22.) Big Knit Café  

(EAT) Yes, knitting is still hot! The main draw here is that it’s a great place to knit, providing all the materials you need in its shop, along with some friendly tips, and a cute café to get your knitting done. Big Knit Café has a compact menu of baked pasta, Thai single-dishes and plenty of cakes.
Open daily 9am-9pm. The Natural Park Bldg. next to Dental Hospital,.02-260-5050. www.bigknit49.com

23.) La Bottega  

(EAT) When it comes to Italian fine dining, La Bottega lives up to expectations in every way, shape and form, from the authenticity of the food (drawn from all parts of Italy), the hands-on service by Chef Luca and his staff, the classy ambience and yes, the hefty bill at the end of your meal. For a slightly more uptight and hiso option, head indoors with the rich Thai and expat families; otherwise, head for the dark wooden balcony.
Open Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-midnight;
Mon 5pm-midnight. Terrace 49, 02-204-1731

24.) Duly  

(SHIOPPING) Regarded as one of the most sophisticated menswear brands in Thailand, Duly stocks ready-to-wear formal clothes, and offers a tailoring service for suits and shirts, even for international visitors. (They can also deliver orders by mail.) They provide a range of different options, from the buttons you want to the types of stitching and a huge choice of quality shirt fabrics from the likes of Thomas Mason in the UK, which was founded back in 1796. They also recently rolled out a range of business shoes made at an old workshop in Italy.
Open daily 10am-7pm. 02-662-6647/8

25.) Grease (NEW)

(EAT)(DRINK) Newspaper heir Dan Hetrakul chose to eschew the hustle and bustle of the usual party districts to open Grease, a swanky all-in-one nightspot, on the quieter Sukhumvit Soi 49. Occupying a four-story shophouse, this newly-opened venue contains a bar, club, lounge and restaurant, aiming to cater to all sorts of late-night pursuits. Each floor is decked out in a different theme. The first floor, named Any Winehouse, is a high-ceilinged restaurant and wine bar. The second floor sees a faux garden, while the third floor is home to LSD, the clubbing space with interactive-LED surfaces, laser lights and plethora of mirrors. Meanwhile, up on the fourth floor you’ll find Cry Baby, a sort of chilled-out living room, where musical newcomers are given a chance to play live. On the rooftop is the open-air bar called Top-Loader for drinks under the stars.
Open daily 6pm-late. Piman 49 Complex, 02-662-6120/1

26.) Kanom  

(EAT) Probably the classiest branch of the famous egg tart chain founded by real-estate tycoon Patinya “Pa Tob” Kuantrakul, it is housed in a standalone house right opposite Samitivej Hospital. Don’t just munch on Pa Tob’s Hong Kong-style egg tart (B40) and pa tong ko with dippings, though, as Kanom also offers a selection of Thai-Chinese dishes such as khao soy (noodles in Northern style, B49) and mee phad pak krached (stir-fried white noodles with water mimosa, B160).
Open Mon-Sat 9:30am-8pm, Sun 9:30am-6pm.
0-2391-2428, 02-712-6618

27.) Made My Day  

(EAT) With a classic European décor, Made My Day cooks up Italian dishes with Thai touches (such as pasta with salted fish). But the most popular time to visit this petite place is for the breakfast for dishes, such as the big plate of kai krata, a Northeastern speciality with eggs and sausage in a pan (B110).   
Open daily 7am-10pm. 02-714-7299

28.) The Racquet Club

(HEALTH) Fitness center, badminton, tennis, squash, racquet ball, futsal, rock climbing wall, swimming pool, jacuzzi, snooker, sauna and steam room, business meeting rooms—the Racquet Club is simply awesome, if you can afford it. 1-year membership is around B21,400, 6-month B14,980, 3-month B9,630, 1-month B4,280.
Open 6am-11pm. 02-714-7200

29.) Paste (NEW)

(EAT) The very new addition to this happening soi, Thai restaurant Paste spices up the traditional Thai cuisine with modern interpretations in a charming space. (See more on page 16.)
Open Wed-Sun noon-2:30pm, Tue-Sun 6pm-late. 02-392-4314, www.pastebangkok.com

30.) Peng You (NEW)

(EAT) Peng You Chinese Café shakes up the foodie scene in Sukhumvit Soi 49, which was formerly dominated by Western and Japanese options. A charming, high-ceilinged coffee shop, it’s vintage references to China Town are balanced by a cool grey palette for that touch of modernity. The food is totally nostalgic though, and might remind you of Hong Kong’s diners with dishes like toast and deep-fried dough alongside classic Chinese drinks like milk tea.
Open daily 9am-11pm. Piman 49 Complex, 02-662-6169

31.) Saigon Recipe (NEW) 

(EAT) The high-ceilinged space is decked out in an Indochinese-themed, adorned with hanging lanterns and a bamboo-strewn balcony overlooking the soi’s trees. On offer are classic dishes like pho (Vietnamese rice noodle soup, B160) and spring rolls (B90) and don’t forget to ask about their specials of the month, too. Before asking for the bill, do finish off your meal with a Vietnamese coffee (B50).
Open daily 11am-10pm. Piman 49 Complex, 02-662-6311,
www.saigon-recipe.com

32.) Shots 49 

(DRINK) A comfy but upscale sports bar that has a legit food menu alongside some fancy booze, it’s pretty compact, given the normally cavernous Irish-themed sports bars we’re used to. No faux wood paneling here—instead, Shots 49 looks to offer a contemporary vibe. It’s decked out in black leather sofas and low black tables giving it a plush gentleman’s club feel. There is a big LCD screen along the wall and a pool table surrounded by mirrored walls next to the bar. There’s also a tiny outdoor space but it’s more for people to grab a smoke than somewhere to enjoy the night air.
Open Tue-Thu 5pm-1am; Fri 5pm-1:30am. 02-762-7816.
www.shots49bar.com

33.) Shio (NEW)

(EAT)(DRINK) Bangkok’s newest yoshoku (Japanese interpretations of Western food developed in the Meiji era) is a spacious, pale-grey dining room like those contemporary eating spaces in Tokyo’s Daikanyama neighborhood. Must-tries include the khao gaeng gari pad haeng (rice topped with stir-fried minced pork and scrambled eggs, B270) and the tender Kurobuta steak (B440). Pair them with sake-based cocktails like Yellow Martini (yellow chili peppers) and Tokyo Route (sake-marinated blueberries, B280) and wrap things up with a fragrant and flavorful Mont Blanc dessert (B170).
Open daily 11am-2:30pm; 2:30-5:30pm (afternoon tea only) and 6-10:30pm. 02-662-8378

34.) Sindy Lim

(BEAUTY) Located on the second floor of an unassuming building at the mouth of the soi, Sindy Lim has been operating as a high-end salon for nearly ten years. Lim has a degree in hairstyling from the UK and is well known for tending to the hair of local celebrities whose privacy is guaranteed. Needless to say reservations are a must.
Open Thu-Tue 10am-8pm. 02-260-0635/0793

35.) Smith    

(EAT)(DRINK)The dream team behind Hyde & Seek bar at Phloenchit, chef Peter Pitakwong, star chef Ian Kittichai (who also owns Thai restaurant Issaya Siamese Club) and mixologist Chanond Purananda, combined forces again to create this new dining spot. Smith gets its name from its focus on craft, as in “blacksmith,” which in the food world, translates to the global nose-to-tail trend of eating every part of the animal from the tongue to the trotters. The décor also has plenty of nods to this ambition, with an industrial vibe consisting of a corrugated steel façade and old butchers tools and pictures of cuts of meat on the cement walls. The place has just added a chef’s table to let you get up close and personal with both chefs (B3,800-B5,800 per person) and remains very popular with the city’s socialites.
Open daily 5pm-midnight. 02-261-0515/6.
www.smith-resturant.com.