Bangkok's Old Town has more pretty cafes than you can shake a stick at, but if you're serious about your beans, seek out Mother Roaster's Pratu Phi outpost. On the menu, you'll find beans from Thailand's northern highlands and far beyond (Bolivia, Congo, Nepal – you name it), which the team of expert baristas can brew as a slow-drip, AeroPress, or pour-over.

In an old, charming building is this little bookshop housing some of our favourite travel-related books. See the world through the wanderlust eyes of the owners. 

The main shop is a takeout-only affair, but you'll find a small fan-cooled dining room just across the street. If you haven't tried mango sticky rice, have you actually been to Thailand? This nearly century-old favourite in Bangkok's Old Town sources everything from its fresh-pressed coconut milk to fragrant pandan leaves from the finest suppliers around the country – and it shows. 

This living-room restaurant, set in a Rama V-era home, specialises in old-timey Bangkok staples; many of which find their roots in the Royal kitchens. Its star dish is the khao chae, fragrant jasmine rice soaked in cold, flower-infused water, served with a host of toppings that could include meat-stuffed shallots and balls from shrimp paste.