Clamour in the the courtyard
There are two (somewhat) new and novel bars shaking things up in Thong Lor’s 72 Courtyard complex. The one getting the most hype is Hopeland, which describes itself as an arcade bar with Tiki drinks and Korean dishes—a power trio if there ever was one! Here the 80s-era arcade machines contain more than 600 games, including Street Fighters, King of Fighters, Tekken, and Metal Slug, but the colourful Polynesian-style Tiki drinks are just as playful. By contrast, Savoy is a punch bar and karaoke singing room with more than 12 signature punches, all served in classic punch bowls with serving ladles. Head bartender Nawin ‘Win’ Pimolrat takes tipplers on a journey with thematic punches named Space, Sea, Wild, Mountain, and Oasis, and the bowls are sized for groups of four, eight, or twelve persons (single servings available upon request).
Jazz is the new black
The opening last month of Black – the Jazz Spot, breathes new life into a primo Thong Lor spot recently vacated following the closure of Bronx Liquid Parlour. As a jazz club, Black last appeared on the Bangkok scene about five years ago—on Sukhumvit Soi 33—but at this new venue New York native Idris Dawud (trumpeter-singer-owner) promises an “uncompromising alternative to play-it-safe hotel lounge jazz”. His passion and experience have driven him to want to challenge, expose, and educate the nascent jazz audiences here in town. Scheduled of performances include solo piano nightly from 7:30pm, with “serious quartets” on stage at 10:30pm Fridays and Saturdays, and 8:30pm on Sundays.
www.blackjazzspot.com
From rum to Reisling
Tropical rum cocktails do seem to be the flavour of the moment, and one newcomer to this party bandwagon is Tropic City, a small but serviceable Tiki bar on Charoen Krung Road (Soi 28) that just opened its doors last month. During the soft opening period the bar will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 6pm till 1am. Meanwhile, Invite Wine & Coctail Bar is attempting to add a touch of class to Sukhumvit Soi 8, and at their grand opening last month (following their soft opening in August) they debuted the new Mediterranean menu put together by Executive Chef Semet Mehmet, as well as their selection of cocktails, and extensive wine and whiskey offerings.
Sathorn eleven art bar
Even though it’s already one of the city’s coolest art galleries, the Sathorn 11 Art Space just got that much cooler with the addition of a brand new full time bar, open Wednesday to Sunday each week (from 6pm till late). Located at the rear of the gallery, this stylish cocktail counter offers a half dozen bar stools for those taking a break from viewing the expertly curated rotating art shows on display. The drink menu has been put together by Shanik Hwang, from Cinema Winehouse—so you know it’s going to be good—with an emphasis on whiskey-based cocktails, classic martinis, and a hand-picked selection of beer and wine. And, as every pizza lover in the city knows, this art space is also home to Gallery Pizza, so you can get delicious pizzas alongside your drinks.
www.facebook.com/sathorn11artspace
