Hong Sieng Kong: Quick Guide to Bangkok’s Viral Riverside Café
Tucked away down a series of twisty-turny small alleyways rarely frequented by motorbikes, Hong Sieng Kong is a little oasis in Bangkok. This charming café-meets-gallery is located in its historic Talat Noi neighborhood, but right on the banks of the Chao Phraya River.
While it’s definitely a bit hidden from the main roads, that doesn’t mean it’s unknown — not by a long shot.
In fact, this scenic café has actually gone rather viral (thank you TikTok) but it’s not without good reason.
It’s all thanks to its beautiful setting, delicious coffees and cakes (that carrot cake!), and its multi-faceted offerings, serving up a unique blend of culture, coffee, comfort, and stunning riverside views.
Here’s a quick guide to visiting Hong Sieng Kong, one of the most beloved cafés in Talat Noi, if not all of Bangkok.
I’ll go over the hours and location, give you some helpful tips for visiting and what you can expect to see when visiting there, my favorite photo spots, and then share my honest thoughts on if it’s worth the hype.
Hong Sieng Kong Hours & Location
Address: 734, 736 Soi Wanit 2, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok 10100
Hours: Closed Mondays, open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 8 PM
Phone: (+66) 095 998 9895
Instagram: @hongsiengkong
The History of Hong Sieng Kong
Despite its old-school aesthetic, Hong Sieng Kong is a relatively new fixture on the Bangkok scene. It opened on June 2, 2021 after a year-long renovation brought new life into a collection of six historic buildings that, collectively, are nearly two centuries old.
The café-gallery space was founded by Decha Saebae on a plot of land owned by his mother, Yenchit Saetang. Their vision for the space preserves the Chinese history of this part of Bangkok.
The café is eclectically yet aesthetically decorated with antique Chinese furniture and items from Decha’s family collection, evoking early 20th century China. Their gallery upstairs even includes pieces that are up to 500 years old!
Visiting Hong Sieng Kong
The indoor entrance area serves as the ordering hub, where visitors can select from a variety of drinks and pastries, as well as a full food menu.
Be aware that you will pay a premium price here for coffee, and ordering at least one item per person is mandatory (and they will kindly but firmly direct you to the counter to place your order).
I had already had two coffees as I was researching for my Talat Noi coffee shop guide, so I opted to forego the caffeine and order a coffee cake instead — and it was a delicious decision. I’m certain I’ll go back with friends in the future and I look forward to trying their coffees then.
Once you’ve ordered, you’ll be given a handheld vibrating beeper that will let you know when your order’s ready for pickup. In the meantime, the café’s layout invites exploration — the choices begin now!
You can wait inside in the air-conditioned entrance room if you need a little more respite from the Bangkok heat and humidity. But if you want to start exploring the area, you can step outside to explore the different outdoor spaces and return whenever your beeper summons you back.
When I visited on a Sunday afternoon around 4 PM, live music was filling the air and there were plenty of seats near the musicians where you could sit and enjoy listening to the music or have a quiet conversation with the music in the background.
For those wanting to explore the ‘gallery’ part of the café, follow the Burmese-style carved staircase upstairs.
Besides just being insanely photogenic, it serves another purpose. It leads to an upstairs gallery space with a few cool antiques like Buddha sculptures, carved wood furnishings, birdcages, and other relics from another era.
The true highlight, however, and the reason why most people visit, is the riverside experience!
There’s outdoor seating along the water’s edge (take heed though: signs warn you about the potential for passing boats to cause splashing water over the edge of the wall, so be cautious — especially with food or electronics!).
Alternately, if you prefer to stay dry, you can try to nab an indoor seat in the air conditioned ‘river rooms’ where you can enjoy the panoramic river views from an interior air-conditioned seating area, where large windows frame the energetic Chao Phraya like a living painting.
There are all sorts of scenic areas to explore at Hong Sieng Kong and seeking out those spots is part of the fun!
I particularly liked the spiral staircase, the tree roots framing and reclaiming the building, the seats by the water, the gallery area, and the garden areas. Whether you want to wander and find the best photography spots or simply enjoy a delicious pastry or cake with a beverage and enjoy the view, you’re sure to love your stop there.
Is It Worth Visiting Hong Sieng Kong?
There’s been an increasing trend of TikTok-famous cafés sprouting up all over the world, but particularly in Southeast Asia.
Many of these cafés in Bangkok are, in my opinion, not worth the trek (many are 20 km+ outside of the center and not really near any other attractions)… unless you are a professional influencer and you actually need those types of photos for your job.
However, Hong Sieng Kong is not one of these such cafés. Yes, it is famous, but it’s 1) in an area that I highly recommend you visit anyway because it’s my favorite walkable area in Bangkok, 2) the food — or at least the carrot cake — is worth the price (about 200 baht / $6 USD), and 3) it’s actually quite an interesting project that involves renovating one of the most historic parts of Bangkok and thus supports sustainable tourism efforts.
