As with an old friend, you always know what to expect at Kuppa. Whether this is a strength or a weakness depends on what you’re looking for in a restaurant. If it’s comfort and consistency, Kuppa is ideal; if it’s novelty and adventure, you’re better off elsewhere (unless of course it’s your first visit). Perhaps this is why Kuppa is better-known as a lunch venue—consistency is key when you’re meeting with clients or fellow expat wives. The menu has changed very little over the years: homestyle sandwiches served on cutting boards, salads in tall wooden bowls, soups of the day, pizzas, pastas, tarted-up Thai favorites like som tam kai yang, steaks (from beef to duck) and fish, solid desserts and underappreciated coffee made from beans roasted on the premises. At dinner you order from the same menu, and the portion sizes don’t change, so the main differences are the (lower) lighting and the music, a smart mix of jazzy instrumentals, bossa nova and standards. Kuppa also does one of Bangkok’s better cheesecakes—next to the beef. In fact, Kuppa is a great place to stop by for dessert and coffee after dinner somewhere else, as the place is conducive to conversation and the waiters don’t give you a hard time when you don’t order a full meal. Give them credit for figuring out a concept that works and sticking with it.
