We’re a little sad that De Lovely isn’t the go-to Italian place for more folks on Thong Lor. Conveniently located at Market Place, it combines some nice couches and armchairs (and some cool table lamps dangling upside down from the ceiling), with a very affordable, no-frills menu of well-portioned soups, salads, pizzas, pastas and the like. And yet on our last visit, when nary a soul was to be found at De Lovely, just across the way on the same floor, the noodle and hot pot shop Mama Do by Ter was bustling.
De Lovely mixes both modern touches and vintage style with a combination of flower print furniture and chandeliers alongside concrete floors and steel accents. Catch up with friends over a few drinks on the comfy sofas and bean bags downstairs or head up the metal staircase for a formal sit-down dinner on the first floor, with dishes like the grilled tenderloin, duck confit, and pan-fried cod fish.
Doesn’t matter if you’re a dunker, a goaler, a board rider, or just another street thug wannabe, V.A.C. has some rare goodies imported from the world over to raise your cred. The shop is a mini street-focused mall in itself, with a touch of club atmosphere thrown in and a neo-roman style—bling, you say? Sneaker-heads will jump up and down for their limited editions from brands like Adidas, Nike, Nike 6.0, Reebok, and Supra. Our picks?
Thann is a brand with multiple outlets best known for selling elegantly packaged aromatic oils, candles and creams. Their café is equally impressive, with its sensuous modern furniture and crafty décor made of a myriad cardboard leaves. On the food side, the cakes are baked by Sugarlust and the caterer White Café XS developed the savory menu.
The buzz: Owners of the high-end healthy cosmetics line, Thann, are putting their fingers in all sorts of lifestyle pies: spas, fancy teas and now a calm and coolly-sunlit café at Gaysorn Plaza, one floor down from their spa. Since its opening last month, it’s been attracting a mixed crowd with its zen ambience and fusion dishes.
The décor: The most notable aspect of the interior design is the color scheme. White and beige furniture, enormous tabletops and muted sunlight through frosted windows, along with thick (cardboard-cut) foliage covering the walls and dangling from the ceiling give Thann a secret-garden-on-a-Sunday-morning sort of atmosphere, a perfect reprieve from the madness of shopping in the Ratchaprasong area.
The food: A combination of fusion sandwiches/wraps/panini and super low-key California café-style fare, such as the tandoori fish and the larb kai wraps, both B150. Also exciting is their series of Thai curry pies, involving penang, massaman, et cetera. Some uncharacteristically decadent desserts, like the banana caramel pudding and the cinnamon toast with carmelized apples, both with vanilla ice cream on the side.
The drinks: No booze, of course, at this health-themed establishment, but they do some funky teas such as iced chamomile and ginger and iced bael fruit tea, and hot ones like cherry jasmine and chai spice. For coffee, they do Lavazza.
The crowd: Office big-wigs, after-spa relaxers, groups of lady shoppers, afternoon tea partyers.
The buzz: It’s been just a little over a year since the long-serving Thong Lor institution Song Salueng reopened with its Lanna-inspired décor. We blink and it’s now morphed into an industrial-style building with a saucy new moniker.
The Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, led by guest conductor Christopher Hughes, pay tribute to American composers like Copland and Gershwin.
Prepare for seven days of pure artiness as Bang(zero)k Festival opens this weekend. Running Dec 18-25 at hip locations like The BACC and WTF, the event features a mish-mash of artistic and cultural performances from local and international artists. We’re looking forward to seeing Distorsions Urbaines, a contemporary dance-slash-installation art event by Brussels-based dance company t.r.a.n.s.i.t.s.c.a.p.e as well as edgy performances from the veteran artist Miss Vee and an exhibition by photographer Tada Hengsakpul.
Silpakorn University's Faculty of Decorative Arts hosts its 29th installment of the beloved gift festival with the theme "eco design." Expect a host of street stalls selling handmade gifts, bric-a-brac and snacks. Plus live gigs by artists like Slot Machine, Singular, The Jukks and Desktop Error. Faculty of Decorative Arts, 31 Silpakorn University, Na Phra Lan Rd., 02-221-5874.
Thaicraft Fair rolls out its younger version, featuring handmade gifts, DIY workshops and live music in a garden.
Bed throws a Christmas Eve bash with the theme "the world's 8th wonder."
DJs Orawan and Derolean, under the name of Sky Gazing, serve up sounds of dub n' bass, future garage and dubstep.
