Whether in Bangkok or in any other major tourist spots in Thailand, you will find some chic, innovative cocktails to sip your blues away.
by Rachel Ross
A bartender mixes a delicious concoction at The Octave Bar, Bangkok
Mocktails, tea-infused concoctions, live music, beautiful views, and soothing atmospheres. Sometimes, you need that touch of class to really make your day when you’re on holiday. Thailand has countless relaxed road-side cocktail joints, roof-top bars, and luxury recipes. So, where should you be heading for some of the best drinks, and views, around the country?
Up-in-the-air panoramas
Set up in the lush gardens of “Coconut Island,” Koh Samui’s Anantara Lawana Resort Treetops is a dining experience in its own right. In your private sky-high booth providing a bird’s-eye view of the ocean, treat yourself to fine dining, and meticulously prepared cocktails.
Said to be the best views in the area, Ao Nang’s Hilltop Resort sits, as the name suggests, on top of a hill in Krabi giving diners an unmatched view of the Andaman Sea. Grab a table close to sunset, order one of their fruity cocktails, and enjoy the panoramic wash of dusk surrounding you.
Cocktails at W Retreat Samui
Sand, sea & riverside views
Find yourself eating popcorn and sipping cocktails at Koh Samui’s The W on a Monday evening for a cinematic experience. Right on the sands of their private beach, watch classic and blockbuster movies play out on the big screen, while relaxing on the huge bean-bags for maximum comfort.
Chiang Mai: a city that doesn’t really feel like a city, thanks to its homely community feel and laid-back inhabitants. Set inside the former British Consulate, The Restaurant on the Mae Ping River provide a sophisticated setting, classic cocktails, and a view of the quiet, ambient riverside.
Travel back in time, enjoy views of the ocean and luxury yachts, and, of course, sample a drink or two at The Speakeasy. Located on Koh Kaew, on the ‘island’ of Phuket, this restaurant exudes an old-style, refined feeling, as you sink into a sofa for a spot of privacy in ultimate comfort.
A classic cocktail at The Bamboo Bar, Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
City style
What could be classier than sipping a cocktail and listening to live jazz? Live bands and singers playing jazz echo around The Bamboo Bar’s newly, yet traditionally, refurbished space. The bar blends traditional Thai beauty and chic modernity, in both its décor design and in its drinks menu.
Like tea? Love cocktails? Then this may be the perfect place for you. Now, as a Brit, my instinct is to reject any tea experience that isn’t brewed in my favorite mug accompanied by a Rich Tea biscuit, however, Rock Restaurant and Bar’s tea-blend cocktails are inarguably a masterpiece that are as delicious as they are unusual. This place, known for its blending of different cultural dishes, uses Asian influences, particularly Chinese, in these delectable tea and alcohol infusions.
Prepare for a sensory journey on entering the city’s only Perfume Fragrance Bar. Sit on the patio for some city people-watching, or fully immerse yourself into the heart of the experience. Using perfumery, aromatherapy, and unique eye-catching designs, the cocktail creations exist to invoke as many senses as possible.
Only a tuk-tuk ride away, lies another bar, providing cocktails with a twist and an edgy, cozy fusion of décor. You may have a difficult time deciding between Water Library’s delicately prepared, award-winning cocktails that have been designed by top mixologist Mirko Gardelliano, and the juices, alcohol, and extracts in the bar are all handmade with meticulous detail.
Cocktails, anyone? Just a few of the many places in Thailand that you can visit for some refreshing tipple
The Restaurant
Where: 123-123/1 Charoen Prathet Road, Changklan, Muang, Chiang Mai
When: Daily 5 p.m.-1 a.m.
More info: 053 253 333/ http://chiang-mai.anantara.com/
Rock Restaurant and Bar
Where: 7/1 Paholyothin Soi 9, Bangkok
When: Tues-Sun –5 p.m.-midnight
More info: 02 688 8200
The Hilltop Resort
Where: Moo 4 Ao Nang, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi
When: Daily 11 a.m.-midnight
More info: www.thehilltopaonang.com/075 637 195
The Water Library
Where: 2/F, Chamchuri Square, Phaya Thai Rd. Bangkok
When: Daily 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 6-9:30 p.m.
More info: www.waterlibrary.com/02 160 5188/9
Perfume Fragrance Bar
Where: 88/29 Eight Thonglor, G Fl., Soi Thonglor 8, Sukhumvit 55 Rd., Klongton-Nua, Bangkok, 101
The Bamboo Bar
Where: 48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok
www.mandarinoriental.com/02 659 9000
When: Live Jazz: Sunday-Thursdays 9 p.m.-midnight; Friday-Saturday 9 p.m.-1 a.m.
The Speakeasy
Where: Royal Phuket Marina, 68 Moo 2, Thepkasattri Road, Koh Kaew, Phuket
More info: 081 979 2082
When: Monday-Saturday 3-10 p.m.
The W Retreat
Where: Bontji Moo 4 Bo Put,
Koh Samui
When: Monday movie night: 7 p.m.-late
More info: www.wretreatkohsamui.com/077 915 999
