Things to do in Silom

All five senses come alive at Everyday by Karmakamet, a lovely café bearing the name of the famous local scents brand. An enchanting aroma hits your nostrils as soon as you step into the blue-painted entrance, immediately making you fall in love with the place.

The charming Neilson Hays Library is located on Surawong Road, an area that features an intriguing contrast of chaotic and peaceful. Apart from technical books, tomes on contemporary literature pack the shelves as well as leather-bound books that can tell you everything you need to know about the place. The library also regularly hosts art exhibitions If you like history or are a retro-philiac, you will enjoy spending time in every corner of this place. A one-time entrance fee costs 100 TBH, but you can also apply for a yearly membership (check their website for more information). A tiny café adjacent to the library, called The Garden Cafe and Gallery, serves snacks and beverages prepared by the nearby British Club. You will never go hungry at this place – physically and spiritually. 

Located on the third floor of a standard townhouse, The Reading Room exceeds all expectations. This library is not just any normal library. An enormous table tempts with an array of art books. Pick up one and join the small crowd gathering in one corner and discuss everything about art. Beanbags and mattresses line the floor in front of a screen playing rare movies that feed the soul (usually played on Saturday evenings). Another corner allows groups of friends to play card games over a few alcoholic drinks (it doesn’t get better than this). This venue is not to be missed by contemporary art lovers.

This 70-year-old restaurant serves a mix of Chinese and Western food such as beef salad, pork spare ribs, and lengua (beef tongue). The beef salad, tempting enough just on the menu, is served with lettuce and onion. The lengua, cooked for a long time, melts in the mouth and is served with mashed potato and peas- you wouldn’t want to miss this dish. Season both with their signature sour sauce – it comes in a little bottle on every table in the restaurant. Stewed dishes are best eaten with steamed rice too or white pan bread.

If heaven for swing dancers did exist, it would look like The Hop Bangkok. A narrow staircase between two buildings on Silom leads to a cheerful, vintage-looking studio. Inside, attractive couples, dressed in ¢50s-style garb converse near the dance floor.  Soon as the music plays, someone calls for everyone to drop their drinks and get their groove on. “Anybody can do the Lindy Hop dance. You just bring your heart to the floor and see how it goes,” says founder Oat Naviroj. 

Silom Art Hostel changes your mind about all hostels being “risky, too public and dissatisfying.” Giving off the vibe of a boutique hotel, this colorful, unique four-story building was decorated by an experienced architect who plays a big role in designing many of the city’s upscale hotels. Here, the desire and imagination inspired by Bangkok is reflected in every little detail. The mezzanine features a cozy TV room and a small sized business center, as well as a comfy-looking hammock. Different types of rooms are available: shared rooms and bathrooms, ensuite rooms with twin beds or king-sized beds. The fourth floor houses the women’s dormitory, which requires a keycard to enter. Ladies don’t have to worry about security anymore. 

People these days prefer eye-catching, decorative restaurants that they sometimes forget that taste is the foremost criteria in judging a good restaurant. Thankfully, Amontre’s food is comparable to its pleasing interiors.

Frederic Mayer’s first Japanese-themed restaurant, Kom-Ba-Wa’s interiors is a balance of romance, playfulness, and a lot of class. The menu includes traditional Edo-mae style sushi and mouth-watering signatures such as “black cod miso gyoza” and 60-day aged Tajima wagyu steak. Goro Takatsu (executive chef) started off his career in the subtle art of traditional Kaiseki, he then takes his expertise to Spain and the Americas, where he expands his culinary repertoire working in many high-end restaurants. If you seek for a uniquely stimulating Japanese dining experience, Kom-Ba-Wa certainly hits the spot.  

Renovated their restaurant by transform the second floor into a billboard and bus stop setting while most of the first floor remains the same, besides the change of color. For the highlight dishes, try paella de mariscos—seafood paella with squid, clams, prawns and mussels, almejas marinera—clams in a fisherman sauce, pinchito moruno—spicy beef skewers, or if you are not that hungry, indulge your palate with churros con chocolate caliente (churros with hot chocolate). Visit Tapas and enjoy their signature cocktails like la botella (passionfruit, orange and grapefruit) or ron pomelo while chilling out and  listening to deep house music.