Meet Bangkok’s 10 sexiest bartenders
Plus the five F&B pros of your dreams.
4 years ago
Arron Apimuk Grendon
Position: Bartender at Tropic City.
Relationship status: In a relationship.
Biggest turn-off drink: Sex on the Beach.
If someone wants to impress you, what drink should they order? Piña colada.
Worst pick-up line you’ve heard at work: I don’t think anyone has said a pick-up line to me at the bar yet!
Fun fact: I cook the best scrambled eggs.
Guilty pleasure: Watching “Friends.”
Buntanes “Pop” Direkrittikul
Position: Head bartender at Eat Me.
Relationship status: In a relationship.
Biggest turn-off drink: Frozen blue margarita.
If someone wants to impress you, what drink should they order? “Surprise me.” I love that a customer would trust me to create a drink for them. That also means they know my style.
Worst drink order: Espresso martini without alcohol. Really? Just have an espresso.
Fun fact: I never thought I would become a bartender.
What do you do on your day off: Eat well, sleep well and don’t shake any cocktails.
Daniele Cervi
Position: Bar manager at the Rosewood Bangkok.
Relationship status: N/A.
Biggest turn-off drink: Warm tequila with tabasco.
If someone wants to impress you, what drink should they order? Probably a cocktail from a menu I used to have in the previous bar where we met.
Craziest experience working in a bar: When somebody was fighting with his girlfriend at the bar counter and the guy, completely drunk, started to smash all the equipment and glassware at the bar station.
Guilty pleasure: Falling asleep in front of the TV with my favorite series, too lazy to move to the bed.
Davide Sambo
Position: Group mixologist for Soho Hospitality.
Relationship status: “It’s complicated” since 1989.
Turn off drink: Pornstar Martini, or anything that ends with “tini” and has too much juice in it.
Drink you should order: Boulevardier.
Worst pick-up line you’ve heard at work: “I’m the head of security here and I need to take you out!”
Fun fact: I have a collection of stolen coasters from bars around the world.
Guilty pleasure: Pizza at 4am.
Krit “Joey” Pragobdee
Position: Bartender at Liberation.
Relationship status: In a relationship.
Strangest drink someone has ordered? Insect cocktails—we have them at Liberation!
Craziest night in a bar: Can’t remember it…
Your favorite cocktail at Liberation: Rebel’s (clarified milk punch, blended rum, coconut juice, fresh pineapple, milk, cinnamon and Red Bull reduction, fizz; B390)
Fun fact: I don’t eat fruit but I drink fruit juice.
Guilty pleasure: Buying stuff that I never end up using.
Michele Montauti
Position: Bar Manager at Waldorf Astoria.
Relationship status: In a relationship.
Biggest turn-off drink: Virgin bloody Mary or virgin pina colada.
If someone wants to impress you, what should they order? Old fashioned or negroni.
Strangest drink request: A sweet and sour cocktail with gin but with no sugar or lemon.
Fun fuct: When you speak Thai about me thinking I don’t understand, I actually do!
Guilty pleasure: Eating junk food at home while drinking whiskey and watching Netflix.
Niks Anuman-Rajadhon
Position: Founder of Teens of Thailand and Asia Today.
Relationship status: It’s a secret.
Biggest turn-off drink: Anything with a plastic straw.
If someone wants to impress you, what should they order? Isaan rum and soda with a beer on the side.
Strangest drink request: Can you make me a drink that tastes like la tour Eiffel?
Drink you should order: Six shots lined up on the bar top look better than just one. Don’t order one; order six and spread the love.
Guilty Pleasure: Northern sticky rice at 3am.
Piyada “Mae” Moon
Position: bartender at 80/20
Relationship status: Single
What drink is the biggest Turn-off: Shot color-full
If someone wants to impress you, what drink should they order?: any drink without egg white or cream.
When did you start bartending? : Since 2016 at vesper
Fun fact about you: I don’t like sweet cocktails but I can never have enough Dessert
Guilty pleasure: walking passed the Cosmetics department
What drink is the biggest Turn-off: Shot color-full
If someone wants to impress you, what drink should they order?: any drink without egg white or cream.
When did you start bartending? : Since 2016 at vesper
Fun fact about you: I don’t like sweet cocktails but I can never have enough Dessert
Guilty pleasure: walking passed the Cosmetics department
Saimai Nantarat
Position: Bartender at ABar and ABar Rooftop.
Relationship status: Single.
Worst drink order: Thai “40 degree” (lao khao) with soda.
Craziest night you had in a bar: Whenever there is a “no alcohol” day in Thailand, that’s when it gets crazy.
How long have you been bartending? Since I was 19 years old!
Favorite thing to do on a day off: Explore the old city, head to a night market and end with a cold beer.
Tamaryn “Makham” Cooper
Position: Bartender at Asia Today and the youngest winner of Campari Bartender Competition Thailand.
Relationship status: Single.
If someone wants to impress you, what drink should they order? I think it’s cool if someone is willing to try something out of their comfort zone, so maybe trying something new.
Worst pick-up line you’ve heard at work: “You’re so cute that I forgot my pickup line.” I don’t fancy pick-up lines in general, but this was just really awkward and cringe-y.
Least favorite drink: Bloody Mary. I try it every so often, hoping that one day I’ll like it. Hasn’t happened yet.
Favorite thing to do on your day off: Going out for brunch and coffee.
Meet the hottest people working in Bangkok’s F&B scene.
Ottara Pyne
Position: Sommelier at Gaggan Anand.
Relationship Status: “Married to the job” (i.e., single).
Favorite wine: François Rousset Martin’s 2010 Château Chalon from the Jura and Gut Oggau’s 2015 Josephine from Austria, each for their own wonderful and sentimental reasons.
Strangest drink order: When I was bartending in Seattle, a guest asked for a non-alcoholic version of our variation on a Manhattan. If you know anything about this drink, it’s all booze, and it was very clearly stated on the menu that this version was pretty much all bourbon with some amaro thrown in the mix.
Thoughts on the Vivino app: As someone who constantly preaches accessibility it might be [hypocritical] for me to shit on an app that helps people gain knowledge about wine, but I think it’s the wine equivalent of TripAdvisor or Yelp.
Fun fact: I might be the only sommelier in the world with a face tattoo that’s worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Guilty pleasure: Cheap American beer (specifically Rainier or Busch Light), shitty horror movies and Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane.
Tanjira “Fay” Tragoolvongse
Position: Owner and manager at Upstairs.
Relationship status: Married to the chef, Dan Bark.
Favorite beer: Mikkeller Upstairs, Downstairs. It’s a lager that was brewed in collaboration between Dan [my husband] and Dan Cady, the brewer at Mikkeller San Diego.
Strangest request: A stout with lots of ice cubes because it was “too flavorful.”
Fun fact: I eat a lot of powdered food despite the fact that my husband is a chef and I own a restaurant. But many days I run out of time, jetting from one meeting to another, and protein shakes work wonders! On days off, we dine at new places for R&D and pleasure.
Favorite dish at Upstairs: Tuna or wagyu tartare with beef broth (currently on our 10-course menu). Michelin inspectors actually voted it as one of the best dishes in Bangkok!
Guilty pleasure: KFC…
Arthur Loustau
Position: General manager at Mia.
Relationship status: Married.
One wine you can have for the rest of your life: Amour de Deutz Blanc 2009.
Strangest drink request: Red wine and Sprite on the rocks.
Thoughts on the Vivino app: I think it’s good for people who need direction.
Red or white wine: White
Fun fact: I’m French and I don’t believe in natural wine.
Guilty pleasure: 7-Eleven ham cheese, all day!
Fredrik Wohlrabe
Position: Head sommelier at Gaa.
Relationship status: Single.
One wine you can have for the rest of your life: White Burgundy, Les Clos, from François Raveneau.
Strangest drink request: That would be Macallan 1945 and Coca-Cola…
Red or white wine: White.
Perfect day off: I would go to the onsen, do HIIT at the Base and get dinner with friends.
Guilty pleasure: Swedish dill potato chips.
Juan Pablo Padilla
Position: General manager at Iconic Wines.
Relationship status: Happily in a relationship.
One wine you can have for the rest of your life: La Del Terreno, Monastrell, D.O. Bullas made by Julia Casado.
Strangest drink request: “Make me drink non-Spanish wine.”
Thoughts on the Vivino app: It’s a nice tool to track what you’ve drunk.
Red or white wine: I’d go for whites, but any wine is welcome!
Guilty pleasure: Pairing junk food with natty wine.
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