The best new bars and cocktail menus in Bangkok this February

It’s Bangkok, so of course there’ll always be something new when it comes to drinking. Knowing where to drink is key, and we have just what you need. Here are the best bars in Bangkok this month.

[Hero and featured image credit: Dry Wave Cocktail Studio]

The best new bars and cocktail menus in Bangkok this February 2025

It’s the month of love. Whether you’re in love, out of love, or telling your friends “it’s complicated” for the second year now, a good bar equipped with warm hospitality will get your night sorted. Since new bars and new menus are always popping up in Bangkok, there are more places to check out and treat yourselves, and what better month to do so than this one?

Surf the waves of classic cocktails once more with Dry Wave Cocktail Studio’s revamped menu

Dry Wave Cocktail Studio’s pride and joy, apart from their hospitality, has always been their ‘Super Classic’ menu. The menu takes two classic cocktails and lets them crash together like waves. With balance, those notes mellow down and join together beautifully, as a calm sea after a storm. Now in its second edition, some drinks were let go, and 12 new cocktails were introduced. Interestingly, these 12 cocktails introduce classic cocktails that are less popular, perhaps forgotten, and even regional drinks that can mainly be found in certain countries.

The “Sea, Sand & Sun” features the fruit-forward Sex on the Beach crashing with the brunch favourite’s sister, Bloody Maria. With rum, chili liqueur, tomato, cranberry, saline, white penja pepper, and seaweed, the result is a balanced, fruity mix with a tinge of savoury. The “Love Train” boards gin, lemon, vanilla whisky, cacao and berry-infused Campari, and chocolate bitters — a spin on the modern classic Bramble together with the 20th Century that pairs chocolate notes with gin and herbs. “Newton’s Law” had us remaining at rest feeling satisfied until acted upon by an external force. An unlikely encounter between the spirit-forward Godfather, and the Apple Gimlet, the drink is a beautiful cross between a sour and a spirit-forward made from whisky, apricot, almond, apple, tonka bean, and garnished with oregano.

More info: Dry Wave Cocktail Studio
Opening times: Open daily, 7pm-1.30am (until 2am on Fri-Sat)
Location: 2nd Floor SODALITY, 263 Thong Lo 13 Alley, Bangkok
Nearest station: Thonglor, BTS
Google review rating: 4.9/5

Abar Rooftop refreshes their ‘Districts of Bangkok’ menu with new creative cocktails

Abar Rooftop’s menu is inspired by Bangkok. More specifically, the places and districts that make up Bangkok. After all, places make up cultures, and in turn, cultures reinforce a sense of place unique to wherever they are. The capital is very much alive, fun, bustling with people — it’s become the footprint, literally, of what makes heritage so rich, and our stories so exceptional. By picking places to become cocktails, they’re essentially picking cultures to represent, and it feels exactly so in their new menu.

Inspired by the Golden Mountain, the beverage of the same name sees blended malt whisky infused with chamomile tea, sweet vermouth washed with toasted rice, served over diamond-shaped ice adorned with gold leaf, and accompanied by crispy glutinous rice crackers. “Boat Noodle” brings the famous boat noodle spots around Victory Monument to their rooftop, made using gin, galangal, coriander root, cilantro, pandan, basil, and a bit of garlic oil. “Monkey Cheeks” is inspired by the Monkey Cheek irrigation system inside Chulalongkorn University’s Centenary Park; turned into a mezcal-based drink with fino sherry, agave, olive brine, and lime juice.

More info: Abar Rooftop
Opening times: Open daily, 6pm-1am
Location: Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, 199 Sukhumvit Alley 22, Klongton, Khlong Toei, Bangkok
Nearest station: Phrom Phong, BTS
Google review rating: 4.4/5

Bar Near Me is not great for SEO, but amazing for cocktails

A newcomer to the ever-growing collective of bars we know as Soi Nana Chinatown, Bar Near Me serves up serious cocktails with a living room-esque ambiance that feels laidback. With the green walls, a bar counter made of stone, in contrast to the paintings adorned almost everywhere, you’ll feel right at home, relaxed; watching the cars go by the street outside. Bar Near Me isn’t always near you, but you’ll find it calling out to you when it isn’t.

Their cocktail menu presents the culture of Chinatown with ingredients found locally, with flavour profiles that feel complex, yet not too complicated. “Pickled Lime Soup” is a slightly savoury gin fizz, with winter melon and pickled lime cordial, lime juice, soda, egg white, and a few drops of garlic oil. “Kopi” is inspired by Thai-style coffee, infusing O-liang offee into whisky, paired with dry vermouth, honey coffee cordial, and topped with cinnamon cream. “Herbal Jade” is a white rum-based cocktail with absinthe, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and syrup made from jiaogulan, a type of herbaceous climbing vine used in Chinese medicine.

More info: Bar Near Me
Opening times: Tue-Sun, 6pm-midnight
Location: 689 Maitri Chitr road, Phrom Prap, Phrom Prap Sattru Paii, Bangkok
Nearest station: Hua Lampong, MRT
Google review rating: 4.8/5

SvalBardBkk opens up, offering cocktails in the far reaches of Nong Khaem

For those who aren’t sure where Nong Khaem is located, the area is at the far west of Bangkok, 10 minutes from entering Samut Sakhon province. Sure, it’s quite an unlikely location for a cocktail bar, but the passionate bar team and the serious cocktail menu makes it a great destination for whenever you happen to be nearby. They also serve an international food menu with Thai twists, making SvalBard a place to be from day till night.

Their cocktail menu features twists on classics that will have you intrigued of how much a drink could evolve with the simplest of changes. Highlights include “To Night,” a bitter, fizzy cocktail with Campari, and tonic made from coconut water and pomelo, their bourbon Old-Fashioned sweetened with butterscotch candy, as well as their Martini that smells like a newly-arranged rose bouquet.

More info: SvalBardBkk
Opening times: Open daily, 4pm onwards
Location: 20 SvalBard, Phetkasem Rd, Khwaneg Nong khang phlu, Khet Nong kheam, Nong Khang Phlu, Nong Khaem, Bangkok
Nearest station: Bang Khae, MRT
Google review rating: 5/5

The Reading Room Bangkok showcases downtown Rangoon through cocktails

Recently opened above Rangoon Tea House in Thonglor area, The Reading Room, in their words, is “inspired by the aesthetics of libraries in downtown Rangoon; our menu tells the story of parts of our beloved city.” The bar menu comes with a map, with indicators of what each drink is inspired by, along with their own signature cocktails — both utilising south Asian ingredients. Interestingly, the classic cocktail Pegu Club that is born in Yangon is nowhere to be referenced.

The “Sarkies Spritz” pays homage to the Sarkies brothers who opened The Strand Hotel in 1901. The drink itself is a spritz, despite their hotel bar known for their signature sour, made with sparkling wine, Lillet rose, elderflower liqueur, and chia seeds. Another cocktail is inspired by The Rangoon Turf Club, which interestingly, is not a Turf Club. Instead, it’s a Venice-born classic Bellini, with yoghurt, soju, and topped with rambutan espuma. A part of their signatures also include a cocktail named “Dua Lipa,” presumably after the famous Albanian singer-songwriter who has never held a concert in Yangon before. Her drink is a gin-based tall cocktail with elderflower, fermented cucumber, butterfly pea, and topped with tonic.

More info: The Reading Room Bangkok
Opening times: Open daily, 6pm-1am
Location: Rangoon Tea House, 6 Soi Sangchai, Khwaeng Phra Khanong, Khlong Toei, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon
Nearest station: Thonglor, BTS
Google review rating: 4.6/5

The best new bars and cocktail menus in Bangkok this January 2025

It’s a new year, and a new you. But if this new you loves to drink as much as the old you, we know the places you should check out. The sounds of shaking and stirring, the warm hospitality from the bar, the ingredients you never thought could be made into a cocktail — maybe you’ll find new comfort zones with us, right here.

The Pickwicks Chronicles presents a new menu chapter inspired by literary characters

The Pickwicks Chronicles is inspired by The Pickwick Papers, the first fictional work by Charles Dickens, telling the story of a group of men going on adventures to spread the wonders of science while having fun doing so. Bangkok had been long overdue for a literary-themed bar until The Pickwicks Chronicles came along, and this new cocktail menu solidifies their inspirations with well-balanced drinks modelled after the characters of the book. Helmed by Gliga Gabriel and his team, each creation feels rooted in classics, while adding fun ingredients and twists that they are sure to be proud to call their own.

Highlights include the “Job Trotter’s Yuzu,” a tall drink reminiscent of tiki-style cocktails with mezcal, Aperol, Vietnamese spiced gin, yuzu, pineapple juice, and coconut milk, the “Augustus Snodgrass Teddy Bear,” a quite elaborate gin-based cocktail with Campari, strawberry rose tea cordial, citrus, honey, milk, topped with yoghurt cream cheese and a little Campari teddy bear, as well as the “Christopher Menning’s Sticky Rice,” an homage to an old friend of the bar with Remy Martin V.S.O.P, mango, and coconut.

More info: The Pickwicks Chronicles
Opening times: Open daily, 6pm-1am
Location: 76/10 Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok
Nearest station: Chit Lom, BTS
Google review rating: 4.9/5

1970 Bar brings back the disco era with cocktails great enough to rock the boat

Dusit Thani Bangkok opens up a swanky new addition to Bangkok’s cocktail scene, paying tribute to the iconic disco era of the 1970s. Whether you’re hot stuff, or someone with a heart of glass, the cocktails and hospitality of 1970 will get you all sorted — and they don’t stop ’till you get enough. The beautiful view from the 39th floor, along with live music playing on the regular, also dials up the ambiance, making for a great spot for both intimate date nights or a lively afterwork sesh solo.

Their cocktail menu is inspired by icons; virtuoso and visionaries of various industries who have graced the Dusit Thani in the past. “Acid Queen,” inspired by the one and only Tina Turner, is a sour shaken drink that will turn-her head with gin, mandarin, lemon verbena, yellow tomato, lemon, and egg white. “Golden Gospel,” tells the tale of how Whitney Houston’s started singing gospel in her church, with a bourbon-based drink, complimented by notes of cacao, mango, orange, and vanilla honey butter. “The End,” honours The Beatles, with a drink made from rye whiskey, Branca Menta, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and hopefully no Yoko Ono in sight this time.

More info: 1970 Bar
Opening times: Open daily, 5pm-1am
Location: Dusit Thani Bangkok, 39 M Floor, 98 Rama IV Rd, Si Lom, Bang Rak, Bangkok
Nearest station: Si Lom, BTS
Google review rating: 4.8/5

Spire Rooftop Bar evokes the essence of the tropics in sky-high setting

Bangkok gets another rooftop bar, and this time, it comes with tropical-inspired cocktails and a huge golden spire reminiscent of when you lose a game of Starcraft. Spire Rooftop makes for a great afterwork destination, as it’s equipped with DJs nightly, and a beautiful view of Lumphini Park.

The cocktail menu is all about seasonal local ingredients, focusing on drinks that feel tropical, aromatic, and amazingly refreshing. Start your evening the right way with “6pm Romance,” essentially a Negroni twist with cherry, and housemade pandan liqueur. Browse all the raving reviews with their “Trip Advisor,” a Pisco-based tall drink with melon liqueur, Szechuan spices, Thai basil, honeydew melon, pineapple, and lemon. Better yet, feel the fantasy with the “Star Dust,” a cocktail made from gin, maraschino liqueur, rhubarb compote, lemon, and grapefruit.

More info: Spire Rooftop Bar
Opening times: Open daily, 5pm-1am
Location: Dusit Thani Bangkok, 98 Rama IV Rd, Silom, Bang Rak, Bangkok
Nearest station: Si Lom, BTS
Google review rating: 4.7/5

The River Club brings beach club vibes to Chao Phraya river

It’s interesting how there was no such thing as a river club in Bangkok before, and this one is the River Club. Tropical drinks, great food, chill breeze running through your hair — all the best qualities we travel for, all here in the city by the river. Here, it’s a day-to-night experience with Mexican-Isaan fusion dining, and perhaps a dive into the cool waters of their outdoor pool.

The cocktail menu is all about the beach club experience, with a whole page on bottled spritzes, and another on their signatures. Highlights include “The Pirate Without Direction,” using whisky, cognac, coconut, salted banana, vanilla liqueur, citrus, and some soda, as well as their “Amber Sun” spritz with Aperol, Campari, apple, sweet vermouth, and plum wine. If you’re with company, we suggest sharing a punch bowl; there’s one with rum, peach, and absinthe that really gets the table going.

More info: The River Club
Opening times: Tue-Sun, 11am-midnight
Location: 694 80 Charoenkrung Yan Nawa, Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok
Nearest station: Saphan Taksin, BTS
Google review rating: 4.9/5

Hypnotized is Talat Noi’s new kid on the block

Located above Sunset Coffee Roaster, Hypnotized invites guests to lay back and relax, watching the cars go by at the roundabout down below. Yes, it’s the one with the Transformer in the middle, for reasons we don’t know either. They’re big on cocktails, but many also opt for their wine selection. Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations from their team that is brimming with hospitality.

The cocktail menu, although it sounds like two words randomly picked together to sound cool, does offer interesting ingredients to set it apart from other bars in the area. Highlights include the “Velvet Shadow,” made with roselle, absinthe, and vermouth infused with dried banana, the “Melting Melody,” a twist on the Negroni with the addition of triple sec and popcorn-infused vermouth, as well as the “Lover’s Spit,”(yes, this is really the name) a vodka sour with passionfruit and chili-fig syrup.

More info: Hypnotized
Opening times: Open daily, 7pm-1am
Location: 741 Soi Choduk, Talat Noi, Samphanthawong, Bangkok
Nearest station: Hua Lamphong, MRT
Google review rating: 5/5