The Buzz: The Powder Room is dead, long live The Catbird Seat, occupying this 4/F rooftop location on Thong Lor. Catbirds stick to the topmost branches of a tree, meaning catbird seats are the best to see and be seen. Whether this new venue can pull that off, given the location (the elevator leading to it is not easy to find), only time will tell. While there’s a solid restaurant menu, there’s also a strong focus on tapas, live DJs and drinks, so the place has a bar-like vibe.

The décor: The first thing you’ll notice is the nice view of Thong Lor—and a pleasant breeze at night. As for the décor, it contrasts splashes of colored light and lime-green accents against a fairly monochromatic and mineral backdrop with lots of reflective surfaces: stainless steel open kitchen, polished granite tables, mirrors and floor-to-ceiling glass panes. There are also a few low tables to lounge on if you’re not planning on having a full-on dinner.

The food: Start your night off with the tapas menu. The cold cut platter (B298) comes with plenty of things to sample: spicy pork pate, duck rillettes, French sausage and parma ham. Another recommendation to soothe the summer heat is the gazpacho soup (B118). But there is also a proper dining menu with hearty dishes like beef tenderloin served with salad, sautéed mushroom and potato gratin or French fries (B588). Or just go for a crowd-pleaser like the Perigourdine pizza (B388, with duck confit, smoked duck and truffle oil), an interesting Italian-French fusion.

The drinks: There’s a full bar (cocktails from B250-850) and plenty of promotions like Latin night on Wed (20 percent off mojitos and caipirinha) or Ladies’ night on Thu (ladies get one free cocktail and 20 percent off prosecco and Champagne). Beer starts from B120 and wine by the glass is B140-B200.

The crowd: 30 and 40-somethings, both Thai and expat. Pieng-or Mongkolkumnuankhet