Bangkok 9 Thai Restaurant

You'll find Bangkok 9 tucked into Exchange House on Lake Road in Bowness, where the kitchen takes its Thailand seriously. Walk in and you're met with that unmistakable aroma of lemongrass, fish sauce, and proper wok heat—the kind of smell that tells you they're not cutting corners. The menu reads like a proper Thai restaurant should: curries that build heat thoughtfully, papaya salads with actual punch, and pad thai that tastes like it should. It's unpretentious cooking in a neighbourhood that could easily drift towards the twee, which makes it refreshingly straightforward. The sort of place locals actually return to, not just tourists ticking boxes.