pier still misses the mark. The open-air eatery looks like it has been sitting on the riverside for years, but in fact, it’s a new addition to the neighborhood. The comfortably weathered old school look is pulled off by the use of dark wood planks for the floor, wooden tables and chairs, rattan couches with colorful cushions and dark green ceramic dishes. The powerful old fans do a good job enhancing the river breezes, while the retractable awning protects you when the rain comes. The short three-page menu is made up of farang-friendly Thai favorites, sandwiches and rice and noodle dishes. To woo more neighborhood office workers, the restaurant offers special prices on its daily selected rice dishes during lunchtime, which means you can enjoy a normally B120 menu for only B45. However, the majority of the clientele remains foreign and almost everyone follows the recommended dishes on the beautiful photo menu. Unfortunately, some fail to live up to expectations. Served in a terracotta pot, the tom yum goong included crisp slices of young coconut that help provide a nice texture. However, the soup was bland and watery with small over-boiled shrimps. The khao ob saparod (fried rice served in a pineapple shell) was poorly executed: the rice was burnt and the overall flavor was too sweet. When you manage to find tasty dishes on the menu, chances are they are overpriced. The recommended deep-fried shrimp cakes, for example, were crisp and non-oily, but the price tag should get you more than four small pieces. The beef massaman came simmered in flavorful curry, but included only five chunks of tough beef. It’s not all like that, though. Fragrant with hints of kaffir lime, the chu chee goong delivered juicy shrimp in a rich, milky red curry sauce. And the crunchy deep-fried grouper contrasted nicely with the sweet and sour mango salad. The dull dessert menu features only a few ice cream options and banana fritters, so you might want to skip the sweets and go straight to the cocktails or house wine. All in all, the Old Phra Arthit Pier is better place to relax and enjoy a chilled cocktail than dinner.