Walk into Shoshana on any given evening and you’ll notice something — tables full of people who came once, then couldn’t stop coming back. Thai regulars sitting beside first-time visitors from Europe. Families sharing enormous plates. Solo travellers lingering long after they’ve finished eating, simply because the place feels good to be in.

A lot of that comes down to the food. But for guests who’ve never encountered Mediterranean cuisine before, the menu can feel like a pleasant mystery. What exactly is Mediterranean food? What makes hummus different from other dips? Why does falafel taste nothing like the fried food you’re used to? And what on earth is Malabi?

Consider this your guide. No jargon, no food-critic pretension — just an honest look at a cuisine that has been feeding people simply and beautifully for thousands of years.

“Mediterranean food is not about complexity. It’s about taking the best ingredients — olive oil, fresh herbs, good legumes, ripe vegetables — and doing as little as possible to get out of their way.”

Where Does Mediterranean Food Actually Come From?

The Mediterranean Sea connects over twenty countries — from Spain and Morocco in the west, to Greece and Turkey in the north, all the way to Lebanon, Jordan, and the Eastern shores in the east. The food that emerged from this region over centuries shares a common soul: olive oil instead of butter, legumes instead of heavy meat, herbs instead of cream-based sauces.

What we serve at Shoshana comes primarily from the Eastern Mediterranean and Levantine tradition — dishes rooted in the same culinary culture shared across Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and the ancient crossroads of the Middle East. It’s food that has travelled for centuries along trade routes and has been refined in home kitchens far longer than in any restaurant.

When people talk about Levantine food or Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, they’re describing something very specific: a cuisine that is simultaneously light and satisfying, ancient and somehow always fresh-tasting.

The Building Blocks: What You’ll Find on Every Table

Before you even order a main course at Shoshana, the table tells you something. A bowl of hummus arrives. Warm bread. Perhaps a salad that smells of lemon and olive oil. This is how Mediterranean meals begin — slowly, communally, with small things that set the tone.

Hummus

Blended chickpeas, tahini, lemon and garlic. Sounds simple. When done right, it’s one of the most addictive things you’ll ever eat. Ours is made fresh daily — silky, slightly nutty, with a pool of good olive oil in the centre.

Falafel

Ground chickpeas and herbs, shaped and fried until the outside is golden and the inside stays bright green and tender. Not heavy. Not greasy. Falafel done properly is crisp, herby, and surprisingly light.

Greek Salad

Tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, red onion and feta cheese dressed with olive oil and oregano. No lettuce. No fuss. It’s been one of our most-ordered dishes since we opened — proof that the simplest things tend to be the best.

Shawarma

Spiced lamb or chicken, slow-cooked on a vertical spit until the edges crisp. Wrapped or plated with pickled vegetables and sauce. It’s street food in origin, but the flavour is anything but simple.

Why Does This Food Taste So Different?

Guests often finish a meal at Shoshana feeling full but not heavy — pleasantly satisfied rather than overwhelmed. That’s not an accident. It’s one of the defining features of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking, and it comes down to a few things.

First, the fats are different. Olive oil dominates this cuisine in a way that butter or animal fat never does. It’s rich but digestible, and it carries flavour rather than masking it. Second, legumes — chickpeas, lentils, broad beans — do most of the heavy lifting that meat does in other cuisines. They’re filling, high in protein, and they absorb spices beautifully. Third, the spicing is aromatic rather than fiery. Cumin, coriander, turmeric, sumac, za’atar — these are spices that build warmth and depth, not heat for its own sake.

The result is food that tastes complex without feeling complicated, and nourishing without feeling indulgent.

Don’t Leave Without Trying the Malabi

If there’s one thing that surprises first-time guests more than anything else on the menu, it’s the Malabi. This Eastern Mediterranean dessert — a chilled milk pudding set with rosewater and topped with sweet syrup — is nothing like what most people in Bangkok expect from dessert.

It’s not heavy. It’s not chocolate-based. It’s floral, delicate, and cold — the kind of dessert that makes perfect sense in a warm climate. Malabi has been made in this region for centuries, and once you try it, you’ll understand why it never went out of fashion.

Mediterranean Food in Bangkok? It Works Better Than You’d Think

People sometimes raise an eyebrow when they hear there’s a Mediterranean restaurant near Khao San Road. But the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Thai and Mediterranean cuisines actually share a deep respect for fresh ingredients, herbs, and balance. Neither cuisine is about drowning food in sauce or overwhelming the palate. Both traditions understand that good ingredients don’t need much help.

Over the years, we’ve also added a handful of Thai-influenced dishes to sit alongside the classics — because after more than two decades in Bangkok, the city has become part of who we are too.

Come Hungry. Leave Happy.

If you’ve never tried Mediterranean food before, Shoshana is a good place to start. The menu isn’t intimidating — our team is always happy to explain dishes and help you put together a meal. If you already know and love this kind of food, you’ll feel right at home.

We’re open seven days a week, from 10:30 AM to 11 PM, at 86 Chakrapong Road — a short walk from Khao San Road in the heart of Bangkok’s old town.

86 Chakrapong Rd, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok | Open daily 10:30 AM – 11 PM
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