Looking up at a clear sky while the sun gently melts the ice in your Coconut Mojito, reading todays paper and basking in the gentle winds leaving work and stresses in a floor somewhere below you. Time spent on a roof top bar can be paradise in the big city and cities don’t get too much bigger than Bangkok.
Thanks to our relentless need to escape the office and find some fresh air, rooftops bars are increasingly popular. Perhaps it’s the feeling of being somewhere special and secret or the aerial threat of being 30 floors high with a drink in hand.
Bangkok Rooftop Bars
While we were in Bangkok we found a few rooftops bars and spaces that were pretty awesome and all pretty different so depending on what you’re looking for – luxury, food, workspace or a pool, here are 5 of our favourite Bangkok Rooftop Bars –
(all pictures courtesy of respective bar media sites)
1. Zense @Heaven
We regret not going here sooner. In our last week we found this place for some dinner and were amazed by the design led restaurant and terrace space hiding on the side of the Central World Mall. We say hiding because it is literally a quest to find it. Not all elevators go to it from the mall downstairs, you have to seek out the right one and telling you would just make it easy. Not too vertically challenging, you’re sitting high enough to feel the wind, but not high enough to lose your menu.
It has an awesome vibe of Bangkok’s savvy designers and urban stylers while families sit among couples and groups of friends all soaking in a relaxed scene. The food is impeccable, the menu vast and the service great. If we had the time, we would definitely have gone back. It’s on our list for next time as we hear it has an awesome Saturday night with Dj’s and deals.
2. Vie Hotel Pool & Bar
A little gem in central BKK. Just down the road from the infamous MBK Shopping Centre and Siam Central, the Vie Hotel has a cute pool on the roof of it’s Sushi restaurant. On a building that is technically separated to the hotel and only 6 floors up, your not exactly on top of the world but when you are in another world, who cares.
With a bamboo surround, the pool is shut-off on all sides to Bangkok, except for the end of the pool which is walled by a thick pane of glass overlooking one of central Bangkok’s main roads. Very strange but some urban cool. You can get plenty of sun during the day and drinks and food are reasonably priced and well made, there is also a 2for1 happy hour on drinks during late afternoon.
3. Scirroco @ Sky Tower, Lebua
Made ultra-famous by the Hangover movie, this place is more of a tourist attraction these days than a social spot. A place that was once a place to be seen, is now a place to be selfie’d. Regardless, it does offer some breathtaking views of Bangkok and set against a cityscape unhindered by other buildings in close proximity, you can get some great views.
The more fun bar is actually part of Scirocco, the outdoor restaurant. Akin to walking the plank on a luxury cruise boat, walking to the bar of Scirocco takes you to the very edge of the Sky Tower and a circle of glass between you and the Bangkok street food stalls 63 floors down. It is recommended, for the views but if you’re on a budget, the £16 Gin & Tonic (cheapest drink) might leave you sweating. Dress smart and go at Sunset.
4. the Hive
Pretty unassuming and unexpected is the Roofspace at the Hive. A purpose built 6 floor co-working and office space is also home to a Spa and a Bar. We went for an evening networking event and were pleasantly surprised at what we stumbled upon. Setup up like a quaint garden terrace, the pleasant lighting and ambiance in the warm air was a welcome setting for what can be a daunting task (networking). Needless to say, this was a great place to do some work.
Set amongst some nice looking restaurants and bars in a mini-complex destination, the views aren’t spectacular but it does have a nice vibe. Some which when you spend the day working, is a great way to unwind. The food was good on portion size and fair on pricing. If you are in Bangkok on business, fancy yourself as a Digital Nomad, need to conduct a meeting or just want a drink with superfast internet, this is the place to go. Check out the Spa too. They really have this work hard-play hard ethos down.
5. Redsky Bar
The only one of our recommendations we didn’t actually go to visit. However, it comes on very high recommendation from dear friends who showed us lots of amazing places in Bangkok having lived there their entire lives and being very much part of the social scene. Red Sky is dramatically placed among the towering arches of the CentralWorld building.
Called Red Sky thanks to the red lights illumining the arches above it, it’s a popular destination for the Bangkok elite or for businessmen wanting to make an impression on visitors. It’s pricey so be prepared but if you can get up there during a festival in time for fireworks, we hear it’s awesome.
Next time you’re in Bangkok and in need of some vertigo inducing views or envy inducing selfies, try one of the above and tell us how you got on. Maybe you prefer others not on this list? With the number of bars in Bangkok it wouldn’t surprise us and we’d love to hear some tales about you and your aerial exploits, drop a comment below and well see if we can fit them in next time we are in Bangkok.