This Barcelona-inspired tapas bar is the brainchild of two celebrity chefs, Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette, who have both won James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef Northeast award, the Oscars of the culinary world. Established in 2005, the first venue in Boston became so popular they quickly opened a second branch in New York, before venturing out of the homeland for the latest opening in Bangkok.  

Toro’s blend of modern and rustic elements comes straight from the New York branch. Hanging greenery drapes down faux windows and over the bar, while wooden floors and furniture complement the raw bare concrete ceilings and dangling lamps.  

www.apwatch.net Chef Zach Watkins, who’s worked at Oringer’s restaurants including Clio, Coppa and Toro for seven years, helms the kitchen here. The US branches’ modern tapas concept is adapted to suit local ingredients and palates, resulting in Bangkok-only dishes like the seared foie gras served with roselle sauce, shimeji mushroom and mangosteen (B490), and hanger steak alongside caramelized red onion and green curry butter (filete a la plancha, B420). We especially like the flavorful combo of asado de huesos (B450), which sees bone marrow and oxtail marmalade served with radish citrus salad and cocoa nib. Other standout offerings include ensalada de sandia (watermelon salad with baby anchovies, pomelo and cotija cheese, B220) and setas y huevo (San Sebastian-style wild mushrooms with wild herbs and farm egg, B250). Also don’t miss their churros (B220)—perfectly crisp yet moist inside, with a hint of banana in the mix.   

Wine drinkers can pair dinner with the refreshing watermelon sangria (B310) or Spanish wine poured straight from the porron. Cocktails mostly gin-based and designed to be refreshing rather than complex to complement the food, including West G&T (Martin Miller’s gin, cucumber, peppercorn and tonic, B380) and Font Magica (gin, watermelon, black pepper and honey, B310).  

Toro’s finely plated food and stylish setting doesn’t mean a compromise in flavors. On the contrary, the creativity on show sets the bar high for Bangkok tapas places.

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Getting There:

This restaurant is located 1,6km to the nearest BTS Station (Thong Lo) so the best way to reach there is take a taxi from Station or from your hotel and ask Sukhumvit soi 55

Address: Toro, 72 Courtyard, 72 Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thonglor), Bangkok, Thailand Tel: 02-392-7790

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Website: www.facebook.com/torobangkok