El Mercado / Mediterranean / Soi Phai Singto, near Asoke
El Mercado started with four people doing it all, six tables, ten cheeses and cold-cuts, a coffee machine, and a lot of ideas, dreams, and hopes. That was 2015. A decade later the cheese counter has grown considerably, and those ten varieties have become the thing people talk about most when they talk about El Mercado.
The staff are knowledgeable and help a lot in making the selection. Some visitors come for dinner and never make it to the main dishes, overwhelmed by an awesome selection of cheese, realising they had more than enough to feed four without the need for anything else. That is not a complaint. That is the point.
The whole operation is built around the market concept. Axel and Griselda founded it by importing European products directly, and that supply chain is still the engine. What ends up on the counter arrived properly: free samples of dozens of cheeses and cold-cuts while you wait, including tomme, various salamis, and rotating seasonal imports. The raclette menu, running through traditional, smoked, and Morbier varieties served with boiled potatoes and cold-cuts, has become a regular order for people who know what they are doing.
Think briny French oysters and steamed mussels, grilled Mediterranean seafood and French sausages, simple tapas and salads, a dizzying array of cheese and charcuterie, and even a handful of Moroccan classics. Set around a relaxed open-air courtyard. The wine is shelved like a proper cave rather than a restaurant list. Prices are reasonable by Bangkok import standards.
One piece of advice for first-timers: let the cheese counter guide your evening rather than the main menu. Order a board, pick a bottle, and see how far you get. Most people do not make it to the pasta. Nobody seems to mind.
490 Phai Singto Alley, Khlong Toei / Confirm current hours and reservations before visiting Let the cheese counter guide the order, then ask what seafood is in best condition that day.