BANGKOK BAR

Wanderlust

This rooftop bar above Nakiya Japanese restaurant offers Sapporo beer, a mish-mash of chart music and comfort food favorites. 

The buzz: It seems this city just can’t get enough rooftop venues and this new joint on top of the building that used to house expat hangout Woodstock Bar and Grill has the added bonus of offering a laidback garden theme, alongside good tunes and a dash of street attitude. 

The décor: Woodstock closed down last year and the the main space was taken over by Japanese restaurant Nakiya. It means you get to Wanderlust via a slightly-tricky-to-find lift around the back of the building which is accessed from the soi next to restaurant Little Beast. Once you’ve headed up to the 5th floor, street art created by one of the owners, Christopher Gale (who happens to be the son of the former owner of Woodstock), point you to the alfresco space. The main area has been given a garden feel thanks to the fake grass floor (and even grass covered tables) and a few pot plants dotted around the place. The use of mismatched wood sofas, rattan chairs and high stools combined with the strings of lights make it feel a little like a traditional riverside restaurant. A large black feature wall sports a quirky black and white fox by Chris to demonstrate the irreverent appeal of the place. At the moment, the space is completely open to the heavens but a movable roof has been promised in time for the rainy season.   

The music: A mish mash of what the group of owners like to hear, which ranges from old pop-rock faves like Keane and Coldplay to hits from Met 107’s charts to upbeat electro pop tunes. 

The crowd: Thonglor’s trendy crowd along with a mix of expats and guests from The XP hostel downstairs. 

The price: Heineken is currently the only choice on tap (B180/pint and B350/jug) but they do also have bottled beers like Beerlao (B129), Beerlao Dark (B139) and Sapporo (B199) and they plan to rotate the choice regularly. Most of the cocktails here are girl-friendly—sweet and sour, pretty and not too strong. Their strawberry mojito (classic mojito with strawberry juice, B199) is a sweet and safe bet or try an Ocean 10 (a long island ice tea with the addition of blue caracao, B199). For something even sweeter, opt for the Irish cream where they mix Baileys with Milo and top with slices of strawberry (B199). There is a brief food menu, which is a mix of classic Woodstock dishes like fish n’ chips (B199), BBQ pork ribs (B250) and burgers (220 for pork/250 for beef) through to drink-friendly choices such as grilled pork/beef with nam jim jaew (Isaan style chili paste, B165/B185) and Belgian fries (B139). 

Why you’ll come back: Despite its location in the heart of slightly uptight and high maintenance Thonglor, this manages to be a rooftop bar with a genuinely easy-going vibe that doesn’t need you to dress up for a drink. 

Venue Details
Address: Wanderlust, 5/F, Nakiya Japanese Restaurant Building, Thonglor Soi 13, Bangkok,
Phone: 088-696-9445
Website: www.facebook.com/wanderlust.rooftop
Area: Thonglor
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 5pm-1am
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