The rooftop bar at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen's Park divides a beautiful space 37-floor overlooking Benjasiri Park into two floors and two bars, one with a focus on dark spirits, one specializing in gin, and both well worth your time. This hotel bar knows what they are doing and produces a drinks menu that’s above and beyond what’s attempted at most rooftop venues. Of course, the views are also stunning.

 

 

They’ve clearly emphasized the view here, which, given its 28th-floor vantage, was a good idea. The decor is unobtrusive industrial, with tile floors and raw concrete walls bordered in hanging greens. The elevators open right onto the bar, a good place to start before dividing onto one of the two long terraces. You can get a bar stool right up against the glass edge for the closer look of the views. The general vibe is laid-back, making this a good anytime bar, where you’ll never feel under- or over-dressed.

 

 

A joint venture between the teams behind Ku Bar and the rapidly expanding Sugar Ray empire (Q&A, Thaipioka, Sugar Ray, Sugarray Apartment), the two-story Alonetogether keeps it classy with stiff cocktails, live jazz and cigars. The team at the speakeasy-like bar focuses on the classics, often giving them a subtle twist with local ingredients. The Frozen Screwdriver, for instance, incorporates local citrus fruits like pomelo while the Cold Fashioned features black cardamom (all B420).

 

 

Finding this place can be an amusing experience. Once you’re inside the Metropole Residence building, keep an eye out for a nondescript fire escape near Cafe Amazon on the ground floor. Push the door open and you’ll be greeted with an almost pitch-dark space. We say almost, because seconds before you blindly trip over your feet, you’ll see the bar itself, dimly lit by flickering candles. Drinks wise, you can expect non-traditional, stripped-down versions of the classics that put the focus on the spirits. 

 

 

Local craft beer brand Bootleg Brothers recently opened a brew pub on the rooftop of EmQuartier, sharing the space with the beachclub-inspired Escape. Home to seven tanks and nine taps serving a bunch of their familiar labels like the brown ale Naughty Nut and hoppy lager Island Hopper to the super hop-forward pale ale Boy Wonder and well-balanced German-style helles-lager Khaosan (B300/pint; B150/glass).

 

 

Inspired by the secret ancient vault of the Chinese dynasty during the reign of young Emperor Jing Li who sought a safe space away from his aunt Zhang Xiu, Emperor’s Secret tries to lean into the whole ancient China vibes with drinks like “Imperial Spritz” (gin, aromatic vermouth, elderflower syrup and soda, B360) and “Bloodthirst” (whiskey, beetroot, tarragon syrup, citrus and soda, B360). The lore goes that after Jing Li was sentenced to death by his aunt, this secret bar remained forgotten forever. The story isn’t real of course, but it creates a nice backdrop and vibe that feels unique in Bangkok’s bar scene. 

 

 

The swanky EmQuartier dedicates a significant chunk of its prime fifth-floor, mall-top real estate to a venue that’s part tapas bar, part neon-drenched tiki bar and wholly committed to its “downtown beach club” theme. The outdoor portion, which is most of it, is Samui transplanted: sofa beds, hayneedle patio umbrellas and lots of bamboo. Despite the decor, the drinks are not all tiki and pineapple here—you’ll find plenty of well-done classics like gin martinis, old fashioneds and Negronis. 

 

 

Following the success of EmQuartier's beach club themed Escape, the luxury mall has welcomed a second rooftop bar with an extravagant Latino flex. The drinks list is massive, offering everything from aperitifs, gin, cachaca, rum, tequila and mezcal to vodka, whiskey—you name it. Of course you can’t go there and not order a margarita. They offer five kinds, but we like the tiki poly margarita (B380).

 

 

After great success at its first home in Ploen Chit, this asylum-themed bar opened its second spot in Phrom Phong (inside the Villa Market parking lot). It stays true to the original’s dark, mysterious atmosphere that feels something like a horror film spread across two floors. There is a huge range of craft beers here from all over the world, available both on tap (rotating) and in bottles.

 

 

Snug between Sing Sing Theater and Gigi, you might overshoot the entrance on your first pass. Don’t be fooled by the meek facade; inside are all the extravagant hallmarks of an Ashley Sutton drinking hole. The marine theme makes the room feel like an exclusive and cozy ship cabin.

 

 

This Cuban-themed bar sits on the 32nd floor of the Compass SkyView Hotel, offering rum-heavy drinks amid almost-360-degree views over Benjasiri Park and downtown. Unlike so many uber-modern sky bars, this one greets you with mid-century Cuban furnishings and green Havana hues. Intricate tile-work and floor patterns transport you, mojito in hand, right back to the 1950s.

 

 

Seek out the tucked-away elevator next to Ramen Ichiban and head to the fifth floor. A heavy door leads through to the cozy bar, where neon red signage, retro furnishings and a pill-shaped counter conjure a cozy and almost festive feel. The piano's not just part of the furniture, either—occasional live music ranges from cover bands to singers.

 

 

If you love Wong Kar Wai’s latest produced film “One for the Road”, this is for you. In fact, it’s the very first bar that Kar Wai has sponsored and co-owned. After finishing with all the filming, Thai film director Nattawut “Baz” Poonpiriya decided to bring the bar from the movie to life. The place draws heavy cinematic references from Kar Wai’s films—think a mix of conserved modernist architecture like the ones from “In the Mood for Love” and “Happy Together.”

 

 

Combining technology, music and art, Pin31's lounge area is equipped with projection mapping, which is used to take guests on virtual tours of far-flung destinations like Paris. As you immerse yourself in this unique experience, you can sip on equally inventive cocktails from a menu that highlights reimagined classics like the coconut martini (gin, coconut, vermouth, B380).

 

 

Even if it didn’t possess such a prime location just a staggering distance from BTS Phrom Phong, we’d still seek out this long-running British-leaning boozer thanks to its Boddingtons on tap and giant racks of ribs in a proper sticky barbecue sauce. Pitch up for any big match or race and you’re guaranteed there’ll be a TV in prime sight showing it. 

 

 

This long-running pub will make you feel like you’re cozied up in a traditional British booze den. Here, you’ll find plenty of rugby screenings and, of course, British people. They also have generous rotating weekly specials on food, and the Comedy Club Bangkok is placed upstairs with shows regularly.

 

 

Bacchus Global, familiar locally as the importer and distributor of whiskey labels Yamazaki and Hibiki, are the folks behind this showroom for the cocktail-loving public. Even though their head bartender Ken Sawada has moved onto his new venture at Asoke’s The White House, the drinks and the selection of premium Japanese whiskey, gin, sake and more, are still worth every visit.

 

 

Years after the opening, Sing Sing continues to be the favorite dancing spot for Bangkok’s slightly older and definitely well-heeled clubbing community. Here, you’ll find some of very beautiful women and guys in untucked shirts dancing and rubbing bodies under the red lights and 1930s Shanghai-themed decor.

 

 

This hotel rooftop bar sits pretty on the 26th floor of the Novotel, offering laidback garden vibes and views of both Sirikit Lake and Benjasiri Park. Considering the views and the location, you can forget sky-high prices of their drinks starting at B300 for a signature cocktail. The food menu is not too bad, so you can actually dine on something simple here while drinking to the views.

 

 

If you have been to Q&A and Thaipioka, you’d know what to expect at this spot as it’s by the same nightlife masterminds. A back-lit bar shows off a well-stocked alcohol shelf, while a scattering of tables provides a bit of seating. We suggest grabbing a stool at the bar to watch the bartenders at work—these guys will answer every drink-related question you can throw at them.

 

 

The venue is located five minutes from BTS Phrom Phong, that means 36th-story views stretching over Thonglor in one direction and towards downtown from the other. Despite some simple, wooden furniture upholstered in vibrant prints, and a sprinkling of palm trees, the massive marble bar backlit with colored LED lights retains a distinctly “sky bar” vibe.

 

 

This place is tucked away on a busy street so neatly that there’s a chance you might walk past it several times without knowing there's an absolute gem inside. As the name suggests, you’ll find nothing but piano and scotch here—nice and simple. Take a seat in their cozy den, listen to the live piano, and soak up an intimate atmosphere while sipping your way through the large selection of scotches and watch your bank account plummet like the stock market.