On the ground floor of the Holiday Inn on Sukhumvit Soi 22, designer Ashley Sutton is building his latest venue, Bangkok Betty, due to open this October. The man behind the Dickensian factory-themed Iron Fairy and the Orientalist boudoir Maggie Choo's is this time inspired by a military theme, and planning on a full-on diner, rather than a bar.

"When everyone is seated, it'll look like they're at an assembly line, making.. Well, I don't want to say what will be made," says Sutton.

He also claims the vibe will not necessarily be retro, unlike most places to have opened of late, although he does plan classic touches like a three-piece band with a double bass. Sutton has also indicated that Iron Fairies would soon open in Hong Kong.