BK's annual B.A.D. Awards celebrate all that's good in Bangkok nightlife. For the guide, we had the nearly impossible task of limiting our "Best Bars in Silom" list to just three venues. Here are the neigborhood's best drinking holes, from creative cocktail dens and smoky izakayas to Irish bars and underground nightclubs. 

 

Craft

Beer. The semi-outdoor stall exclusively sells craft beers, with 20 labels on tap for Silom branch rotating monthly, and 50 bottled varieties. Expect familiar names like Deschutes, Rogue and Anderson Valley, with a particular focus on hoppy, high-alcohol-content IPAs. One of our picks, The Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose, is made from an ancient German recipe and has a unique salty-grapefruit like flavor. 

G/F, Holiday Inn Silom, 981 Silom Rd., 02-630-3998, Open daily noon-midnight.
Other branch: 16 Sukhumvit Soi 23, 02-258-0541. 

 

Cube

Nightclub. This nightclub is hidden in the run-down Silom Plaza and focuses on everything techno—strictly no EDM. As the name promises, the box-like room is populated with barebones tables and stools. Local names and visiting guests work up a crowd of late-night revelers who probably don’t leave the house until midnight.
2/F, Silom Plaza, 491 Silom Rd., 095-252-8301. Open Fri-Sat 11pm-2am.

 

Eat Me

Cocktails. Tim Butler’s ever-evolving, transcontinental cuisine has made Eat Me a fixture on regional restaurant lists, and in mixologist Buntanes “Pop” Direkrittikul he has a worthy ally. Pop’s gastronomy-inspired creations don’t shy away from bold Thai flavors (khao mun kai in cocktail form, anyone?), ensuring this is far more than a run-of-the-mill watering hole.
1/6 Soi Phiphat 2, Convent Rd., 02-238-0931. Open daily 3pm-1am.

 

Happy Endings 

Cocktails. This funky neon-drenched Vietnamese-themed bar serves into straightup takes on banh mi, banh cuon and pho to go with herb-laden, Asian-inspired drinks. Add in a slick ‘70s disco soundtrack and you’re in business.
1/5 Sala Daeng Soi 1, 080-961-4524. Open Mon-Sat 11am-3pm, 5-11pm; Sun 12-3pm, 5-11pm.

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Hooters Silom

Sports. We know what you’re thinking… but with its extensive happy-hour deals, this American institution is at least a solid choice to unwind or catch the big sports game over drinks. The chicken wings deliver the goods too.
Corner of Thaniya Rd., 02-117-1136. Open daily 11am-2am

 

Katsu Shin 

Izakaya. With its dark wood, narrow shophouse location, long bar and dim lighting, the place has the cozy, tavern-like atmosphere of a true izakaya. Here, the specialty is tonkatsu (breaded, deep-fried pork cutlets), but these guys will bread and deep-fry anything— there’s an entire menu dedicated to crispy, perfectly cooked shrimps, eggplants or bits of liver. Beyond the well-executed Japanese comfort food, you'll want to order up a few whiskey highballs, available in a range of outrageously cheap promos.

9/1 Silom Soi 6, 02-237-3073. Open Mon-Sat 11am-2pm; Sun 11:30am-2:30pm.
Other branches: ITF Tower Silom, Sukhumvit Soi 24.

 

Kika

Cocktails. This Spanish bar-slash-restaurant serves up tasty tapas to go with an upbeat, party atmosphere. Inside, a lengthy, yellow-lit wooden bar and high-table seating tell you this a place for a decent after-work cocktail—and the pineapple and sandalwood white negroni is as good as anything in the vicinity. Groovy Sunday gay parties seal the deal. 

14/2-3 Convent Rd., 095-592-0510, Open Tue-Sun 5pm-1am.

 

Maggie Choo's

Nightclub. The groups of European tourists in tight colored trousers may detract from the underground Chinoiserie mystique somewhat, but this is still Silom’s most visually stunning bar. With an up-to-the-minute soundtrack and a solid cocktail list of reinvented classics, those button-tufted leather couches are as tempting as ever. Every Sunday, shirtless six-pack men take to the upholstered swings for what’s become one of the city’s most swinging gay nights.

Underground/F, Hotel Novotel Bangkok Fenix Silom, 320 Silom Rd., 091-772-2144, Mon-Thu 7:30pm-2am; Sun 7:30pm-2am; Fri-Sat 7:30pm-3am

 

O’Malley’s Irish Pub

Irish. Once awash in expat-favorite Irish pubs, Silom is no longer so blessed. This newcomer brings together some of that rustic charm in the form of classic ales, hearty pub grub, pool table and several 60-inch TVs and large HD projectors to catch all the sporting action.

B/F, United Center Building, 323 Silom Rd., 02-065-3343. Open daily 9am-1am.

 

Mash 

Beer. Soi Convent's chilled-out craft beer bar boasts 16 rotating taps store both Thai and international craft beers, including the must-try Devanom (brewed by the Ungsriwong brothers who also own Thailand’s first ever hops farm). Burgers, barbecue and bar grub fill the menu, as designed by the CIA grad owners. Don't miss the American burger, a thick brioche bun with a juicy freshly-ground 150g patty, cheddar cheese and crispy bacon. 

Soi Convent, 089-692-5666, Open Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight.

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Namsaah Bottling Trust

Cocktails. This unusually-named eatery is not a factory, but a stylish restaurant that focuses just as much on its creative cocktails. Part of the burgeoning culinary empire of chef Ian Kittichai, the dining room is set in a shocking-pink century-old house that originally served as the home of an aide-de-camp to the royal court. Fun-loving diners, meanwhile, can expect Pan-Asian tapas and similarly adventurous drinks.

401 Silom Soi 7, 02-636-6622. Open daily 5pm-1am. BTS Chong Nonsi. 

 

Nineteens Up

Games. This chill bar will make you feel like a kid again. Hoping to create something more than a simple place to indulge in international and local craft beers, Steve Avram, the brain behind Hobbyist Cafe and Seii Shabu Sushi, has conjured up an adult’s playground with pool and ice hockey tables, board games and darts.

Silom Soi 19, 096-649-6919, Open daily 11-1am.

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Roadhouse Barbecue

Sports. Its three floors' worth of TVs are permanently showing the big sports games, but the crowds mostly flock to Bangkok’s original real-deal barbecue joint for the American-style ribs. Baby backs and pork shoulder get treated with imported mesquite, salmon and sea bass with apple wood, and beef brisket with hickory that is smoked for over 12 hours. Go big with the BBQ platter for two, but be warned: you might need to be rolled out afterwards!

942/1 Rama 4 Rd., 02-236-8010. Open daily 11-2am

 

Scarlett Wine Bar & Restaurant

Wine. Not many wine bistros straddle the line between quality and affordability quite so effortlessly. Sweeping, 47th-floor views of lower Silom and the river set the tone for well-executed comfort food, from bang-for-baht pasta dishes up to some of the finest cuts of meat around. Those views call for a big, bold cabernet sauvignon to match.

37/F, Pullman Hotel G, 188 Silom Rd., 096-860-7990. Open daily 6pm-1am. BTS Chong Nonsi. 

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Shakariki 432


Izakaya. Does Shakariki provide Bangkok’s most authentic izakaya experience? The crowds at its every venue would suggest so, with tables sagging under the weight of gloriously gooey okonomiyaki pancakes, smoky, deep-fried cutlets on sticks, and the best sashimi at this price point around.
Surawong Rd., 02-637-0927. Open Sun-Thu 5pm-3am, Fri-Sat 5pm-5am
 
 

 

Vesper

Cocktails. What a difference one year makes. Not so much in terms of the drinks—those still come from head barman Supawit “Palm” Muttarattana’s lengthy and ambitious “Art Book”—but thanks to a wholescale reinvention that’s turned a sprawling bistro into an intimate cocktail counter where everyone’s in earshot of the bartenders. Ask them to knock you up your favorite classic, they’ll do it. Tell them it’s not quite to your liking, they’ll do it again. Now that’s service!
10/15 Convent Rd., 02-235-2777. Open daily 5:30pm-1am.

 

Whiteline and Safe Room  

Nightclub/Live Music.This may be within walking distance of Patpong (and Hooters) but the vibe here is rather different. Whiteline and its upstairs speakeasy club Safe Room play a big part in Bangkok’s underground music scene, making it the coolest hangout for Silom’s hipster crowd.
Silom Soi 8, 087-061-1117. Open Thu-Sun 7pm-midnight.

 

 

Yao Rooftop 

Rooftop. Tucked up on the 32nd floor of the newest Bangkok Marriott, this rooftop bar has impressive panoramic views encompassing the peaceful Chao Phraya river and historic Old Town as well as Bangkok’s business district high rises. Both the decor and the cocktails come with contemporary Shianghainese twists.
32/F, Marriott Hotel The Surawongse, 262 Surawong Rd., 02-088-5666. Open daily 5pm-2am. 

 


B.A.D. Awards is BK Magazine's annual guide to all that's good in Bangkok nightlife. Read the full list here or download the PDF version here