There aren’t many places in Southeast Asia that can boast Bangkok’s cocktail pedigree. For the discerning mixology fiend, these are the spots elevate your average cocktail into an event. This list was made in conjunction with the BAD (Bangkok After Dark) Awards for 2024, sponsored by Beam, Seara Sports Systems, Okonomi, Flow Inter, Chalong Bay, X Rated Fusion Liqueur, and OG Kratom. The BAD Awards are decided by the staff of BK Magazine and a panel of carefully chosen voters from the city’s nightlife spots, F&B industry, journalists, and influencers. 

Follow this link to find all the winners as well as finalists for the categories, and stay tuned for next year’s event as BK starts making notes for BAD 2025.

Bar Us

From the team behind Messenger Service Bar, Bar Us is leading the pack when it comes to savory cocktails. The venue is akin to a laboratory for libations, called the “drinking room.” The space is dimly lit with large, dark wooden tables and bartenders in lab coats. Their offering is structured around a tasting menu concept, divided into starters, mains, and desserts. The cocktails take on a meal-in-one vibe; a standout is the Beef and Onion, highlighting beef jerky infused with Ketel One vodka, creating an earthy, meaty tang balanced by the zesty jalapenos—kind of like drinking a cheeseburger. You can work your way to dessert with the likes of the Pandan and Jackfruit, with nutty and vanilla notes to compliment the jackfruit’s sweet undertones. The cocktails here are far from simple, but there’s something very refreshing about them.

1, Soi Sukhumvit 26, 089-500-1656. Open daily 6pm-late.

Mahaniyom

As well as Ronnaporn ‘Neung’ Kanivichaporn taking home Bartender of the Year, Mahaniyom made waves this year with its creative, ingredient-focused cocktails. Located above the renowned nose-to-tail spot 100 Mahaseth, Mahaniyom fuses Asian design with an ambiance reminiscent of a souk. The neon tiger on the wall and eclectic decor sets the stage for what is fast becoming one of Bangkok’s best venues for creative cocktails. They focus on sustainability by spotlighting one ingredient and using as many parts as possible. Take the Duck, for instance, uses duck fat, blood, and egg. The result is a creamy, fruity, savory concoction similar to eggnog.

2/F, 100 Mahaseth, 104 Maha Set Rd., 061-664-6588. Open Tues-Sun 5pm-late.

Opium

It’s not just one of the top cocktail bars in Bangkok. For the second year in a row, Opium took home the Bar of the Year Award at the BAD Awards 2024. Take the odd elevator above Potong for a secretive speakeasy in the Chef’s family building—a marvel of modern design. Their innovative drinks are inspired by the century-old opium smoking den. The cocktails are based on the concept of “liquid surreality,” with each combination toying with the senses. The menu is 17 pages long and features over 100 beverages that rotate annually and are organized into categories based on strength, ingredients, and flights. The majority of beverages are elevated versions of more classic cocktails. The bar nibbles are also provided by the Potong team. 

422 Vanich Rd., 082-979-3950. Open Thur-Mon 5pm-midnight.

Tropic City

Who says high-end cocktails need to be fancy? Tropic City has a colorful design incorporating tropical influences from the Caribbean, Brazil, and Thailand, with the brightly painted and with pineapple and pink flamingo signs, antique sofas, and flowers. They provide unique tiki-inspired drinks that are tropical and juice-heavy. The Double Dance Lover, for example, is a flowery cocktail made with gin, pandan, goat milk, mango sticky rice tea, and lemon that’s as refreshing as it is complex. These innovative and creative drinks are combined with warm hospitality and a love for music.

672/65, Charoenkrung Soi 28, 097-242-2890. Open daily 7pm-late.

Vesper

Bangkok’s Bar scene is not complete without a mention of Vesper. Their team is full of surprises and never fails to bring out new and exciting menus, guest shifts, and bars every year. With their menu last year, People of Vesper, a menu dedicated to their guests, and their newly opened 4th Wall off Langsuan, Vesper is sure to keep bringing surprises.

10/15 Convent Road, 02-235-2777. Open daily 5:30pm-late.

Bar Sathorn 

There are few bars—indeed few buildings—that can boast the historical and architectural pedigree of Bar Sathorn. The property’s unique story shines through in the concoctions of Marco Dognini, the award-winning bartender who crafted a menu featuring four cocktails for the four eras of The House on Sathorn. This swank cocktail space in central Sathorn at Chong Nonsi boasts more than 135 years of history, and the creative flair in the drinks focuses on drinks that reflect on the characters and tales of the venue—from its days as a glamorous hotel to the present day. Expect the spirit-forward and timeless.

106, Sathorn Rd., 02-344-4025. Open daily 2:30pm-late. 

BKK Social Club

This isn’t your average hotel bar—though it is the BAD Award 2024 winner for Best Hotel Bar. This Four Seasons’ spot has garnered international attention and has become a Bangkok mainstay for cocktail lovers. Slip right into the luxurious belle epoque interior with drinks led by bar manager Philip Bischoff. Go for the design, stay for the cocktails.

Four Seasons Bangkok, 300/1, Charoen Krung Rd, 02 032 0888. Open daily 5pm-midnight.

Messenger Service Bar

From the minds behind Bar Us comes the OG, Messenger Service Bar. The cocktails here are known for their creative ingredients, minimalistic design, and a focus on brave flavors in their creative drinks—think the likes of dried tuna flakes, betel leaf, ylang-ylang, and ginger brine. Found away from the nightlife-heavy areas, this Suan Luang space knows its drinks are one-of-a-kind. 

2299, Phatthanakan Rd., 094-949-9493. Open daily 6pm-late.

Funkytown

This new kid on the block from the minds behind Sarnies (stylized F*nkytown) is the growing resto empire’s hit spot above Sarnies Sukhumvit 27. The space is old-school and disco-inspired. Helmed by head bartender Pae Ketumarn, their drinks are inventive, be it their savory Caesar salad cocktail or sweet pain au matcha—and did we mention they’re incredibly strong? The Sarnies juggernaut has taken Bangkok by storm, and this new spot proves they’re more than food and coffee. That said, don’t miss out on their fun take on a corndog using sai oua from Chiang Mai.

39, Soi Sukhumvit 37, 093-814-1594. Open daily 5pm-midnight.

Find the Locker Room

Sure, their Find the Photo Booth is turning heads, but this OG speakeasy is a must-try. Thonglor nightlife natives are already familiar with this award-winning hidden speakeasy and their Time Capsule signatures, but Find the Locker Room’s new menu earlier this year expanded the concept, adding cocktails inspired by era defining fashion, toys, and music of the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s. In the 90s, nothing was a bigger fashion statement than the Nike Air Max. Iconic (B490) attempts to capture these sneakers with a layered drink. With wassabi gin, yogurt, and yuzu base followed by a citrus water. Bougie Princess (B480), straight out of Legally Blonde, is a hot pink and easy-to-drink sweet and sour tipple with an aromatic toasted smell reminiscent of sinking your teeth into a warm breakfast pastry.

406, Sukhumvit Soi 55, 098-287-1898. Open daily 6pm-late. 

The 4th Wall

More new blood for the Bangkok cocktail scene, the 4th Wall is a new neighborhood bar in Langsuan from the brains behind Vesper. It’s a modernist representation of the future inspired by 1960s European films. The bar serves concoctions on a rotating menu with a classy take on traditional cocktails. Their signature house Irish coffee is an elevated version of the espresso martini, and there are other traditional classics like the Japanese Slipper, a sweet and sour green cocktail with notes of melon from the Midori. This spot is all about making classic drinks new again

2F, Luxx Langsuan, 828 Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong. Open daily 7pm-late.