A friend adores eating out as well as trying restaurants. Banrie Coffee Bar and Restaurant did not escape her eyes of interest. After watching movie, we walked the path going to Ekkamai BTS Station as she would be taking the skytrain to Ploenchit and I will be taking the bus back to my place. And there at the corner of Sukhumvit 63 along Ekkamai is Banrie Coffee and Restaurant, at the foot of one of the four Ekkamai BTS Station exit, opposite the Bangkok Eastern Bus Terminal.
The setting and ambiance of the restaurant is one of a kind, not the typical airconditioned restaurant with a well decorated wall and neatly arranged chairs, but rather it has a sort of of antique look design of a garden. The view when seen outside looks like an old place that has not been taken care of and the brick walls around had been left to crumble or they had chosen to ignore. The trees and plants look like it just grew up and left as the way they grew up, not trimmed or were not under the caring hand of a gardener. The picture of the restaurant as I picture it in my mind is warm lighted ambiance due to the warm type of lighting, color of furniture as well. But when sitting in one of the tables in the open area, the ambiance makes the diners feel relaxed with a garden-like feeling though the tables and chairs are not the expensive wooden ones. I remember I had to choose the table where the chairs have a back support as some are benches. There are areas of different settings to choose from including an air conditioned room that would be good for a touch of fine dining (but not really fine dining). Diners also have the choice to stay out in an open area or in a covered air conditioned one.
The restaurant serves Thai foods for a complete meal as well as appetizers for those who wish to linger and pass the time while drinking some beer or other alcohol drinks while listening to the live music rendered by a Thai singer and a guitarist. The live music can be enjoyed in the open area as well as in the close room.
As the name calls for coffee, they serve special coffee with their own style of serving. It was evening that we dined and was not good for me to take coffee so I did not have the chance to try their coffee. However, my friend did and the serving was not the typical way of putting in a small cup for hot coffee but they put it in a medium sized drinking glass. I had learned the coffee came from the Southern part of Thailand, made of Arabica and Robusta beans which has been roasted to level 8. They described it in their website as bitter and make the drinker awake.
As it is a Thai restaurant, same as typical Thai restaurants, not all waiters and waitresses can comprehend English language and if ever they can, some can only understand very few basic English. When we dined for the first time, we pointed out most of our orders on the menu book. But when we ordered rice, since I am familiar with the name of fried rice with seafood I volunteered to tell the name "khao phad talae". A bit funny, at first they brought to us one cup of steamed rice in a white plate; second time, one cup of fried rice in the same type of plate. We were three and the dishes we ordered were for the three of us so it is common sense that the rice should be good for us three also. Finally, for the third time, they got it right. The second time we dined-in the restaurant, my friend ordered Pepsi but we were given a bottle of Coke.
There are many foreigners who go to the place and I do not understand why mistakes that can be rooted down to not understanding what the customers got to say. But anyway, if one can't speak Thai it is best to just pinpoint the food to be ordered in their menu list. As the Chinese saying goes, less talk less mistakes.
Thai foods are good enough and they have variety of liquors to choose from. When one wants and feels like discharging after drinking or eating a lot, the toilet are nice and clean with a touch of uniqueness that compliments well with the entire perspective.
By the way, do not be surprised if one says Banrai or Banrie... I think Banrai in Thai and Banrie in English. Even their website is confusing to what the real name is as it both contains the same name. Nevertheless, it is a nice place to dine if you are somewhere near Ekkamai area.
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