The best spots to celebrate margarita month in Bangkok

On a quiet stretch of Thonglor, between Soi 5 and Soi 7, a wooden door gives nothing away but a small carved rabbit head sitting low, easy to miss unless you're hunting for it. No sign, no queue rope, no fuss. Push through and the penny drops. This is Alice's rabbit hole reimagined as a three-storey Bangkok speakeasy, dim and heavy with velvet, where exposed brick meets marble counters and the odd mural looks plucked straight from Wonderland. It's the sort of place that rewards the curious, the ones who notice the little rabbit and wonder what waits on the other side.

125 Sukhumvit 55. Open Monday-Sunday, 7pm-2am. Call 098 532 3500

A rooftop cocktail bar perched on the 44th floor of Dusit Central Park, serving up 360-degree views that show off Bangkok from every angle. ÆTHER really makes you remember why they call it the City of Angels. There's this massive silver speaker slap bang in the middle of the bar that somehow frames the skyline instead of blocking it. Minimal design, maximum impact. Sunset's when you want to be here. The light does something lovely as it bounces off all the surfaces and you can feel the mood shift as evening creeps in. Once it gets properly dark, the lighting and sound kick in and the whole atmosphere flips.

44th Floor, Central Park Offices Building. Open daily, 5pm-2am. Call 061 174 5125.

Fancy escaping the 21st century for a few hours? Make for Velaa Sindhorn Village, over in Lang Suan. Jazz lovers, this one's for you. Step through the doors at Crimson Room and land squarely in the roaring 1920s. This snug little jazz bar practically presses a flask in your hand and teaches you the Charleston. Rich red velvet drapes the whole room and the tiered seating hands you cracking views of the performers from every angle. When the live sets wind down, resident DJs take over with picks that keep the night rolling long after. Old-world glamour, a stiff drink and proper tunes.

Velaa Sindhorn Village, 87 Lang Suan Rd. Open Monday-Sunday, 6pm-2am. Call 062 259 2525

Mutual Bar opened in 2020 and hasn't looked back since. These days it's the reliable name on Sukhumvit Soi 24, the spot you text your mates to meet at. A group of friends dreams it up, all from different walks of life with their own quirks and obsessions, bound together by one thing – they love a good gathering and a proper chat. The space mirrors that spirit, built to hold both their differences and their common ground. It's welcoming enough that even non-drinkers wander in happily, whether to catch the music, crack open a book or simply see a friend. No pressure to order a drink here.

Soi Sukhumvit 24. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 5pm-12am. Call 02 550 6820

Seen One for the Road yet? That Nattawut 'Baz' Poonpiriya tearjerker follows two mates reminiscing about their exes, and it hits harder than you'd expect. Stream it on Netflix if you haven't. If you already have and love it, meet OFTR Bar. Run by Baz and his friends, OFTR sits on the ground floor beneath cinema-inspired café FICS, recreating the bar from the film's closing scene. The doorway apes a New York subway entrance and the room channels a Big Apple dive – dim lighting, a broad wooden counter, faux leather couches. Clinking glasses and rattling shakers do the rest, and the whole thing feels wonderfully intimate.

Soi Sukhumvit 31. Open daily, 5pm-12am. Call 02 004 2429

Styled like a moody, old-school American house party, this spot trades in dark vintage decor, soaring ceilings draped in dramatic fabric, statement lighting and mirrors made for a cheeky social-media check-in. Its real draw is the live music, though. One night brings an intimate acoustic folk singer, the next a full band in full swing, with a saxophone often threading through the set to lift the whole room. And for anyone heading straight from the office, the location is a gift. You'll find it right beside Saphan Khwai Station BTS (Exit 3), so post-work drinks require zero driving and barely any effort. Cheers to that.

Phahonyothin Road. Open daily, 6pm-2am. Call 086 157 5000

This cosy little vinyl micro-listening bar is a labour of love from designer Chawika 'Pan' Srisuan and veteran collector and DJ Natthawut 'Joy' Nilkham, better known as DJ Nanziee. Modelled on Tokyo's iconic listening spots, it sits discreetly on the fourth floor of a commercial building opposite the BBC building, swapping booming club rigs for warm, high-fidelity sound. The DJ spins right in the middle of the room, running carefully chosen Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, Funk and old-school grooves.

Soi Sukhumvit 63. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 6pm-1am. Call 063 165 6895

From the same crew behind Modern-Day Culture, Club Salva tucks a whole other world of after-dark wonder behind its red door. The concept draws on the surrealist paintings of Spanish master Salvador Dalí for a bold experience that never tips over the top. The night turns on three Vs: vinyl, vino and vinegar-ish. Expect crates of records spanning jazz, house and disco, poured alongside lovely wines or inventive cocktails built from fermented ingredients. Those vinegar-led drinks are the ones to chase, curious, tangy and unlike anything else in town. If you want a taste that genuinely surprises, this is your spot.

Soi Sukhumvit 63. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 6pm-1am. Call 084 025 2611.

Naam 1608 hides down a slim alley off Song Wat Road in Bangkok's historic Chinatown, and finding it feels like a small victory. Perched right on the Chao Phraya River, this laid-back charmer shifts easily from a mellow daytime cafe to a buzzy evening dining spot as the light fades. It lives inside a rustic wooden house, all warm timber and easy character, offering a proper breather from the clatter and crush of the surrounding streets. Come for a lazy coffee by the water, linger for dinner as the boats drift past. A hidden gem, sure, but one well worth the hunt.

1608 Song Wat Road. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-10pm. Call 091 936 1632

A cosy, moody little hideaway with all the charm of a proper hidden bar. The mood sits somewhere between relaxed and upscale, the sort of neighbourhood spot that works just as well for a date, a solo perch at the counter or a long catch-up with mates. The focus lands squarely on good spirits and custom creations, with drinks built around specific flavour profiles rather than the usual menu suspects. Their latest series runs 14 cocktails across 7 core ingredients – chrysanthemum, cocoa, chilli, berry, maple syrup, tea and chartreuse – each in a light and a spirit-forward version. The tiramisu cocktail and negronis earn rave reviews too.

Soi Sukhumvit 4. Open daily, 7pm-2am. Call 02 252 6422

Sits on Silom Road just a short walk from Sala Daeng BTS, this slick speakeasy plays its cards close to its chest. The name's a wink, and the whole vibe follows suit – no towering shopfront, no shouting for attention. Word-of-mouth does the heavy lifting here. What you get instead are quiet little hints for the curious, chief among them a glowing martini glass beamed onto the pavement outside. Half the fun is finding the door at all. First-timers often hover a moment, second-guessing themselves, before they finally give it a push and step through. 

Soi Sukhumvit 42. Open Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-7pm. Call 095 861 6886

Tucked along Naradhiwas Rajanagarindra Road in the heart of Bangkok's business district, a short stroll from Chong Nonsi BTS, sits this beloved vintage-style pub and cocktail bar. It channels the mood of an old-school European or Irish tavern, pairing a serious spirit list with the easy, sociable warmth of a neighbourhood local. The whole place revolves around 'Uncle Joe', a fictional gruff, bearded chef-bartender with a soft spot for cigars, hearty food and late-night company. Set across two floors, the bar leans hard on its retro charm – warm, dark earthy tones, heavy wood panelling, plush velvet seats and a striking mural of the enigmatic Uncle Joe, drink in hand.

Soi Sukhumvit 42. Open Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-7pm. Call 095 861 6886

Set over three storeys in Suan Phlu, Smalls wears its personality on its sleeve. The founder's love of art and jazz runs through every inch – walls crowded with contemporary pieces, dim red light and cosy nooks that quietly convince you to cancel your evening plans. Jazz is the main event, spanning modern to soul, delivered with fierce energy and genuine skill that makes 'just the one' laughable. There's grit to these sets, unpolished yet never underprepared, which is precisely the charm. Then the crowd, a proper mix of artists, soul-jazz obsessives and neighbourhood regulars, who together turn the room warm, open and buzzing.

Suan Phlu Soi 1. Open Wednesday-Monday, 7pm-2am. Call 095 585 1398

CHUPA BKK sits on the 45th floor of the T-One Building, right in the thick of Thonglor and Ekkamai. Tucked directly beneath the world-famous Tichuca Rooftop Bar, it's the luxury club everyone spills into once the sundowners are done and the dancing beckons. The look is pure futuristic fantasy, all Avatar-meets-galaxy drama. Neon LED structures trail down from the ceiling like glowing tree roots, a clever nod to the enormous illuminated tree holding court at Tichuca just one floor up. High-energy, high-gloss and high above the city, it's where the night properly kicks off.

​​Soi Sukhumvit 40. Open daily, 8pm-2am. Call 083 494 5666

With both open-air and indoor seating, this is a proper spot for people-watching, late-night lounging and soaking up a soundtrack of hip-hop or chill beats. The kitchen deals in hearty Mexican-American fusion comfort food, from bottomless 'all-you-can-eat' taco deals to sizzling fajitas, mountainous nachos and moreish jalapeño cheese balls. Drinks are where it really shows off, though. The list leans hard on a well-chosen line-up of tequilas, mezcals and house margaritas, with the jalapeño margarita earning a loyal following of its own. It's the sort of place you drop by for one round and somehow stay for three. Fair warning, that is.

Soi Sukhumvit 13 (2nd Floor of Margarita Storm). Open 24 hours, daily. Call 02 651 1153

The Shed BKK is the new eatery collective from Rongros Dining Group, throwing its doors open daily from 11am to 11pm. It's built for anyone who rocks up hungry, thirsty or both, gathering a proper spread of kitchens and bars under one roof. Fancy Thai-style seafood? Horsamut has you covered. From there the cast rolls on through bimbo for mediterranean plates, bou bou for dessert-led drinks and casabon for Pacific Rim flavours. When it's time to slow down, the Shed cellar pours something special from its wine list, while the Shed bakelab keeps things homey with fresh bakes. 

Soi Sukhumvit 26. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-11pm. Call 084 169 6562

Seenspace never makes a fuss about why you have turned up. Fancy a slice of pizza, a bowl of boat noodles or a glass of wine? Nobody expects you to lock in one mood for the whole evening. The semi-outdoor layout nudges you to wander rather than plant yourself at a single table, which suits indecisive groups no end. Afternoons stay quiet enough for proper work – laptops out, deadlines met – and then, come 9pm or so, the place tips over towards something livelier. So if little ones are joining, the earlier slot is your friend. Come as you are and see where the night takes you.

Soi Thonglor 13. Open daily, 11am-10pm. Call 02 185 2728

Here's a dreamlike take on 1930s Shanghai, all dim red light, retro-futuristic lanterns and performances that blur cabaret with club. Ashley Sutton – the mind behind the original Iron Fairies and the sadly departed Maggie Choo's – spreads it across mezzanines, hidden nooks and a grand staircase that doubles as the showpiece. Cinematic, never staged, the space drifts from dinner theatre to dancefloor as the night deepens, performers weaving through the crowd. Programming stays brave, favouring respected selectors over EDM. International names such as Sébastien Léger, Yokoo, Red Axes, Amine K and Technasia drop by on Asia tours. Theatrical flair, serious sound, wonderfully surreal.

Soi Sukhumvit 45. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9pm-2am. Call 063 225 1331

Not far from Sing Sing Theatre, this bar wraps you in dim red velvet, its walls and ceilings drowning beneath thousands of gin bottles for a steampunk-submarine effect. Iron Balls has earned Bangkok a spot on the craft distillery map, brewing tropical-leaning gin in a German-imported copper still at its Ekkamai bar-slash-distillery. Now there's a second outpost in Phrom Phong, built around punchy cocktails that put the house in centre stage. Every corner reflects owner-designer Ashley Sutton's maximalist vision – brassy trimmings, sleek leather chairs, hard-hat diving masks. Empty distilling vessels and bottles dangle overhead, and suddenly you're underwater, adrift among a thousand rising bubbles.

Soi Sukhumvit 45. Open Monday-Sunday, 8pm-2am. Call 063 225 1331

Gigi Eatery at Sacha's Hotel Uno suits just about any plan, whether you're cafe hopping, easing through brunch or settling in for dinner and drinks. Playful pops of colour lift the modern room, and those tall windows in the second dining area keep everything bright and airy. The kitchen leans authentically Italian, turning out burrata salad, pappardelle rosa and risotto, with a cheese board to linger over and vegan choices on hand too. Save room for pudding – the strawberry mille-feuille, honey-pressed croissant and tiramisu are all worth ordering. Keep an eye on their social channels for the latest live music line-ups.

Soi Sukhumvit 45. Open Thursday-Monday, 6pm-1am. Call 094 894 8095

Over on the Thonburi side, where riverside hotels cluster thick along the water, one rooftop bar stands out as properly chic. Find it on the 31st floor of the Millennium Hilton Bangkok, a lofty perch that hands you a cocktail and a sweeping open-air view of the river snaking below. The breeze up here does half the work, the skyline does the rest. But if the great outdoors isn't your mood, slip back indoors instead. The lounge trades wide horizons for something warmer, all low light and live jazz curling through the room. Two vibes, one address – pick whichever suits the night you're after.

123 Charoen Nakhon Road. Open Daily, 5pm-1am. Call 02 442 2000

A high-energy, play-hard bolthole planted right in the middle of Bangkok's glossiest shopping turf. Since opening in February 2024, it holds two nice titles – the first Moxy in Thailand and the biggest across Asia-Pacific. You check in at the bar itself, cocktail in hand before the paperwork, thanks to a signature 'moxy flirt' welcome drink (a mocktail works too). Then there's Sato San, a Japanese-style spot with a cheeky Isan streak, perched on the 32nd floor. On paper the mash-up reads a little mad. In the glass it makes total sense, all quiet restraint with a wink of mischief.

111 Ratchadamri Road. Open Daily, 6:30am-1am. Call 02 209 5999

Sitting pretty in Asok as part of Marriott's Luxury Collection, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit serves up the sort of stay that captures Bangkok's buzz and charm. The location does a lot of the heavy lifting. You are moments from leafy public parks, a spread of international restaurants and some of the city's most lavish shopping and nightlife haunts. Inside, the hotel keeps things generous. Rooms come in all shapes, right down to a handsome Thai-style suite, while the venues handle everything from big-ticket business meetings to long, lazy dinners. And the dining names carry real weight, with Le Petit Chef and Rossini's leading the charge on the food front.

Soi Sukhumvit 12-14. Open Daily, 24 hours. Call 02 649 8888

Fancy a night that plays more like a Barcelona blowout than a quiet dinner? VASO Spanish Tapas Bar is one of Bangkok's hottest tables. Tucked inside the smart Velaa Sindhorn Village on Langsuan Road, it's famously tricky to book, pulling in the city's social set, food obsessives and night owls alike. VASO reworks the traditional Spanish tasca with a slick, modern edge, its curved Mediterranean lines wrapped around an open kitchen and a sprawling counter bar. Choose the lively 'Blanco' room or the intimate 'Negro' space. Chefs plate up inches away, a DJ sets the beat and a giant bell rings out for 'la buena vida'.

Velaa Sindhorn Village, 87 Lang Suan Road. Open Daily, 12pm-3pm and 5:30pm-12am. Call 098 914 4664

Sitting pretty in the thick of Ratchaprasong, Raynue is Bangkok's slick new lifestyle lounge and rooftop dining spot. You'll find it across the 3rd and 4th floors of the iconic Gaysorn Amarin building, with a handy skybridge link straight from Chit Lom BTS. Billed as an 'auditory social lounge', the space marries postmodern and contemporary looks, drawing cues from the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, all crowned by an open-air terrace, polished design and a premium Void Acoustics sound system. Best of all, Raynue shifts with the clock. Menu, music and mood flow from day to night, so the whole vibe reinvents itself depending on when you drop by.

Gaysorn Amarin, 3rd Floor. Open daily, 8am-12am. Call 092 976 6995

Perched high on the Pullman Hotel in Silom, Scarlett ranks among the city's longest-serving and steadiest rooftops, all chic bistro charm and knockout river and skyline views. Bangkok rooftops are a gamble, home to some of the best and worst food going, since a killer view lets lazy kitchens coast. Scarlett doesn't. The cooking is modern French at its finest, with Charolais beef alongside Australian Angus and both Japanese and Australian wagyu. Every sauce lands, though the béarnaise steals it, and the 12-hour wagyu cheek rewards the braise lovers. The small plates tempt, but save room for that jaw-dropping cheese counter instead.

188 Silom Road. Open Daily, 5pm-11:30pm. Call 096 860 7990

Perched on the 12th floor of The St. Regis Bangkok, this bar claims a prime view over the smart Royal Bangkok Sports Club – a dream spot for afternoon tea or a Sunday cocktail while the horses thunder round the track below. The long black marble counter is where it all happens. Drinks run from the fuss-free G&T to the properly historic bloody mary, first mixed at the St. Regis New York back in 1934. And the Bangkok crew give that tomato-based classic a local twist, lacing it with a hit of Thai spice that wakes the whole thing right up. 

159 Rajadamri Road. Open daily, 24 hours. Call 02 207 7777

The dark, glittering centrepiece of the lobby at Sindhorn Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, tucked in the leafy Langsuan neighbourhood, is a lounge that knows exactly what it is. Picture the timeless polish of a European bar crossed with a moody, Art Deco-tinged retro glamour, all low light and old-world swagger. It's carved out a name as one of the real standouts in Bangkok's fiercely crowded nightlife scene, no small feat in a city spoiled for choice. Prefer to drink under the stars? An open-air garden terrace lets you settle in among lush tropical greenery, beautifully lit after dark. 

80 Soi Ton Son. Open Monday-Sunday, 5pm-1am. Call 02 095 9999

The hotel skips the single generic bar and spreads its nightlife across several venues, from a sprawling open-air rooftop to a lively sports lounge. Up on the 38th floor, ABar Rooftop reigns as the jewel of the drinks list, an upmarket al-fresco spot with one of Bangkok's biggest gin collections, over 50 labels including rare and craft bottles. Down on the M Floor, Teeshot Bar rips up the quiet-hotel-bar rulebook. It's a buzzy, modern sports den kitted out with interactive entertainment. And on the ground floor, the Lobby Lounge plays the role of a social heart, drifting easily from daytime calm to evening buzz.

Soi Sukhumvit 22. Open 24 hours daily. Call 02 059 5555

Tucked inside the cloistered open-air courtyard of the five-star Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel, AQUA Bar makes a strong case as one of the country's loveliest spots for a drink. Skip the usual high-rise rooftop crowd. This one stays at ground level, a secret garden hiding in plain sight in the thick of Ratchaprasong. A koi-filled pond sits at its centre, framed by lush greenery, neat gardens and soft, low lighting. The mood shifts easily from a lazy afternoon retreat to an intimate evening lounge as the light fades, often with live smooth jazz drifting over the water. 

155 Rajadamri Road. Open Monday-Sunday, 24 hours. Call 02 126 8866

Sitting 22 floors above the buzz of Sukhumvit Soi 11, Pastel Rooftop Bar & Mediterranean Dining ranks among Bangkok's finest spots for pairing high-end plates with a lively, party-ready night out. Set atop the Aira Hotel, it serves up sweeping skyline views and a look borrowed straight from the sun-soaked French Riviera. Living up to its name, Pastel dazzles with soft pastel tones, nautical touches, modern murals and shifting neon lights that change colour as the evening rolls on. Cleverly laid out across three distinct zones, the venue gives you plenty of reasons to stay from dinner right through to the small hours.

Soi Sukhumvit 11. Open Every day, 5pm-1am. Call 095 703 5679.