Tag: nightlife

Owl School Bar & Cafe Bangkok

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owl school bar

For an authentic and completely typical, modern, local Thai hangout, make sure to visit the Owl School Bar in Bangkok. It’s a real nice, laid back hangout for younger Thai locals and students – it’s pretty rare to find any other foreigners there. The Owl School Bangkok is real small and cozy, hosting all of about six tables inside, and maybe two or three tables crammed outside at the busy street front.

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During the day, the Owl School is cute, homely cafe with shabby chic, white furniture and cozy decoration. Later at night, the separate bar next door opens up and they host chilled out live music – usually a small, Thai acoustic band squeezed between the chairs outside.

The interior of the Owl School Bar is quite simple but also still characterful. The chairs look alsmost like oil drums with cushions and you can find some cute quotes printed across the walls maybe with a random, retro gameboy pinned underneath. The staff are super friendly and welcoming, particularly the chilled out owner.

Bangkok thai local bar

You can buy snacks like popcorn and Thai meals from around 80 baht to 200 baht. They don’t have that big a selection of drinks with a choice of about four beers, five cocktails and a few bottles of wine, but costs start from 100 baht.

How to get to the Owl School Bar Bangkok

The quirky Owl School Bar in Bangkok is located along Ekkamai Sukhumvit Soi 63. It’s a relatively long walk from the BTS Ekkamai station, maybe about half way down Ekkamai. Owl School Bar is on the main road, between Soi 20 and 22.

Moose Bar & Restaurant Bangkok

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The Moose Bar is a very modern and quirky, cool bar located on Ekkamai Soi 21 near the equally eccentric Tuba Bar. It has a real cool clientele yet still maintains a casual and mellow, chilled out atmosphere. The inside of the Moose Bar itself is spacious, dark (verging on vintage gothic perhaps) and simple with dim lighting.

moose bar bangkok

Not a place to be seen, but a place to be cool

There are subtle, quirky decorations throughout and a steady theme of hunting-trophy style moose heads mounted on the walls (actually, after long cocktail fuelled debates and googling – deer heads, not moose heads. Without sounding too pedantic).

moose bar bangkok

The list of cocktails at the Moose Bar is impressive with cheaper drinks starting at about 140 baht and specialty cocktails costing up to 250 baht per glass. Make sure to head to the Moose Bar Bangkok at happy hour for buy one get one free drinks between 5pm and 8pm. Also be sure to try the Gimlet, a particularly good cocktail with subtle herby flavours.

moose bar bangkok

The background music played at the Moose Bar is usually more of the typical accoustic Thai pop-style music, which makes it real pleasant and laid back to hang out. Some nights, the Bangkok Moose Bar hosts live music sessions too.

moose bar bangkok

How to get to the Moose Bar Bangkok

You can take a taxi from Ekkamai BTS to Ekkamai Soi 21 for about 40 – 50 baht depending on traffic. Walk in the Soi just a few metres and you will notice the Moose bar just ahead on the left hand side.

Tuba Bar Bangkok

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bangkok tuba bar

The Tuba Bar in Bangkok, Ekkamai, serves both Italian and Thai food with a nice selection of Belgium beers and cocktails. The most distinguishing feature of the Bangkok Tuba Bar though, is the quirky décor and attention to detail throughout the whole bar & restaurant.

Nerds like myself will appreciate the life-size comic hero models scattered around the place, cabinets full of retro, childhood figurines and a ceiling forming a sky of dangling model planes. The nostalgic and artistic memorabilia at the Bangkok Tuba Bar makes it really charming.

Bangkok nightlife

There is also a small and cozy, fairy light lit garden at the front of the bar ideal for a chilled out drink on a cool evening in Bangkok. The bar offers use of the pool table and a comfy living room-style area to watch TV also. Make sure to make the most of Tuba Bar’s Happy Hour between 5pm and 8pm when you can buy one, get one free on all cocktails.

bangkok bar

As an idea, cocktails cost around 230 baht each; salads, pasta and pizza cost from around 200 to 400 baht; and Thai dishes cost an average of about 150 baht. The menu at Bangkok Tuba Bar is huge – there is loads of choice in food with plenty of vegetarian options and lots of seafood dishes also.

The Tuba Bar has a super chilled out vibe to it, making it a great, casual hangout.

bangkok tuba bar

How to get to the Tuba Bar Bangkok

Take the BTS to Ekkamai station and take exit 1 out of the station. When you head down the stairs, keep walking straight ahead until you reach Banrie Coffee, located on the corner of Ekkamai Road. Turn up Ekkamai Road and head to Ekkamai Soi 21 – it’s walkable but still quite far, a taxi will cost about 40 baht in low traffic. Turn into the Soi and the Tuba Bar is just on the left hand side after a few metres walk.

 

Banrie Coffee & Beer Garden Bangkok

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Banrie Coffee makes for both a quaint, pretty daytime cafe and a laid back, cozy night time beer garden in Bangkok. The look of Banrie Coffee is almost ruin-like, reminiscent of the remnants of a historical Thai landmark. The gardens are enclosed by an old, ancient wall with battered holes serving as windows looking out onto the Bangkok city streets. Inside the gardens, many huge trees scatter the grounds linked by colourful flags hanging cheerfully between them during the day. Banrie is open in Bangkok 24 hours a day every day with fairy lights illuminating the gardens at night.

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Banrie Coffee serves a selection of Thai food, coffee, cake, milkshakes, cocktails, wine and beers complete with live, mellow Thai music during the evenings. Bottles of wine don’t come too cheap and vary between 1000 and 2000 baht. You can buy cocktail jugs for 300 baht and beer towers for 500 baht for 2.7 liters. The chilled out atmosphere with mild, live Thai bands and the pleasant, warmly lit natural  surroundings of Banrie Coffee Bangkok make it a must visit local Thai hangout.

banrie

How to get to Banrie Coffee Bangkok

Simply take the Sukhumvit line BTS to Ekkamai. Banrie Coffee is right next to the BTS station, at night time you can just follow the sound of music. Banrie Coffee is difficult to miss.

Rock Pub Bangkok

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bangkok ska punk rock metal music
Need some good music in your life in Bangkok?! Hell yeah, tell me about it…

The Rock Pub in Bangkok has live music every night starting from around 9.30pm. The bands seem to be mainly cover bands for punk, grunge, rock and old skool metal genres and they’re pretty spot on with their reproductions. In my experience so far, many Thai singers seem awesome at mimicking original voices and styles.

Regular Greenday cover band

The pub itself is not too bad inside – where I’m from, if you go to an alternative style bar or live music venue, it’s gonna be pretty grubby and dingy. It’s just to be expected. But the Rock Pub in Bangkok is kept pretty clean – nice leather stools, flat screen TVs with music videos… whilst still maintaining a smooth, dimly lit, alternative, badass aura about it. Oh and the acoustics are good or whatever.

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Don’t expect it to be that cheap though. But then don’t be a scab – live music venues and bars never are. Beers cost from 119 baht a bottle to 750 baht for a 3 litre tower of Chang and from 75 baht for a soft drink.

How to get to the Rock Pub Bangkok

Head to BTS station Ratchatewi and take the exit opposite Asia Hotel (which has it’s own floating link from the station). It’s right at the bottom of the BTS steps, next to the fried banana lady. Mmm fried banana lady.

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Hangover 2 Hotel

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hangover hotel bangkok

The Sky Bar at Lebua State Tower Hotel in Bangkok is more commonly known as the famous bar from Hangover 2. It has a highly sophisticated restaurant and bar 63 floors high above the city, reputedly the tallest rooftop bar in the world. In fact, visiting the ‘Hangover 2 hotel’ is one of the top ‘must do’ activities on most people’s bucket lists when they travel to Bangkok on holiday, so if you’re feeling stumped and overwhelmed about what to do on holiday in Bangkok, it may well be worth a visit.

And you know what? It’s not even that expensive – In many people’s home countries, an opulent, world famous hotel and bar sixty-three floors tall above the capital city would be far from their reach. The bar and restaurant can understandably be a little expensive by Bangkok’s standards, but to stay the night at the Hangover 2 Lebua hotel can actually cost from $100 a night. You can make bookings here.

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Aside from the hotel’s popular association with Hangover 2, the views and atmosphere can be quite breath taking and there are many other equally impressive restaurants and bars within the tower to choose from.

Breeze restaurant serves world-class gourmet food with the choice of dining on a suspended glass sky-brige for a bird’s eye view of Bangkok city. Cafe Mozu is a colourful poolside cafe serving various world cuisines; Distil bar has it’s own nightly resident DJ and open-air cigar terrace; Lebua Lounge offers an extensive and high quality range of teas and pastries in a classic and cozy setting; the Sky Bar and Sirocco restaurant have amazing rooftop views, as seen in the Hangover 2 movie, and a live jazz band every night.

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Cafe Mozu

If you are planning on visiting State Tower, it is highly recommended that you book at least seven days in advance to avoid disappointment.

How to get to the Hangover 2 Hotel

Head to the very western end of Silom Road and you will find it on the corner where the main road meets Charoen Krung Road. From BTS Saphan Taksin, head up Charoen Krung Road until you come to the next main intersection.

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Hangover 2 Thailand, Hangover 2 Hotel Bangkok, Hangover 2 Bar, Rooftop bar Bangkok

The Nest Rooftop Bar Bangkok

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The Nest is a very sophisticated rooftop bar & tapas restaurant located above the Le Fenix Sukhumvit hotel on Soi 11, Nana in Bangkok. It is a fantastic rooftop bar in Bangkok to visit for a chilled out and relaxing evening – even better if you just need to unwind after a hard day’s work. After you enter the dimly lit Nest rooftop bar, you will be welcomed by staff and taken across a small bridge across a tranquil pond. The view of the top of the city and Bangkok skyscraper tops is impressive but even more impressive when you are then taken across a floor of sand to a very comfortable looking bed-like sofa.

After kicking off your shoes and making yourself comfortable amongst the cushions on your own private cocoon-like bed, you can enjoy a cocktail and drift away into a snooze-like state of relaxation. With the reflecting disco ball style lights flickering away hypnotically, the large projector screening breakdance dance-offs and skate boarding tricks behind the bar, the chilled out beats of funk and dubstep; it really is too easy to just fall asleep.

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It’s not very cheap… yet at the same time, for a rooftop bar in Bangkok it’s not expensive either. Cocktails in The Nest rooftop bar average about 280 baht for a generous sized glass, and bottles of beer cost around 150 baht; however at happy hour between 6pm and 9pm cocktails cost only 200 baht and beers only 80 baht. Tapas dishes cost between 120 and 250 baht, Thai food from 90 baht and western dishes up to around 300 baht. We ordered pesto pasta chicken for 220 baht and fish and chips for 250 baht. The portions were slightly small but they were quite tasty.

The staff at The Nest Rooftop bar Bangkok were also very quick and efficient, but one thing in particular that I appreciated about them most was that they didn’t hover over you pressuring you to order like they do in so many other restaurants and rooftop bars in Bangkok. But they were still really quick to notice when you were actually ready to make your order. The Nest rooftop bar have live music after 9pm most nights and it is definitely worth a visit for a chilled out night in style in Bangkok.

Directions to the Nest rooftop bar Bangkok: Head down Soi 11, Nana (just near the BTS station). Continue to the end of the road and turn left. You will notice Le Fenix hotel on the corner as the road bears right again. The Nest Rooftop bar is at the top of Le Fenix hotel.

Cheap Charlies Bangkok

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cheap charlies nana pub

Cheap Charlies is a very casual and laid back, outdoor open bar just off the main Soi 11 in Nana, Bangkok. It’s a small and cozy bar with plenty of character, hidden from the hustle and bustle of the main street. After searching for an opening amongst the maze-like, driftwood structure of the bar itself and it’s assortment of knicknacks; ordering a drink from the engulfed Cheap Charlies owner can be quite a challenge in itself. This, mixed with the cozy old fairy lights, miniature train chugging along it’s track at the top of the wall of worldly souvenirs at the bar, definitely make Cheap Charlies a more interesting experience than your average pub in Bangkok.

cheap charlies bangkok

The selection of music played in the background of Cheap Charlies Bangkok tends to be a laid back mixture of country, honky tonk, classic rock and rock and roll. Being able to sit amongst this casual environment and still be on the street people watching is very entertaining and the vibe among it’s loyal patrons can be quite friendly and welcoming.

Cheap Charlies gets busy later throughout the night though, and it can be difficult to squeeze in and fit in the crowd let alone even grab a chair to sit down. It’s great for the atmosphere if you are happy to stand though, and if not, dropping by Cheap Charlies earlier in the evening before 9pm is ideal for some quieter starting drinks before heading out to other Bangkok bars and clubs. The drinks are a reasonable price at Cheap Charlies costing from 60 – 70 baht for a bottle of beer, 70 baht for spirits and 20 for soft drinks.

How to get to Cheap Charlies Bangkok: You can find Cheap Charlies on Soi 11, which is just next to the BTS Nana station. From here, it is just a few hundred metres down the road on the left hand side, past ‘Zanzibar’. You will see the tiny bar down an alley just past this.

 

Saxophone Pub Bangkok

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The Saxophone is a pub/ restaurant specialising in good music and good food, located at the Victory Monument, Phayathai, Bangkok. If you love live music, especially jazz & blues, Saxophone pub is a definite must on your to-do list in Bangkok. The relaxed and chilled out atmosphere combined with the cozy surroundings and awesome music, make thie Saxophone Pub just perfect to hang loose with a good beer or two in Bangkok. Last I visited, there was a cover band playing old school jazz tunes such as covers of Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra to the more constrasting music of Amy Whinehouse, Adele and Wild Cherry.

The style of the Saxophone pub itself is very reminiscent of an old, dimly lit, English style pub, with an array of kooky decorations and paintings filling any possible remaining bareness, and breathing yet more character into the spririted and cheery Bangkok bar. You can purchase cooked food at the Saxophone Pub, typically costing from around 120 baht to 300 baht for a meal. The pub menu offers a selection of dishes including Thai food, curries, salads, steaks, sandwiches and even german cuisine.

The portions are not always so generous but nonetheless the food is very delicious. Soft drinks are expensive, costing from 90 baht upwards, making it more worthwhile to order alcohol instead. Beers cost from 120 baht and cocktails from 180 baht – the selection of cocktails is huge.

How to get to get to the Saxophone Pub in Bangkok

Take the BTS to the Victory Monument station and then head towards the Victory Monument itself from there. Just before you get to the large roundabout you will notice a small road veering to the right from the main road. With it’s many lights and smoking patrons hanging in the doorway outside, the Saxophone Pub stands out enough to notice it from the main road if you look for it anyway.