Zuma, Bangkok

Zuma Bangkok: Hip social dining in the heart of Bangkok

Zuma Bangkok had been on our restaurant wish list for a long time. Not because it is new, but precisely because it has been a well-known name in Bangkok’s high-end dining scene for years. We kept hearing stories about great cocktails, excellent food and lively evenings thanks to the shared dining concept — no wonder that made us curious, right?

From the moment we walk in, we immediately feel that typical Zuma energy: dim lighting, soft music, an open kitchen with constant movement and smooth service. We chose a table outside on the terrace, where we spent about an hour and a half. Our Zuma experience in one sentence: Zuma is a modern Japanese izakaya-inspired restaurant for those who want to eat and drink well in a stylish, social setting, with good service, without it becoming full fine dining.

Where in Bangkok is the Zuma located?

Zuma Bangkok is located on Ratchadamri Road, on the ground floor of the St. Regis Bangkok. It’s a standalone restaurant, not part of the luxury hotel itself. Maybe it seems that way because of the ground-level entrance of the hotel.

It is easy to reach by BTS Skytrain, with Ratchadamri Station right across the street. We walked from Siam Station, which took us about fifteen minutes. Of course, you can also simply take a taxi, Bolt or Grab.

Architecture and interior design

Inside, the design is modern and sleek. There are many round tables, designer chairs and a large open kitchen with a robata grill and separate sushi counter that forms the visual centerpiece of the space. You see fire, movement and plating, which gives the room a good dose of energy.

The lighting is intentionally dark and warm, creating intimacy, but also making it clear that this is not the place for brightly lit food photography.

Outside, the atmosphere changes completely: lots of wood, large natural stone elements, spacious lounge-style seating, mature plants and soft lighting in warm quartz tones. Large floor tiles, a DJ booth on the side, and both an indoor and outdoor bar.

What stands out: everything is designed to sit comfortably and linger, but you can just as easily enjoy an efficient dinner here as well.

Its ambience & atmosphere

The crowd is clearly international: expats, tourists, mixed couples, large groups of friends celebrating something, and business people. Zuma Bangkok is also visited by locals, though mostly in the higher-end segment.

Inside it feels more lively, while outside it is more lounge-like and relaxed. Conversations are easy to hear, the music is not too loud, and it never feels chaotic. The pace is pleasant: no rush, but also no endless waiting. For us, it fit perfectly into a normal evening schedule.

Service

Upon arrival, we experience the welcome as professional and relaxed. The staff know the menu well and can explain the cocktails. In short, everything runs smoothly and in a coordinated way, exactly what you expect from a global brand like Zuma.

Type of cuisine and the Zuma concept

Zuma serves modern Japanese izakaya-style dishes, fully focused on shared dining. You order several dishes that together fill the table: sushi, sashimi, robata-grilled items and other warm comfort dishes.

This is not traditional Japanese cuisine, but it is also not exactly fine dining. Zuma is more an international interpretation, where social dining and Japanese techniques form the foundation.

The history of Zuma

Zuma was founded in 2002 in London (Knightsbridge) by chef Rainer Becker and entrepreneur Arjun Waney. Becker translated his years of experience in Japan into a modern izakaya concept with an open kitchen, robata grill and sushi bar. The idea quickly became popular, and Zuma grew into a global brand under the umbrella of the Azumi Restaurant Group.

Zuma London, the first restaurant to open, remains the brand’s flagship location. Since then, Zuma has successfully expanded worldwide with restaurants in Hong Kong (2007), Dubai (2008), Istanbul (2008), Miami (2010), Bangkok (2011), Abu Dhabi (2014), New York (2015), Rome (2016), Las Vegas (2017), Boston (2019), Madrid (2021), the Maldives (2022), Cannes (2024), and Riyadh (2024).

In addition to these permanent locations, Zuma also operates pop-up and seasonal venues in some of the world’s most desirable destinations, including the Datça Peninsula, Bodrum, Phuket, Kitzbühel, Ibiza, Mykonos, Porto Cervo, Capri, Saint-Tropez, Gstaad, and Vail. Together, these locations bring Zuma’s contemporary Japanese dining experience to unique and exciting places around the globe.

Today, the brand has more than twenty permanent locations plus seasonal restaurants. Zuma Bangkok opened in December 2011, making it the sixth location of the internationally acclaimed contemporary Japanese restaurant, located in St. Regis Bangkok.

Chef Cinzia Pernici and the Zuma Bangkok team

The current Head Chef in charge of Bangkok and Phuket is Cinzia Pernici, an Italian chef with an international Zuma career. She previously worked at Zuma London and Zuma Hong Kong and also led several Zuma pop-ups, before coming to Bangkok in 2022 to take charge of the kitchen.

The rest of the team is international too: For example, Emilia, the GM, is Argentinian, and Santo, the passionate mixologist and bar manager, is Italian. Two true professionals! This international management aspect and the global flow of professional staff are typical of Zuma. It ensures a consistent style and professional hospitality across all locations.

The menu at Zuma Bangkok

At Zuma, the menu revolves around modern Japanese shared dining, with a strong focus on quality and variety. You will find a wide selection of sushi and sashimi, from classic nigiri to creative maki rolls and refined cold dishes such as tartare with luxury toppings.

Warm dishes mainly come from the robata grill, with signature items like miso-marinated black cod, grilled scallops and hearty meat dishes such as rib eye with wafu sauce and various Wagyu cuts.

For smaller bites there are snacks and salads, including edamame, crispy squid, avocado salads and tempura of tiger prawns and Japanese vegetables. Side dishes such as takana fried rice and yaki ramen also make it clear that the menu is designed for mixing, matching and sharing.

Dessert is approachable but well executed, with options such as Hokkaido-style cheesecake, mango custard inspired by chawanmushi or special chocolate lava cake.

During lunch, Zuma Bangkok serves a special Ebisu lunch menu, with lighter, well-balanced dishes such as sashimi over rice, spicy beef or teriyaki salmon — designed to be enjoyed quickly and flavorfully, even during a business lunch break.

On Sundays, the terrace turns into an extensive Japanese Sunday brunch, with a wide selection of sushi, sashimi, tempura, salads and grilled dishes, served from 11:00 to 15:00, with various drink packages for those who want to make it extra festive.

The menu changes with the seasons, but the common thread remains: comfort, finesse and dishes that work well in an evening of small, shared rounds.

Drink menu

Zuma’s cocktail list is cleverly divided into five distinct styles. Good to know: parts of these sections change every year. One of them is Rolling the Dice, a seasonal concept that runs till March 2026, created by bar manager Santo — a passionate Italian mixologist with deep knowledge of cocktail history and techniques, who has worked at several Zuma locations for many years.

During our visit in late December 2025, the Rolling the Dice menu was inspired by a district in Tokyo where eating and drinking naturally flow into long after-work evenings. 

The five cocktail styles are:

• Rolling the Dice: Seasonal till March 2026, concept-driven cocktails inspired by specific places or themes.
• Nomikai: Light, easy-to-drink aperitif and bubbly styles such as spritzes, mojitos, and highballs.
• Kurashikku: Classic cocktails with Japanese twists, using ingredients like yuzu, shiso, and sake.
• Heritage: Signature crowd-pleasers that have been on the menu since the early days of Zuma, often fruitier and more accessible. 
• Rare and Limited: Premium and limited brands mixed into unique, high-end cocktails.

Our experience – course by course

Crab salad with mizuna

We start fresh and delicate. At Zuma, the crab salad is anything but a standard starter. In front of us appears a tall composition of soft crab, mizuna — a leafy green from the mustard family with a light peppery bite — panko for crunch and tobiko for gentle salinity. The flavors are nicely balanced: sweet and salty from the crab and tobiko, fresh from the greens and crisp from the panko. The dressing is kept intentionally light, allowing the crab to truly take center stage. An elegant start, perfect for easing into the evening.

Wagyu gyoza with yuzu

For those who may not know: gyoza are dumplings and a popular snack in many Asian cuisines. At Zuma, they get a luxury upgrade with a rich Wagyu filling. The outside is lightly pan-fried on one side, giving pleasant texture, while the inside remains soft and juicy. A yuzu-based sauce adds fresh citrus that balances the richness of the meat. What we also appreciate: you get four pieces. Ideal for sharing, and refreshingly not the usual odd numbers of three or five so often served in Thailand.

Sushi & sashimi platter

The highlight of this round arrives on ice, with a combination of sashimi of tuna and salmon, several nigiri and a few sushi rolls. The fish is clearly fresh, with clean, precise cuts. The rice for the nigiri is nicely at temperature and lightly seasoned, exactly as it should be, keeping fish and rice in balance. The wasabi is mild, which makes sense when it is freshly grated: less sharp, but still with that fresh kick that does not overpower everything. This is all about the pure flavor of fresh fish, without heavy sauces or distractions.

The nigiri selection feels classic and refined, with familiar choices like salmon and tuna, sometimes lightly accented with subtle vinaigrette or a touch of citrus. The rolls — ebi maki in our case — bring extra texture, with a soft, sweet shrimp core and a crispy outside thanks to a tempura element.

Spicy beef tenderloin

This dish combines tender beef with a spicy sauce based on chili, soy and sesame. The sauce adds a bit of heat, while the meat itself stays juicy. Sesame seeds on top bring a nutty bite and visual texture, and the combination of umami and spice makes this a warm, satisfying contrast to the sushi and sashimi from the previous course.

Grilled asparagus with miso

Nicely charred and slightly smoky, with miso and sesame. Simple, but executed exactly right. A great counterpoint to the richer meat dishes.
Zuma lifts these green asparagus to a higher level by lightly charring them over the robata grill. The natural sweetness and smoky notes of the vegetables come through clearly, finished with a miso-style topping. Clean flavors with strong focus on texture: juicy, yet still pleasantly crisp.

Chilean seabass

The white fish, in this case Chilean seabass, is firmly cooked yet remains buttery soft inside, with a rich, juicy texture. The warm, creamy sauce and fresh herbs on top make the dish round and comforting, without overshadowing the rich fish itself.

The dessert platter

The dessert platter at Zuma Bangkok is a composed board of several sweet elements and lots of fresh fruit. Think vanilla and green tea ice cream, a lava cake (the best item on the plate), a fresh fruit selection with tropical accents and, nicely, a bowl of zabaglione sauce for dipping the fruit. The dessert is playful and meant as a finale: not overly heavy, but with enough variation between sweet, sour and creamy. The pink Zuma chocolate is a fun extra bonus.

Our experience – drink by drink

Leira Sparkling

This sparkling wine tasted dry and fresh and was the perfect way to kick off our Zuma evening in Bangkok. It also works well as a palate cleanser between courses.

Koi Peach Highball

We personally love highballs, and this summer-style cocktail with vodka, peach, yuzu and soda was refreshing, gently sweet and soft — ideal during the lighter starters.

Chili & Passion Fruit Margarita

Rich, fruity and spicy thanks to passion fruit, chili, blood orange, tequila blend and agave. A good match with the warmer dishes.

Zuma Paloma

A Paloma with a Japanese twist: tequila blend, grapefruit, hibiscus and yuzu — fresh, slightly bitter, lightly sparkling and very suitable with sashimi and salads.

Yuzu Negroni

Finally, the classic bitter-sweet Negroni base, but with yuzu bitters and sake accents. Elegant and slightly more complex.

Lychee Rose Petal Martini

The combination of rose-infused Beefeater gin, lychee, and lemon creates an elegant, almost perfumed cocktail that remains fresh. Very approachable and smooth, ideal if you enjoy aromatic, not-too-heavy cocktails. Also great as a transition between dining and a longer drink session.

Shinjuku Neon

This cocktail feels bolder and more layered, with shiso notes, yuzu, milk-wash, and a soft creamy texture. Fresh and citrusy at first, then spicy and rounded in the finish. Slightly more complex but still smooth to drink — a great match with dishes that have more umami or a good grilled meal.

Why reserve a table at Zuma in Bangkok?

• Zuma Bangkok has a strong international team with solid organization — clearly reflected in service and quality
• Excellent cocktail program — making Zuma Bangkok also a great cocktail bar paired with sushi and sashimi
• Great cocktail menu with a clean, balanced profile
• Very strong in shared dining, which is a must when visiting Zuma
• Indoor and outdoor areas offer completely different atmospheres

Some handy tips and fun facts

• Reserve in advance, especially on weekends
• Order in rounds and share everything
• Do not go only for sushi or sashimi — the warm dishes are excellent too
• Definitely try several cocktails — they are very good
• Zuma Bangkok is ideal for couples (or dates), groups and business dinners, and less suitable if you are looking for silence or pure omakase

In conclusion

Zuma Bangkok is not a restaurant that aims for culinary extremes, but for good service, consistency, atmosphere and a complete experience. Good food, strong cocktails and a setting that is social and stylish at the same time.

You do not need to stay for hours at Zuma to have a great experience — even within a two-hour dinner, everything feels complete. For those who want to combine modern Japanese food with cocktails and a grown-up metropolitan setting in Bangkok, Zuma Bangkok is a strong choice.

General information Zuma Bangkok

Address: 159 Ratchadamri Road, Pathum Wan, Bangkok (part of the St. Regis Bangkok)
Tel: +66 (0)2 1118 999
Opening hours: Daily from 11:30–15:00 for lunch and from 18:00–02:00 for dinner
Info, menu and reservations: Zuma Bangkok