Touch the sky and impress your colleagues with a meeting or after-work drink at one of these glamorous rooftop bars and restaurants in Thailand’s cosmopolitan capital.
Rang Mahal
Fans of Indian cuisine can’t get enough of Rang Mahal’s tandoori dishes, delicious breads and succulent meats cooked in the clay oven. Located on the rooftop level of Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok, the restaurant feels like a scene straight out of Mumbai, complete with an Indian band and gilded decor. The food is fabulous, and a great reason to visit the buzzy district of Sukhumvit. Set menus represent good value and variety here, priced from 995 baht, while the a la carte menu is extensive.
Arrive before 6pm to enjoy sunset over Bangkok. Order a round of cold beers and tasty bites (samosas, tandoori chicken, garlic naan) at the outside terrace, before moving inside to the air-conditioned dining room for a multi-course feast. On Sundays, an all-you-can-eat buffet brunch is popular. Smart casual dress is requested.
See rembrandtbkk.com
Attitude Rooftop Bar & Restaurant
This glamorous destination for drinking and dining holds its own on the world stage, held to impeccable standards that would be equally at home in New York City, Shanghai and other global hotspots. Dress to impress and mingle with the well-heeled crowd of locals and visitors.
Part of the AVANI Riverside Bangkok hotel, Attitude boasts a prized position on the Chao Phraya River. Sundowners can be enjoyed against a backdrop of golden sunset over the water. We love the cocktail menu, created with exotic ingredients, wood smokers and liquid nitrogen. Try the Moulin Rouge (Absolut raspberries, passionfruit, grenadine and Prosecco) or the Mekong in a Bottle (Mekong, pineapple juice, passionfruit, white chocolate, chilli, ginger).
For dinner, the menu offers small bites (edamame, fried haloumi, seared tuna), larger bites for sharing (whole free-range charcoal chicken with chimichurri and quinoa salad, hot seafood platter) and an a la carte menu that shows depth and inventiveness. We’re craving a second helping of the salmon chargrilled with roasted coconut in banana leaves, served with banana flower and palm heart salad.
See attitudebangkok.com
Vertigo and Moon Bar
A long-time Bangkok favourite for a very good reason, this rooftop bar and restaurant atop the Banyan Tree hotel must not be missed. Soaring 61 floors above the glittering city below, the setting is completely al fresco. On a balmy evening, with a chilled beer or glass of wine in hand, it’s hard to imagine a more romantic spot. The classic Vertigo Sunset cocktail is a heady mix of pineapple, cranberry and lime juices blended with Malibu.
If your visit coincides with the rainy season, when downpours can put a dampener on a rooftop rendezvous, head instead to Vertigo Too. Located one floor below, on the 60th floor, this indoor bar is dotted with lights to recreate the feeling of an open-air venue.
Worth noting, there is a dress code (no shorts, sandals, flip flops or sleeveless shirts). We’ll add our own sartorial advice: leave the 10-inch heels at home. To reach the rooftop bar, one must navigate steep steps.
See banyantree.com
Lebua at State Tower
Voted the top hotel in Thailand by the readers of Condé Nast Traveller, Lebua at State Tower is crowned by the epic Sky Bar and Sirocco, the world’s tallest open-air Mediterranean restaurant. Try the Hangovertini, created for the cast of The Hangover Part II during filming on location at Lebua. After toasting the tropical sunset, move on to Sirocco, an exceptional restaurant with an enviable al fresco location. Thailand Tatler gave it a perfect ten out of ten. A favourite for proposals, anniversaries and special birthday dinners, Sirocco should be booked in advance.
See lebua.com
Cloud 47
Billing itself as a casual rooftop bar, Cloud 47 impresses with a great location, affordable prices and a more relaxed dress code than some of the Bangkok bars atop 5-star hotels. In the centre of Silom Road, Cloud 47 is on the 47th floor rooftop of the United Center office tower. The food menu offers Western standards (beef burger, lasagna, baked mussels) as well as interesting fusion bites like larb salmon. The cocktails are strong, and there’s an extensive whiskey menu.
See cloud47bangkok.com
