Tep Bar in Bangkok's Soi Nana Chinatown is the Thai-spirit cocktail bar with live mor lam music nightly, opened 2014 with ya dong herbal infusions and classical Isan band.
Food program: Thai-style bar snacks
Tip: Live mor lam music Wed-Sun 21:00; arrive by 20:00 for a counter seat. Vegetarian-friendly bar snacks.
Address: 69-71 Soi Nana, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok 10100
Q and A Bar in Bangkok's Asoke is the speakeasy cocktail counter behind an unmarked door, opened 2014 by Suwincha Singsuwan with a custom-build approach to the menu.
Signature drink: Classics and custom builds
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Counter seats turn faster than tables; book a table for groups of three or more. Music shifts from jazz to old-soul through the night.
The Bamboo Bar in Bangkok's Mandarin Oriental opened 1953 as the city's first cocktail and jazz bar, Asia's 50 Best Bars regular, with live jazz nightly through to 01:00.
Signature drink: Classic cocktails and jazz
Food: Light bar bites
Tip: Live jazz from 21:00; arrive by 20:30 for a table near the band. Dress code smart casual, no shorts or open shoes.
BKK Social Club in Bangkok's Four Seasons Chao Phraya is Philip Bischoff's Argentine-influenced cocktail counter, Asia's 50 Best Bars No. 3 in 2023, riverside elegance.
Signature drink: Argentine-inspired Negroni variations
Food: Argentine empanadas and grilled snacks
Tip: Reservations recommended. Walk-in option at the bar counter; the Argentine-inspired Negroni list is the through-line.
Tropic City in Bangkok's Charoen Krung 28 is Phil Bartlett and Sebastien Manou's rum-led tropical cocktail counter, Asia's 50 Best Bars No. 6 in 2023, in a heritage shophouse.
Signature drink: Rum-led tropical builds
Food: Snacks and bar bites
Tip: No reservations; arrive by 21:00 for a counter seat. The downstairs is the standing-room option after midnight.
Sky Bar at Lebua in Bangkok's State Tower is the open-air rooftop on the 64th floor over the Chao Phraya, since 2003 and famously from The Hangover Part II in 2011.
Signature drink: Hangovertini and rooftop classics
Food: Light bar snacks
Tip: Dress code is smart casual, no shorts or open-toe shoes. Sunset slot books out; arrive by 17:30 for the best skyline views.
Vesper in Bangkok's Convent Road is the Italian-aperitivo cocktail counter on the ground floor of an art-deco shophouse, Asia's 50 Best Bars regular and a 1920s-inspired room.
Signature drink: Negroni and Italian aperitivo classics
Food: Italian aperitivo bites
Tip: Sit at the marble counter for the bartender's view of the Italian-vermouth menu. Open from 16:00 for early aperitivo.
