Havana Social

Music: Live Cuban band at weekends, then DJ – salsa, reggaeton and Latin house.

What is it: The tagline writes itself: find the phone booth in a Bangkok back alley, dial a code and step through a hidden door into pre-revolution Cuba, circa 1940s. Havana Social's interior is deliberately, wonderfully weathered – distressed walls, off-kilter frames, vintage couches scattered across an immersive space that earns the word. One of the largest rum selections in the city. A cigar lounge upstairs for air breaks. From Soho Hospitality, the group that has built some of Bangkok's most considered concepts over the past decade.

Why go: DJ sessions bring the noise and you can rely on this room for high-energy theatrics – Brazilian street carnival, salsa showcases – woven into the programming rather than bolted on. The live Cuban band on weekends anchors everything: it works the floor properly before the DJ takes over and by midnight the room is warm, the dancing is sincere and leaving before 1am requires actual willpower.

Time Out tip: Dial 1959 at the phone booth – that's the code. Dress smart casual; open shoes on men will be turned away at the door. Come on a Friday for the full live music experience before the DJ set. Order a daiquiri.

41/3 Sukhumvit Soi 11, Khlong Toei Nuea, Watthana. Open daily 6pm-2am.