Etrin Basa

Set in a quasi-residential lane that connects soi Sukhuvmit 39 and 49, Bar 335—named after a song by American jazz-rock musician Larry Carlton—offers an escape from Sukhumvit’s more chaotic bar and club offerings. Bartender/owner Throntan “Pae” Siriwittayacharoen has drawn inspiration from his travels, personal preferences and cherished aspects of a Japanese sensibility to put together a space where you can sip well-made cocktails, rendezvous in relative intimacy, and appreciate an eclectic playlist that includes disco, rock, afro-jazz or electronic tunes. The drinks menu is limited, some parts changing constantly according to Pae’s immediate inspiration. The aim is to offer cocktails that are similar in presentation to the neat and simple tipples offered in Tokyo cocktail bars, but have the bold flavors of Western cocktail culture. Most of the ingredients are finds from Pae’s own travels around Thailand. There’s a shortlist of classics and highballs, but you’d do well to try some of Pae’s creations. Green Garden (B380) is an herbal gin and tonic that takes its profile from marigold leaves and the spirit called “Overproof Thyme”, while New York Lemon Cream (B360) is Pae’s take on New York Sour—his version replaces American whiskey with gin and clarified mix of cream cheese and homemade limoncello. Late Night Coconut (B380) evokes the taste and aroma of the fruit its named after—rum-infused with burnt fig leaves gives it a toasted coconut flavor, coconut water adds refreshing

The minds behind Sugar Ray and Tropic City have combined well-concocted cocktails with a well-curated music program in an intimate space on Sukhumvit Soi 11. Called Konkord, this watering hole opens up to a small coffee and aperitif bar dressed in dark wood and gleaming marble. It’s perfect for a late afternoon tipple or, in the later hours of the evening, as an intermediary between the chaos of Soi 11 and what waits behind another door. That would be the main club area, a compact neon-lit space that neatly fuses retro-futuristic furnishing with brutalist interiors. Tropic City co-owner Sebastian de la Cruz leads the music program, and is in charge of inviting emerging or big-name performers, local and international, who may want to hold a gig in Bangkok in a more intimate setting. De la Cruz promises a variety of musical genres, from electronica to cosmic house to soul, and sometimes even hip hop. The goal is to offer alternative sounds that would bend minds and pump up the crowd. Apart from being the venue where good music can be appreciated, Konkord is offering drinks designed to invigorate the mood, and loosen one’s body and inhibitions. If a light and bubbly drink is your thing, order Young Folks (B390), which blends Jameson Whiskey with spiced apple cordial and soda, or It Makes You forget (B370), a fruity cocktail with hibiscus-infused Beefeater gin, a touch of D.O.M Benedictine liqueur and Angostura bitters. A hint of caution: You might find yourself having your third