Discovering Food, Drink & Nightlife in Ubon Ratchathani

Since moving to rural Sisaket in February 2022, I've visited Ubon Ratchathani many times. It's only an hour away by car, and with trains from Kanthararom, it's easy to reach whether I'm heading there to explore or watch football. Over several overnight stays, I discovered a city with plenty of good food, lively bars and an enjoyable nightlife that's well worth experiencing.

Friendships Enjoyed by Wat Phra That Nong Bua

One of Ubon’s slight disappointments is that the last train back home leaves at 8.30 pm, meaning limited opportunities to enjoy the nightlife. However, when friends Gary and Ploy suggested coming to visit us from Buriram, I suggested we continue and see what we could find.

Our First Overnight Ubon Stay

Friends Ben and Noi came to visit us in Sisaket for a few days. Neither had been to Ubon, so my wife Taew came up with the idea of visiting the Mekong, then Pha Taem National Park, and discovering what the city had to offer. 

Having booked basic but friendly accommodation for a couple of nights, everything went to plan. After an easy drive and checking into our accommodation, we enjoyed a leisurely evening eating and drinking. The following lunchtime we ate by the Mun River, at a place called Khu Duea Beach.

Calling it a beach was stretching the imagination a little, but it was certainly pleasant. Pontoons stretched out from the riverbank, allowing diners to enjoy meals over the water. There were areas where youngsters could also have fun while the elders relaxed. It’s worth a visit for anyone wanting a lazy couple of hours eating fine food.

The evening was spent in the company of a local couple we got chatting to in the bar/garden of our hotel, after Ben and I sampled a couple of expensive IPAs and a stout in a specialist craft beer bar I'd first discovered after watching football in the city.

Our guides this time led us to Phichitrangsan Road, where a couple of lively spots sat adjacent across the road. We sat outside one of them and sourced a drinks promotion before we were taken to Wrong Way Café, the prominent expat bar in town. I believe we headed somewhere for another drink before the ladies took command and we ended up having supper in a typical no-frills noodle restaurant.

Trying Craft Beers in Ubon

Return in October 2025

I connected with Oggi, a York City fan who lived in Mukdahan, by a mutual friend back in the UK. We’d met earlier in the month at Roi Et, where I introduced him to our friends Dale and Nui. That was to watch football, with Roi Et United being the Thai team that Oggi supported.

Their fixture in Ubon grabbed our attention and provided the chance of a good night out and further investigation of the food, drink and nightlife scene in the city. Taew and I had already enjoyed excellent Isan food at Tam Krathai Saket, next door to the B2 Ubon Ratchathani Airport Premier Hotel where we were staying.

The wise words passed on to me by a regular Chiang Mai cricket mate were forever stored in the memory bank on such overnight stays. “Happy wife – happy life”. He was right. If I was going to football and be drinking, then making sure my good lady was also contented made total sense.

I headed off to meet Oggi for pre-match libations at Wrong Way Café, where we got talking to an English tourist wanting to discover the city. I gave him what tips I could before we went to watch an excellent game.

The plan was to collect Taew from the hotel in a Grab taxi before we set out for the evening. When we left the stadium, I got confused as we tried to explain to the also bewildered driver what we needed. It turned out the young lady was collecting her boyfriend but was in the process of clearing a space in her car to drop us off. It perfectly summed up the kindness that so many Thai people show without thinking twice.

Once the confusion was sorted and the taxi dropped us back at the first bar, we were surprised to see the chap from earlier now set for the night, drinking with a group who arrived just before we departed. An expensive drink in the craft bar from our first visit followed before hunger started to kick in.

Nothing seemed to be available along Phichitrangsan Road, but the turning down Thepyothi Road looked promising. Indeed, the open-air restaurant next to U-Bar looked exactly what we were looking for. It had a large screen showing football, a stage for a band which was unoccupied, and lots of seating. But why were there hardly any customers? Oggi and I thought the food was excellent, but all would be revealed after we headed off. 

As Taew explained, Ubon was a big city with several universities. There was lots of choice of where to eat and drink. If somewhere didn’t represent good value for money or the food wasn’t up to scratch, then it would quickly fail. According to Taew, the food was only average, which explained why so few people were eating there. It’s worth remembering when choosing a restaurant.

Not to worry. The bar/club of our first visit had stopped allowing customers to sit outside. It was busy and noisy inside, so instead we enjoyed our nightcaps outside the aesthetic Esco Bar, which was of Chinese origin, while ambient house tunes played. A good end to the evening.

Cold Beers and Fine Ambience at Wrong Way Cafe

July 2026

Gary and Ploy were to pick us up and then drive us through to Ubon, before we would return to our house to enjoy the following evening, eating and drinking, and watching England in the World Cup.

Over several visits to Ubon with friends for golf and football, the odd tip had been passed on regarding places to eat and drink. Peppers was a regular choice for a long time, until it moved location, and while being in a prettier area, seemed to have lost its old quality.

It's something that can happen with restaurants in Thailand. They might try a different business model or change their menu. Sometimes it might be that a chef moves on. While expats generally put up with changes, if a Thai person has a below-average experience anywhere, they are unlikely to want to return. Something I have learned since I became married to a local.

However, there are always new places to try, with businesses opening and closing regularly. Ubon old town with its maze of narrow streets regularly provides a surprise when walking or driving around, with me pinning it on Google Maps on the phone if there’s no time to stop and then look later.

For farangs looking for traditional English pubs or expat bars, Ubon doesn’t have too many choices, as some who have moved there from overseas can be quick to moan about. However, many local establishments have western options on their menus at very fair prices, often offering drink promotions when purchasing three bottles at a time.

Tree Cafe Rim Moon, a Fine Ubon Option

The restaurant for lunch on this occasion was a second visit for me to Red Rabbit Pizza Napoli. The quality of the food was excellent and offered good value for money. The former workshop had been tastefully converted while retaining much of its original character.

It’s always satisfying when you suggest somewhere, and everyone leaves saying they’d readily return. It doesn’t happen nearly enough, but as I say, Thai cities have so much choice.

 
For instance, before the end of 2025, we’d travelled through with the Hat Yai branch of the family. Taew’s cousin Q wanted a certain noodle restaurant for lunch. It looked nothing special, but the food was excellent. We’d have never thought of looking for it, never mind making a special journey.

After lunch on our latest visit, we went for a look at the mightily impressive Wat Phra That Nong Bua as Ploy had never been before. To me, it is up there with any temple I’ve been to around Thailand. With it still being a little early to check into the hotel, Taew came up with a plan.

We returned to the restaurant by the B2 hotel and had a selection of snacks and took advantage of the available drinks promotion before taking a siesta. As dusk approached, we set out to see what we could find, letting Grab taxis take the strain.

A disappointment followed a quick drink in Wrong Way Café. I thought that Moon Café & Bistro looked ideal by the Rattanakosin 200th Anniversary Bridge on the river’s promenade, with a wide range of drinks and live music. It was closed!

Taew suggested another taxi across the Mun to Chomjan Bar & Restaurant. This had been visited with the relatives after the noodle lunch on our previous visit and was indeed a fine restaurant. That day we used an air-conditioned room offering great views high above the river. It offers three floors, each with a different atmosphere, but I preferred staying closer to the old town.

The place with the balcony we’d had beers after the candle festival a couple of years earlier was no more. Had we been hungry, Bennie Burgers serving from a mobile van to diners sitting on the pavement might have won favour.

I knew from previous experience that further along Leab Mae Nam was Tree Cafe Rim Moon if there was nothing else that caught our fancy, having a selection of beers. However, before we reached there, a busy balcony and customers sitting over the road from Jum Saap Rim Mun won the day, remembering that busy places tend to be good.

It turned out to be an inspired choice, with large bottles of Carabao Dunkel beers only costing 89 THB (£2). Most tables were enjoying the restaurant's speciality, Chim Chum Thai hot pot, while we opted for a selection of snacks later in the evening. An excellent time was had, and it is somewhere I would recommend.

The Recommended Jum Saap Rim Mun

With time getting on, and me on a bit of a roll as far as suggested bars and restaurants were concerned, I ordered another Grab as we headed somewhere to end the evening back in town.

We were the oldest by some years in Apollo on Chayangkun Road, but we had fun. The live band were good, and the drinks were well priced when choosing the promotion and then sharing the bottles between us. A first for me was seeing a decibel metre on the wall so that the music levels didn’t contravene regulations.

To Conclude

Ubon Ratchathani is a vibrant city with several universities, meaning that businesses will continue to appear. While this article covers three overnight stays, there are many other clusters of bars, restaurants, and clubs, such as the legendary Tawandang entertainment venue, scattered across its wide area.

Ubon Ratchathani isn't trying to compete with Bangkok, Pattaya or Phuket, and that's part of its appeal. Spend an evening wandering around the old town, chat to local people, and don't be afraid to try somewhere that's full of Thai customers. In my experience, that's often where you'll find the best food, the coldest beer and the most enjoyable evenings.

If you enjoyed this story, feel free to check out my YouTube Channel, where I share videos about everyday life in Thailand, local football, and travel across the country, including all you need to know about Ubon and our visits to its Candle Festival.

Thanks for reading.