The buzz: After taking foodie ideals to revolutionary new heights in Bangkok through its exclusive and expensive restaurant in Thonglor, The Water Library is now turning its focus to the new adjoining wine bar. Sporting an additional outdoor terrace, they’re set on introducing more creative cocktails courtesy of Italian mixologist Mirko Gardelliano while you can also choose from a wine selection boasting over 370 labels from all over the world, all at reasonable prices.

The décor: The new outdoor terrace provides a laidback setting with dark brown rattan sofas scattered over a fake-grass yard sexily lit by candlelight. Just across from the existing restaurant and bar you’ll spy a sliding glass door which is the entrance to the sophisticated, petite new wine bar, filled with proper leather sofas and floor-to-ceiling glass-enclosed wine cellars. The classily tasteful vibe is completed by the decorative wooden wine boxes that dot the floor.

The music: Jazz-funk lends a sensual feel to both the terrace and wine bar proper. They’re also planning to bring in a three-piece jazz act to perform live in the near future.

The crowd: Thonglor-Ekkamai middle-to-high income executives who know their wines and what makes a good cocktail.

The price: Unlike the original restaurant with its astoundingly decadent 12-course menu, the wine bar focuses on serving tapas dishes that really compliment your drink, like cold pasta (B150/260), foie gras spoons (B190) and curry sausage (B190). As for the drinks, the cocktails were ingeniously created by Gardelliano using a wide variety of interesting ingredients and molecular techniques. Try I Love BKK (B280), their newly-added Bangkok Cocktail (B280), and Malt Fantasy (B300). The wine list contains both old and new world selections at lower prices than elsewhere since they import the wine themselves. House wine by the glass offers the likes of Pinot Noir “All that Jazz” 2010 for red (B410) and Roero Arneis Matteo Correggia 2010 for white (B375). Most of the red wines come from the Napa Valley (B2,200-220,000), while the white wines start from Garganega Bianco IGT (B990) and go all the way up to Langhe Chardonnay Gaja&Rey 2009 (B11,500). There’s also Champagne, mostly from Louis Roederer (B2,900-B16,000).

Why you’ll come back: At B790, the three-course menu paired with three cocktails serves is a not-too-extravagant way to live it up. And face it; most affordable wine places come with no-nothing fools for sommeliers (if they have one at all). But among the team here are former head sommeliers at the Mandarin Oriental, which means you get top-level service, and a wine education. Vasachol Quadri