The Sky Bar at Siam@Siam Design Hotel Bangkok has to be one of the best places to go for a drink, and more, in Bangkok.
From 5 pm till midnight this rooftop bar is one of the best places in the city to overlook Bangkok in its sunset glory and night time finery. It is also a cracking good bar in its own right, one with an impressive range of drinks on offer.
Sure many bars in this city have comfy couches with a view but can you name the one where so comfy a couch overlooks Dusit and Temple Mount to the East, Hua Lamphong to the South and not forgetting that this is a 360 bar, to the East all the lights and glamour of Sukhumvit?
Nor do many bars in that type double as an art gallery with a film set to hand.
Nor are any of them so convenient as this one is, some metres from National Stadium Sky Train stop and then a quick ride in a lift. Thong Lor we love but we don't want to hike every day least of all to get a drink.
Entering the Sky bar there are a lot of pictures pressed together showing a real enthusiasm for art. The sculptures are intriguing and don't overpower the place or the people and there is just enough of them to make it hip and funky.
What makes The SkybarBar so interesting is that it's a fairly flexible space one that suits many moods and any occasion.
The couches, ideal for slow comfortable cocktail at the end of the working day and where it is tempting to take up residence on are on one side as is a long high table bar. There is another area to the front of that where sitting down at a table and eating is possible, and highly recommended.
We loved the cactus theme in this part of the bar. Lopsided and irregular as they are they are a nice decorative touch.
The piece de la resistance though is the second floor where areas can be organized for more private functions. This is probably a great option for a group of friends celebrating a special occasion and we are already trying to just the right one.
Symbolically an angel sculpture is perched, with just the right amount of attitude on the top floor bringing a certain humour to the place.
The drinks it must be said are not cheap but look at where you are what you see and because of that they are well priced. And there is also a pleasant breeze to be enjoyed on top of all else.
Drinks begin at 1,400 for champagne cocktails which leads to a more salary-friendly 450 baht for bubble cocktails, 350 baht for aperitifs and martinis and a smile-making 290 baht for the non alocoholic mocktails.
In fact it's so cheap we had two. First up was a Minted Apple Berry which was good. This was followed by the very distinctive Mint and Elder Flower which was recommended by bartender Daniel Tandberg.
Also recommended by Daniel is the TomYamtini which makes a Thai version of the martini by adding lemongrass, ginger and kaffir leaves, "It's known for being a little bit spicy so it's a bit special," said Daniel.
Just as spicy are the nuts. This is one of those small details that helps distinguish Sky Bar from others.
Like any good bar guests are served a small bowl of nuts before the cocktails. Only here there is a twist to it all a rather tasty one and at the same time a very Thai one.
The peanuts, roasted in-house. are flavoured with Thai chili and Holy Basil. What a taste and what a way to celebrate Thailand.
"We are a Thai hotel owned by a Thai family and we want to bring Thai flavours throughout the hotel for our guests," explained Jonathan Andrey, Group Operation Director.
Usually the bar is a quiet bar lending itself to conversation. Late night it's quieter still which given the location and what is on offer is surprising but it is still spectacular and there is more in that breeze.
There are though plans to celebrate the holiday season with some music. Carol singers will be on hand on Christmas and New Years Eve will have a tenor tour the tables and sing for people. A DJ will be in for the latter part of the evening to provide some music and a bit of a boost for the party.
SIAM@SIAM DESIGN HOTEL BANGKOK 865 Rama I Road, Opposite National Stadium, Wang Nai, Patumwan, Bangkok. Tel. 02 217 3000.
