Bangkok (Lonely Planet) - Andrew Burke [133]
Map Bar/Restaurant
0 2714 3366; Soi 2, Soi 63 (Ekamai), Th Sukhumvit; 8pm-1am; Ekkamai exit 1
Bounce with Thai indie kids at this fun but astonishingly uncreatively named bar. There’s live music, and the eats are strong enough to make Bangkok Bar a dinner destination in itself. And we double-dog dare you to walk a straight line after two Mad Dogs, Bangkok Bar’s infamous house drink.
BARBICAN
Map Bar
0 2234 3590; www.greatbritishpub.com; 9/4-5 Soi Thaniya, Silom; 6pm-1am; Si Lom exit 2; Sala Daeng exit 1
Decked out in slate-grey and blonde wood, this upscale-ish pub is an oasis of subdued cool in a strip consisting mostly of Japanese-frequented massage parlours. Where else could you suck down a few cocktails with friends from Thailand, Singapore and Norway, and then stumble out to find a line of Thai women dressed like cheap prom dates reciting ‘Hello, massage’ in faulty Japanese?
BLACK SWAN
Map Bar/Restaurant
0 2229 4542; www.blackswanbkk.com; 326/8-9 Th Sukhumvit; 9-1am; Sukhumvit exit 3; Asok exit 4
Liable to bring a tear to the eye of a homesick Brit, the combination of supping mates, dining families and bad decor make the Black Swan the most authentic of Bangkok’s numerous English pubs. Come on Friday when you can enjoy your draught bitter with fresh fish flown directly from Scotland.
CAFÉ TRIO
Map Bar
0 2252 6572; 36/11-12 Soi Lang Suan, Ploenchit; 6pm-1am, closed 2nd & 4th Sun of month; Chit Lom exit 4
This jazz bar offers live music on an irregular basis – it’s best to check ahead. The real highlights are the laid-back local atmosphere and the proprietor, Patti, whose artwork graces the walls and whose laughter and boisterous conversation have the ability to render music redundant.
CHEAP CHARLIE’S
Map Bar
Soi 11, Th Sukhumvit; 6pm-1am Mon-Sat; Nana exit 3
You’re bound to have a mighty difficult time convincing your Thai friends to go to Th Sukhumvit only to sit at an outdoor wooden shack decorated with buffalo skulls and wagon wheels. Fittingly, Charlie’s draws a staunchly foreign crowd who don’t mind a bit of kitsch and sweat with their Singha.
COCO WALK
Map Bar
87/70 Th Phayathai, Siam Sq; 6pm-1am; Ratchathewi exit 2
This covered compound is a smorgasbord of pubs, bars and live music popular with Thai university students. The Tube left its heart in London, and is heavy on Brit Pop, Chilling House Café features a few pool tables and Thai hits played by live acoustic guitar, and 69 sets the pace with cover bands playing Western rock staples and current hits.
COSMIC CAFÉ
Map Bar
0816 059 469; Block C, Royal City Ave (RCA), off Th Phra Ram IX, Greater Bangkok; 7pm-2am; Phra Ram 9 exit 3 & taxi
Decidedly more low-key than most places on RCA, Cosmic calls itself a cafe and looks like a live-music club but in reality is more of a bar… Despite the slight identity crisis, this is a fun place to drink, rock to live music and meet Thai-style.
COYOTE ON CONVENT
Map Bar/Restaurant
0 2631 2325; www.coyoteonconvent.com; 1/2 Th Convent, Silom; 11-1am; Si Lom exit 2; Sala Daeng exit 2
Coyote on Convent serves decent but pricey Mexican nosh with a relatively light dose of kitsch. But what really keeps the people coming, in particular Bangkok’s female population, are the 75+ varieties of margaritas. Come Wednesday evening, when from 6pm to 8pm the icy drinks are distributed free to all women who pass through the door. On weekdays the frosty drinks are buy-one-get-one-free from 3pm to 7pm.
DIPLOMAT BAR
Map Bar
0 2690 9999; Conrad Hotel, 87 Th Withayu, Ploenchit; 5pm-1am; Phloen Chit exit 5
Named for its location in the middle of the embassy district, this is one of the few hotel lounges that the locals make a point of visiting. Choose from an expansive list of innovative martinis and sip to live jazz, played gracefully at conversation level.
HAPPY MONDAY
Map Bar/Restaurant
0 2714 3935; Ekkamai Shopping Mall, Soi 10, Soi 63 (Ekamai), Th Sukhumvit; 7pm-1am Mon-Sat; Ekkamai exit 1 & taxi
This vaguely hidden pub follows the tried and true Ekkamai/Thong Lor formula of retro furniture, a brief menu