HILTON Hua Hin’s rooftop bar has long been the place to go in town for sundowners and a tasty nibble. Not only because its drinks and food are top notch, but also because it offers the best views in town.

Located 17 storeys above ground, it’s the highest you can physically be in Hua Hin without chartering a plane. And, from such dizzy heights, you get a real perspective of just how low-lying and carefully planned the beach-resort is.

LOCATED on the hotel’s 38th floor – hence the name – Mode Sathorn’s chic rooftop bar presents a bird’s eye view of Bangkok that never fails to impress – a glorious 360 degree panorama that humbles, wows, and makes the perfect backdrop for relishing the venue’s carefully crafted cocktails and globe-trotting tapas recipes.

AS the highest lounge and bar in the Thonglor district – and the only in the area to offer 360 degree views – Octave Lounge and Bar is a must visit for anyone planning a night out in this hip area of town. And not just because of the stunning views.

Inspired by New York apartment terraces and set over three floors, this multi-zone outlet features a restaurant, a private dining room, a bar and a rooftop lounge, and offers a wide selection of innovative cocktails (start at B395 per glass), craft beers (start at B290 per bottle) and fine international wines (start at B390++ per glass), plus an exciting new menu of creative Asian tapas, sushi and sashimi, and top-grade grilled meats. 

TIME was all Irish themed pubs from Dublin to Delhi all looked the same. Faux-rustic designs with green walls and Guinness posters, rusty antiques, and maybe even the odd bit of taxidermy. But not Flann O’Brien’s.

Taking its cue from Ireland’s contemporary bar-scene, Bangkok-based Flann O’Brien’s steers clear of clutter to offer a fresh and modern take on the tried-and-tested international Irish pub template. And it’s proving popular, too.

SATHORN Road’s entertainment offerings have been given a great boost with the arrival of this new gastro-pub on the ground floor of the Ascott Hotel.
   
Owned and operated by 2 The Big Mango Group, the same company behind the popular Pintsman and After Hours pubs on Silom Road, M Pub has taken what’s great about its sisters and built on the concepts ‒ offering a whopping 100 imported beers by the bottle, an extensive international food menu, and a roster of nightly entertainment that includes a live acoustic duo on Mon-Thurs and Sat-Sun, and a live band on Friday nights.

FOR some, it’s a legendary nightclub, while others think of Spasso as an elegant restaurant with an exciting ambience and a passionate chef who knows all there is to know about Italian cuisine. Yet another group combines all these elements into a truly exceptional venue in the heart of Bangkok.
   
And in a city where restaurants come and go with sometimes alarming speed, Spasso has certainly stood the test of time, recently celebrating its 21st anniversary. It’s a pretty rare achievement which speaks volumes of the restaurant’s quality, style and enduring appeal.

INSPIRED by the style and cuisines of the Meatpacking District of New York City, The District Grill Room and Bar is a must visit for steak and seafood fans looking for superior cuts of meat at great value for money – and a very different atmosphere.

Capturing the essence of its Big Apple muses, this delightful restaurant is set within a contemporary dining room decorated with earthy, dark brown tones. A high ceiling is reined in by carefully subdued lighting, and the ambiance is made even cosier thanks to the open kitchen, where a large grill with flickering flames spills dancing shadows across the room.

WHILE many expat pubs in Bangkok take their inspiration from the traditional watering holes found in villages in England, and aim to recreate the same rustic aesthetic by filling their shelves with antique jars, dog-eared novels, rusty second hand instruments, and more history-infused bric-a-brac, The Pintsman takes its cue from the UK’s inner-city pubs where modernity rules supreme. Venture down the steps into the pub’s basement setting (at the United Centre, Silom Road) and you may feel like you’ve been beamed into a pub in the heart of London, Leeds or Manchester. The walls, devoid of any countryside-kitsch, are painted a minimal mix of grey and black; drinking and dining is done at well-polished mahogany tables (always a traditional Brit-pub touch); big screen TVs show a variety of sports; and a pool table and stage take up opposite corners.

FOR or a venue that’s really quite modest in size and open for less than a year, Firehouse is having a massive impact on Bangkok’s popular restaurant scene. It’s captured the imagination of die-hard burger lovers, who rank amongst the world’s most passionate and critical diners, and it’s getting heaps of praise for an amazingly comprehensive menu featuring lots of reasonably priced home-cooked dishes like fish and chips, clam chowder and some of the best tacos in town.

Named in honor of firefighters, this airy and attractive little restaurant is uniquely decorated with what is surely the country’s largest collection of antique and vintage firemen helmets, and firefighter memorabilia. Even the red brick and wrought iron design gets its influence from the traditional red brick firehouses and fire stations of Europe and the US.