With the new year, GURU thought it'd be a great idea to find new bars to be merry with your friends! If you're strapped for cash (due to your New Year celebrations), do not fret dear readers, we have picked bars that won't put a dent on your wallet where you won't cry money tears as you waste them away on another expensive drink. These bars are worth a visit so grab some friends, head to one of them and bottoms up!
Baby Bar
If you are a huge Wes Anderson fan, Baby Bar, on the ground floor of the Craftsman Hotel in the Chatuchak area, is bound to give you the sense that you may have walked into one of his visually-distinctive movie sets. Blame it on the peach-coloured decor and dim lighting that helps set the mood. An outside seating area complements well with the hotel's pool, perfect for relaxed vibes and to get your social media game strong with IG-worthy pics. A live band plays at the bar from 8-11pm.
In addition to their uniquely-designed bar, all food and drink have a visual flair. The bar's sweet and fruity signature cocktails are a definite highlight, with some of their creative names being themed around family. Try the gin-based Baby Shower (B250), the milky Mama Mellow (B40) made with Captain Morgan Gold rum and Baileys whiskey or the Grumpy Daddy (B260) with its combination of Scotch whisky, Amaretto, rum, lime juice and egg white. Beers range from B150-180 and teetotallers can go for sodas (B150) or mocktails (B160).
Indulge yourself in appetisers such as the larb-flavoured chicken pate with olive sourdough (B220) or the spicy rocket salad with mackerel (B225). For mains, try the bar's pad krapao with their Fluffy (and we really mean fluffy) krapao omelette (B165) or the Jarret beef green curry served with roti (B325). An all-day breakfast menu (7am-4pm) is also offered where you can have a go at their Big boy breakfast (B285) or the Avocado salsa and feta cheese-topped sourdough with a side order of scrambled eggs (B295).
-- Mon-Fri: 11am-11pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-11pm / Baby Bar, Craftsman Hotel, 1st Floor, 34-36 Soi Phahonyothin 11, Phahonyothin Road / http://fb.com/Baby-Bar-Bangkok-2055484554762597.
Clouds Across the M∞n BKK
Retro and vintage in its design, this small bar is named after a song of the same name by English musician Richard Anthony Hewson's Rah Band. The bar is decorated with an assortment of items from a huge glowing moon hung on the wall to a projector displaying random classic movies on the opposite side. Heck, there's even a lava lamp on the bar and an inflatable Stormtrooper from Star Wars in a corner. Alternative/indie rock fans will feel welcome at home here with the music, however, a live band and/or DJ takes over the bar from 8pm.
All of the bar's signature cocktails are lunar-themed such as the smoky eponymous Clouds Across the Moon (B320), the sweet vodka and Triple Sec Moonflowers (B280), and the Half Moon (B140) sake shot topped with a bite of plumed lemon. A daily happy hour takes place between 5-9pm where customers indulge in a cocktail promotion of buy 1 get 1 free or they can buy a glass of Asahi beer or Suntory whiskey highball for B80 per glass (you read that amount right, no typos here).
Enjoy their easy snacks such as their Mini waffle hash browns (B120), Fried chicken wings (B140) or Mini fish sticks (B140), which is not yet on the menu, but will make it there at a later date.
-- Mon-Sat: 5pm-1am / Clouds Across the M∞n BKK, Pridi Banomyong 14, Sukhumvit 71 / 02-046-6928, http://fb.com/cloudsacrossthemoon.bkk.
Dumbo BKK
This jazz-themed rooftop bar may take some effort in finding due to their reliance on word-of-mouth and no signs pointing to its existence. An uncertain feeling may engulf you as you work your way up the stairs towards the top of the Inn Office co-working space but you will sigh relief (and catch your breath) once you hear jazz music coming from the rooftop.
Enjoy a live band throughout the evening as you order their signature cocktails (B240 each), all of which are named after popular jazz albums, songs and even venues such as Fly Me To The Moon, Bird Land, Kind of Blue and Take Five. Their selection of 16 craft beers are priced between B190-290.
Try the deep-fried Dumbo Wings (B180) for starters and for mains, order the Cheezy creamy omelet with ham (B140). If you wanna get some hands-on action, try their Beyond the sea (B450) seafood platter, which consists of prawns, squid and New Zealand mussels covered in pomodoro sauce and served with garlic bread -- perfect for sharing with friends and enjoying calm jazzy tunes with.
-- Dumbo BKK, Inn-Office Building, 6th Floor, 490/5 Phahonyothin Road / 094-560-7222, http://fb.com/dumbo.bangkok.
Feeling Bar
Feeling happy and in need of celebration? Or are you sad, heartbroken and in need of comforting? Either way, head to Feeling Bar (be sure to grab your buddies) where the menu and themes are based solely on (you guessed it) emotions. The bar, with its warm glow of pink, is highly noticeable with its big neon sign by the window asking would-be patrons "How Are You Feeling Tonight?"
The music changes with the day. Tuesdays are themed as "Feeling Relaxed" with easy listening music, Wednesdays are "Feeling Missed" with hits from the 90's to early 2000's, Thursday are "Feeling Blues" with sad R&B tracks to drown your sorrows with, Fridays are "Feeling Happy" with popular music, and Saturdays are "Feeling Excited" featuring today's hits. They plan to open on Sundays with a "Feeling In Love" theme but as of now it has yet to happen. Customers can enjoy a live music session of two bands every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
The bar mainly serves fusion food mixed with Thai ingredients and is categorized by how you're feeling (or as they say -- to feel it with taste). Feeling sad? Try their Rak sam sao (B120) sticky rice sushi made with either mackerel, pork or chicken served with three different sauces. Feeling happy? Gorge yourself with the Lab loy pork ribs (B240). If you're heartbroken or lonely, indulge in their Dek sen duck breast spaghetti (B200).
Like their food, all of their four signature cocktails (B240) are based on feelings, specifically mysterious, sad, amazed or loved. Each of them uses Sangsom as the base, however, if you're not a fan of the rum, you could have a couple of beers (B120-140).
-- Tues-Sat: 6pm-1am / Feeling Bar, 18D Soi Ari 4 Nuea / http://fb.com/feelingbarAri.
Mikkeller Ari
Denmark's Mikkeller has already enjoyed serving patrons their wide selection of craft beers and international food at Ekamai but the Danish microbrewery have just opened a second branch in Ari.
What sets this second branch apart from the main is its focus on Thai cuisine and craft beers from Asia. Fill your tummy with Crispy fried chicken with lemongrass and kaffir (B140), Pork jerky with chili sauce (B160) or Chunky Esan sausage-stuffed chicken wings topped with ginger and toasted peanuts (B190). If you want to opt for something that isn't Thai, they have a small selection of Chinese dishes such as Sichuan-style pork wontons (B140).
Of course it wouldn't be a microbrewery without their wide selection of craft beers (with prices starting from B140) from not just Mikkeller but also Asian beers such as Hong Kong's Gweilo and Thailand's very own Outlaw IPAs. Spirits and cocktails are also available such as the chocolate gin-based Chocolate and berries (B300) and wasabi gin-based Japanese Bees Have Knees (B320).
-- Tues-Sat: Mikkeller Ari, Ari Samphan 1 / 02-101-4962, http://fb.com/mikkellerari.
RedSquare Rooftop Bar
Perched at the top of Nana's Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4 is the distinctly red RedSquare Rooftop Bar, a bar that specialises in bringing vodka labels from all around the world. From having glasses of Skyy (B250) from North America and a Puerto Rican Pina Colada (B250) to the Ethiopian African Sunrise (B250) and Thailand's very own Kristall V (B200), you can bet that there is a lot of choices. You can also try RedSquare's cocktails such as the Mojito Skyy (B320) or Siam Sunrays (B350).
The bar also serves food, and while a little pricier than the other bars listed, you may get your money's worth. Order tapas such as their Spinach and cheese quesadilla (B200) or sliders like the Spiced prawn burger with cocktail sauce (B380). Their skewers are best enjoyed with friends whether it'd be the Char-grilled tiger prawn (B590) or Australian beef tenderloin lathered in red wine sauce (B590).
Enjoy their offerings in the semi-open air interior or chill by the pool and check out the glowing city lights.
-- RedSquare Rooftop Bar, 25th Floor, Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 4, 27 Sukhumvit 4.
