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L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon
Lady Brett
The Dining Room
Dining ★★★★★
A handful of Top Tables can be found across the neighborhood, from 1.) L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (5/F, Mahanakhon Cube, 96 Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Rd., 02-001-0698) by the French chef with 28 Michelin stars across 20 restaurants, to 2.) Opus (64 Pan Rd., 02-637-9899), the Italian restaurant managed by Alex Morabito, formerly of Vino di Zanotti. 3.) Lady Brett (149 Sathorn Soi 12, 02-635-0405) can also be found alongside its siblings, Rocket and U.N.C.L.E, while joining them next month is Daisy Matthews by Jess Barnes of Opposite Mess Hall. Also in Soi 12 is 4.) Kai (02-635-3800), which serves New Zealand cuisine. Other nearby noteworthy spots include cafe-slash-restaurant 5.) Moko (Sathorn Soi 10 02-635-3673) and 6.) The Dining Room (106 Sathorn Rd., 02-344-4000) at the newly restored House On Sathorn, an architectural gem built in 1919 that previously housed the Soviet Embassy. Whatever time of day it is, the sidewalk connecting Sathorn Soi 10 with Silom Soi 9 is always lined with street-food stalls servicing the many construction workers in the area.
Opus
U.N.C.L.E
Dannie Sorum, co-owner of Rocket, Lady Brett and U.N.C.L.E
"I hope Sathorn will grow into a more mature dining and drinking scene—a place where the scene is quality-driven and diverse. We can already see big names in the neighborhood, and a few local institutions setting up shop as well. So we aren’t far from the end goal now, a few more quality establishments and we won’t have to go far for a well-rounded night out."
Vogue Lounge
Hanakaruta
Nightlife ★★★★★
The area has boomed recently, and could well be considered one of the most sophisticated nightlife spots in town.
7.) U.N.C.L.E (2/F, Lady Brett, 149 Sathorn Soi 12. 02-635-0406) offers a gentlemanly cocktail lounge headed by a Swedish bartender who specializes in tiki-themed cocktails;
8.) Vogue Lounge (6/F, MahaNakhon Cube, 02-001-0697) is one of the best-looking spaces in Bangkok; and
9.) Hanakaruta (Sathorn Soi 10, 085-061-7318) is a modern Japanese izakaya with floor-to-ceiling shelves of rare-find whiskey, sake and shochu bottles. Walk a few steps from Hanakaruta and you’ll find the casual French restaurant and bar
10.) Marcel (Sathorn Soi 10, 02-653-3533), which has a new French neighbor over on Sathorn Soi 12 in
11.) Le Cafe Des Stagiaires (142/21 Sathorn Soi 12, 081-207-3077). Open both day and night, this cafe-bar offers comfort food and drinks in a lofty, retro setting.
12.) Revolucion (Sathorn Soi 10, 02-235-4823), meanwhile, is the neighborhood’s most hard-partying option, dishing out pricey cocktails from a colorful, Latin-American-themed bar. For something more special, head to
13.) The Bar at The House on Sathorn (106 Sathorn Rd., 02-344-4000), a charming cocktail lounge in the long-anticipated heritage building at W Hotel. As for clubbing, the Bangkok branch of
14.) Ku De Ta (39/F, Sathorn Square, 02-108-2000), the luxury Southeast Asian nightlife brand, is just around the corner.
Revolucion
Marcel
Arisa Nakkerd and Louis Brunissen, Owners of Marcel
"Now we have a lot of cool bars and cafes in this little soi but it still doesn't feel too crowded. For me it’s like a small community where you always meet friends when hopping around from bar to bar. Also, this area is pretty safe and getting around is quite easy too."
Accommodation ★★★★
A lot of condos in this area are already sold out, so you’ll want to move fast. For those looking to rent, monthly rates for a one-bedroom apartment at 15.) Life @ Sathorn 10 (Sathorn Soi 10., 02-610-3333) start at B20,000, while AP’s 16.) The Address (Sathorn Soi 12, 02-261-2518) offers the same for around B30,000. The more luxurious 17.) Ascott Sathorn (187 South Sathorn Rd., 02-676-6868) has units for rent that start at B72,000, and units for sale starting at B5.5 million. The more extravagant 18.) Ritz-Carlton Residences (Narathiwat Ratchanakarin Rd., 02-234-1414), which plans to open in 2018 as part of the Mahanakhon super skyscraper, will be home to a penthouse that reportedly sold for B480 million. The smallest unit, a 206-sq-meter two-bedroom apartment, starts at B73 million.
Community ★★
Very expat-y, with young (and no-longer-young) professionals getting their caffeine fix at Rocket Coffeebar. Still, the upscale nature of many of the venues doesn’t lend Sathorn quite the same casual, friendly vibe as other cafe culture hubs like Ari and Ekkamai. The abundance of office buildings also detract from a laid-back pace.
Environment ★★★
There’s a serious lack of green space around here, with both of the closest parks—Lumphini and St. Marco (a Chinese cemetery turned park)—a BTS ride away. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have its charm. Wide streets with relatively mild traffic outside peak hours make for a comfortable environment, as do the number of tidy businesses populated by young, well-dressed customers sitting on terraces. It’s not quite Hong Kong’s Square Street, but it’s as close as downtown Bangkok gets.
Transportation ★★★
BTS Chong Nonsi gets very hectic at rush hours, and is notorious for lines that stretch past the ticketing area and well into the skywalk. MRT Silom is not far away, but getting there will take a motorbike taxi, which are thankfully quite prevalent at the entrance of all the sois around here. The BRT is also helpful, but again, buses can get pretty packed and Sathorn is the last stop on the line. The number of schools in the area also creates quite a mayhem with buses and cars at the beginning and end of the day.
Theerapong Assawamahachaitad, 20, Communications student and Sathorn resident
"
Rush hour is the worst around 8:30am. There’s a lot of traffic. A lot. Like, if I were pregnant and about to give birth, by the time I reached the hospital my child would’ve graduated from university."
What Else
St Louis Hospital
Hospitals
• St Louis Hospital (215 South Sathorn Rd., 02-675-5000)
• Phramongkutklao Hospital (Soi Sueksa Witthaya, 061-326-9172)
Kathmandu
Art Galleries
• Kathmandu Photo Gallery (87 Pan Rd., 02-234-6700)
• H Art Gallery (201 Sathorn Soi 12, 085-021-5508)
Bangkok Christian College
Schools
• St. Louis Suksa School (02-212-4501)
• Bangkok Christian College (35 Pramuan Rd., 02-637-1852)
• Assumption Convent Silom School
Virgin Active
Fitness
• CrossFit Ten500 (KCC Building, Silom Soi 9, 086-008-5805)
• Fitness First (4/F, Sathorn Center, 02-118-6688)
• Virgin Active (Empire Tower, South Sathorn Rd., 02-770-9772)
