Parata Diamond

396 Ekamai Soi 24, 085-167-6489. Open Mon-Sat 6:30pm-1am. www.paratadiamond.com
With a contemporary Moroccan decor and a menu of New American cuisine featuring dishes like harrissa lamb strudels and five-spice glazed beef short rib, Parata Diamond is certainly trying to be different. The real highlight, though has to be the large open-air garden area where you can relax on a daybed enjoying a shisha or watching some short films. Come for the regular happy hour and bring some friends as many of their cocktails, like the recommended Parata Prae are to share. Happy hours: all you can drink cocktails daily from 9-11pm.

Asia Bar + Kitchen

G/F, Holiday Inn Express, Rama 1 Rd., Pathumwan, 02-216-2288. Open daily 11am-1am. BTS National Stadium.
Serving up a melting pot of Asian cuisines—from Southeast Asia and East Asia to the Indian sub-continent—the highlight of this venue has to be the outdoor space, furnished with the same elegant attention to detail as its natural-meets-industrial interior. Large umbrellas and a bit of greenery provide a cozy garden escape right in the heart of Bangkok. Both the food and drinks are pan-Asian, letting you sample some pad Thai or Hong Kong wonton soup while sipping a bottle of Tsingtao from China or Kingdom from Cambodia. 

Water Library

Grass, Thonglor Soi 12, 02-714-9292/-3. Open Mon-Sat 6:30pm-1am.
The second branch of this eatery, opened in the heart of nightlife central Thonglor earlier this year, has quickly made a mark on the dining scene with its restaurant serving a maximum of ten diners per night an exclusive and expensive multicourse set menu. Now it’s also offering a more relaxed but very tasteful adjoining wine bar, which features a charming outdoor terrace, a menu of creative cocktails courtesy of Italian mixologist Mirko Gardelliano and a cellar containing over 370 labels. Live music on the weekend further refines the laidback mood.

99 Rest Backyard Café

99 Rama 9 Soi 41, Seri 9 Rd., 02-300-4339. Open Tue-Sun 11am-11pm.
Located well off the beaten track, in a small street near Rama 9, this lovely house and garden is managed by the team behind the artsy Tamarind Village in Chiang Mai and Rayavadee Resort in Krabi. The décor is somehow classy-yet-chill, so you don’t feel any pressure to fully dress up, but it still works for dates and special occasions. A beautifully landscaped garden hugs a high-ceiling pavilion, complete with wood furniture, floor-to-ceiling framed windows, strip cushions and royal blue touches. Chef Cyrille Keyser creates international cuisine with highlights including the oven roasted lamb rack served with potato gratin and ratatouille (B1,290). Don’t forget to try the new addition to the dessert menu, chocolate-green tea lava, too.

Issaya Siamese Club

4 Soi Sri Aksorn, Chuaphloeng Rd., 02-672-9040-1. Open daily 11:30am-2:30pm; 6pm-1am.
Set in a stately old house with an interior that’s been done up to be bright and bold, Chef Ian Kittichai’s Issaya Siamese Club serves up a vibrant and exciting take on traditional Thai cooking, notably through artful presentation and the use of high-quality ingredients. The arrival of winter means you can now enjoy a Kaffir Lime (Bacardi rum, kaffir lime, mint and lemongrass) cocktail or a refreshing cup of fruit tea out on the multi-colored beanbags in the leafy front garden before dining on Thai dishes like the yum hua plee, an elegant pillar of crisp heart of palm and bamboo flower salad, or the delicious chili glazed baby back ribs (kradook moo aob). 

Salt

Ari Soi 4, 02-619-6886. Open Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight. Reservations Recommended. BTS Ari.
A dining room made of glass walls and concrete, a wooden house whose yard is packed with logs and plenty of outdoor seating make Salt a solid competitor for the crown of most elegant outdoor drinking and dining spot in the trendy Ari neighbourhood. The food is a mix of French and Japanese classics along with some pasta and particularly decent pizzas, the crowd is sexy and beautiful and there’s also a decent selection of wines and cocktails, like the Salt Swinging (B280) cocktail which comes with sparkling wine, cranberry and mandarin juice.

Signor Sassi

37/F, Anantara Bangkok Sathorn, Narathiwas Rd., Bangkok, 02-210-9011. BTS Chong Nonsi.
Founded in 1984 in swanky Knightsbridge, London, and now also found in Kuwait and Lebanon, this is the restaurant’s third global branch. The food is resolutely Italian, covering the classics from pasta to antipasti, while the decor contains showy touches like the Venetian carnival masks and elegant tableware. Impeccable wait staff and an impressive wine list, plus the spacious 37th floor terrace dining area should make this an extremely popular rooftop spot this winter.

Al Majlis

68/2 Soi Julin, Sukhumvit Soi 21 (Asoke), 02-664-0212/3. MRT Petchburi. Open daily 4:30pm-midnight
We were a little sad to learn that one of our fave urban hideaways, the Moroccan-style house with garden on Ekkamai Soi 12, would be no more, but the owners have found a new home in Asoke. Thankfully, the new venue retains the same charm, starting from the front garden down to the tiki lamps, cushions and carpets. Indoor offers more of a proper dining setting than before, but the best news is that outdoors there are daybeds, beanbags and garden benches from which to enjoy the breeze along with your favorite flavor of sheesha (B350).

Seua Non Kin

231/2 Sukhumvit Soi 31, 02-662-1779. Open Mon-Sat 5pm-midnight.
This two-story house remains a firm favorite and is often fully booked. The décor sees an eclectic mix of comfy vintage sofas, low-rise tables and decorative bric-a-brac. Start with a Virgin Tiger (with light rum, B160) before moving onto the more potent Tiger Down (B180). As for food, opt for the fiery Thai dishes like yam horapha nuea krob (beef salad with sweet basil leaves, B160).