54
TIPS, TRIPS & TOURS
UP AND DOWN IN BANGKOK EXPLORING BANGKOK, STEFAN PERTZ IS LIFTED UP IN NEW AND FAMOUS SKY BARS AND TAKES THINGS DOWN TO EARTH IN STYLISH FOOD COURTS.
T
hanks to limited spaces and highrises sprouting up in major cities, we are now seeing the emergence of a whole new type of establishment: Skybars. In the case of some, the “Sky” prefix is a bit of a stretch as they are barely on the fourth floor. However, there are some more deserving of the term.
A STAR IN THE SKY In Bangkok, many flock to the fabled Sky Bar rooftop at Lebua State Tower, which has earned its nickname ‘Hangover Bar’ following its exposure in the movies. The Hangovertini was created for the cast of The Hangover Part II in which Sky Bar played a starring role. Peering out from Above 11, one can see further down Sukhumvit Road a few more rooftop bars. Galleria 10 Hotel sports Leapfrog, one of my favourites, and then on Soi 20 Sukhumvit one finds Sky@20, one of the latest editions to the Skybar scene.
IN DISGUISE It remains a mystery to me if the idea to hide the access to the bar was to deliberately disguised as an emergency exit or if that was just the way the building was constructed. I stood in front of the door, debating for and against pushing down that metal bar that could trigger the fire alarm. It is a serious thing to falsely set off a fire alarm. Once through, one steps out onto a deck that, while small in comparison to some, it is large enough to swallow a good crowd. Patrons will be offered a view of Sukhumvit Road with the massive Terminal 21 as a backdrop. Food served includes burgers and some more unusual items. In terms of drinks, there is a satisfactory range of flavours and colours available.
UNCOMMON For those with a tinge of vertigo, one may head on down to Thonglor. There are a few places that
feature an atrium style layout that in some cases incorporates the space below street level. On their website it says that TheCOMMONS is a gathering ground for specialized, quality producers who take pride in what they do and do it with utmost care. They want to be Thonglor’s backyard, a place where you can spend quality time in the neighbourhood while being a little closer to nature. TheCOMMONS takes the food court idea to another level. Seating is arranged in the middle, while the flanks boast a wide array of quality foods that can be mixed and matched. Including a variety of drinks as well. While the concept is the same as that of an indoor food court in a mall, the quality level is hugely different.
IMPORTED BREW As a German, I can hardly resist some of the brews that have been imported and the meat platters that one can create using one’s judgement of amounts and composition, which are just the tip of the Iceberg Salad. It might be the first time that a restroom gets a honourable mention, but in this case it is required as the interior of the ante-room is really quiet something as it carries forward the idea of theCOMMONS being a market place. A similar place
is SeenSpace, also in Thonglor. I would like to also mention the Bedmotel and that the area of Thonglor is quickly developing into a gem for night owls, pub-crawlers and seekers of good food, fancy drinks and some good ol fun. v