Bangkok’s best new bar openings and cocktail menus of 2024

As the year comes to an end, let’s take a look at some of the best new bar openings and cocktail menus in Bangkok, 2024 edition. With so many places to drink in town, it’s amazingly hard to choose which is the best, as cocktails are completely subjective. Grab some company and make plans — you’re already three drinks behind.

A lot of bars have opened up, and new menus have been introduced. Many new faces have also arrived in town, and the city’s creativity when it comes to creating a good drink has never felt so alive. It’s the hospitality they give out, the ambiance they create, the fun drinks they dive into; we celebrate those inventive minds that make Bangkok special, the ones that without, a bar would be a much different place.

From over 80+ new entries throughout the year, we needed to expand our list a little to include both new openings and new cocktail menus. Here are our picks for the best new bars and cocktail menus in Bangkok in 2024.

[Featured image credit: The Loft; hero image credit: Find the Locker Room]

Bangkok’s best new bar openings and cocktail menus of 2024

Dry Wave Cocktail Studio had us riding the waves of classics all year long

Thailand industry icon Palm Supawit debuted his own bar in Thonglor in February, and it has been making waves since it opened. At Dry Wave, his “Super Classics” combine two classics into one, showcasing the unique notes of each in a singular glass, like waves crashing harmoniously into one another. If you have a classic in mind, you can trust the team will not disappoint. His team is also full of homey personalities that bring the bar to life, including Kem – Tanat Suttirak, who won the World Class Thailand competition this year.

If you haven’t been, the “Morning Tijuana” is a highlight drink for many, combining the smoky notes of a Mezcal Margarita and the citrusy Breakfast Martini. “1806-1988” is a tangy, refreshing take on the Old-Fashioned, blending the classic with the ever-so-lovely Cosmopolitan.

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

Independence rebranded with a fun, saeb lai Isaan-themed cocktail menu

Independence Cocktail Bar is one of the more — dare we say — underrated destinations in the collective of bars that is Soi Nana, Chinatown. A dive bar no more, the venue is tapping into the essence of the northeastern provinces of Thailand. Working with farmers, local producers, and more of Isaan, the bar brings punchy, funky flavours to Bangkok. Coupled with a morlam playlist filling the air and the warm hospitality, Independence is certainly a great place to be for any occasion, whether you need something to perk you up, to end the night with, or disregarding the “I’ll be there for only one more drink” speech you made 10 minutes ago.

Inside the menu, “Ou-My-Gosh” presents ou, a traditional rice wine made from rice seeds and husks. They then put it in a jar, and add some pandan spirit and their homemade lemongrass soda. You can even take the jar home after finishing. Another great one to try is the “Bakmo Punch” that serves a well-balanced blend of flavours from mango spirit, fresh watermelon, tamarind sauce, plus beef seasoning for a bit of a kick.

More info: Independence
Opening times: Open daily, 7pm-2am
Location: 687 Maitri Chit Rd, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok
Nearest station: Hua Lamphong, MRT

G.O.D serves up pairings so heavenly, it’s as if Jesus is taking the wheel

We all have sins, and if somebody’s going to die for it, it may well be this oyster that comes with a cocktail. Genius on Drugs, abbreviated to G.O.D, has certainly been making waves this year with their cocktails. After all, pairing bites of uni and oysters with ice-cold Martinis does sound like a perfect place to start the night with, and suddenly ordering more than planned. Combined with live piano regularly, the desecrated-church-chic interior, and the hymns playing in the restroom, we’re already on ours knees for one more drink. Don’t forget to visit the golden phallus shrine in front for good fortune.

Highlights from the menu include “The Only Vesper Martini,” which boasts an ice cold Vesper made with Gordon Vintage mixed with distilled vodka with Peach Stem and Lillet Sauvage, served with a bite of Bafun uni on a rice pillow, with ikura, ponzu, and black salt. The “Salted Cacao Negroni” leans hard into cacao, created using cacao nibs distillate, Campari, and cacao juice vermouth, served with uni, chocolate, and black charcoal salt.

More info: G.O.D
Opening times: Open daily, 7pm-1am
Location: Soi Nana, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok
Nearest station: Wat Mangkon, MRT

NOVA Social Club cools down any hot day with their cocktails that play with temperature

Phra Khanong sees a new bar this year that gets experimental with their presentation. The Earth’s atmosphere is the inspiration behind the drinks at NOVA — five layers, then onto interplanetary space. As you go up the Earth’s atmosphere layer by layer, the temperature goes down. That fact translates into the cocktails that play around with temperature and layers, as the flavour and texture of each drink can change as you wait for the beverage to lose its coldness for a bit. Not only does it make for pretty drinks for social media, the showiness also makes sense as technical value.

Highlights include the “Big Bang,” a spirit-forward cocktail made with vanilla-infused gin and sake vermouth, served inside a glass coated with white wine gel inside, which will melt into the drink as time passes; as well as the “Kilinova,” a gin-based drink with sake, pandan vermouth, and genmaicha, served in two glasses in different temperatures.

More info: NOVA Social Club
Opening times: Open daily, 5.30pm-1am
Location: Cielo Sky Bar & Restaurant, 1595/500 Sukhumvit Rd, Phra Khanong Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok
Nearest station: Phra Khanong, BTS

Frog BKK is a speakeasy that guests aren’t afraid to hop back to, and we get it

In a city filled with influencers calling every bar a “hidden speakeasy,” Frog is an actual speakeasy that will remind you how cocktails are an art form without giving any pretentious feeling. Helmed by Kei Sawada, the spirits are well-chilled, the ice is clear and precisely-cut, and the hospitality is as warm as their blowtorches. Feel free to hang around and chat with the bartenders as they perform their magic on the first floor, or ask them to show you the private room upstairs, with walls adorned with rows of rare cognacs and armagnacs.

Their take on the Negroni features their own blend of bitter liqueurs with accompanying notes of tonka beans and chocolate. The Blue Cheese Salty Dog is a spin on the grapefruit-pronounced classic cocktail that takes a more savoury route with blue cheese. No whiskies in this building, but you won’t look back once you’ve tasted their ice-cold armagnac highball.

More info: Frog BKK
Opening times: Tue-Sun, 6pm-midnight
Location: 237 Sukhumvit 49, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok
Nearest station: Phrom Phong, BTS

Find the Photo Booth reopened with live music, more photo booths, and a fun new cocktail menu

This year, people of Bangkok were reintroduced to Find the Photo Booth. The bar’s a culmination of talents from industry icons: Colin Chia from Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore, Hidetsugu Ueno of Bar High Five, Tokyo, Nick Wu from Bar Mood, Taipei, and Neung Ronnaporn and Janz Chennarong from Mahaniyom, Bangkok. After moving to Banthat Thong road, they brought in a lot of live tunes perfect for winding down after a long day of work and energetic playlists with pop hits that will out anyone in the closet. For those wanting to show off their own voice, Mondays are open mic nights.

Their brand new menu “BTT Pop” presents all the best that Banthat Thong road has to offer, in drinks form. Inspired by Thai Oliang coffee, “Dark & Frothy” combines grounded Oliang with tequila, coconut water, Pernod, Campari, Malibu, and topped with corn milk foam and egg biscuit. “Suspicious Tea” is inspired by the chrysanthemum tea sold by Ho Thai Store down the street, and the fizzy goodness on tap at Beer Pradith next door, putting with gin, Lillet blanc, maraschino, black tea, and lemon. It’s then topped with shoyu-apple foam that brings a nice bit of savoury into the mix.

More info: Find the Photo Booth
Opening times: Open daily, 7pm-1.30am
Location: Bantathong Rd Wang Mai, Khet Pathum Wan, Bangkok
Nearest station: Hua Lamphong, MRT

Last Call had us staying until the last call multiple times for all the best reasons

Tor – Vipop Jinaphan is one of Bangkok’s long-standing stars in the Thai bar industry. He claims Last Call to be his last bar; the only bartender standing is him. With bars nowadays having grandiose themes and concepts to their venues and menus, Last Call has none of those things, and many times, that’s all you’ll need. What they have is fresh ingredients depending on the day, knowledge filled to the brim on how to execute cocktails, and most importantly: great ice. There are only bar seats, complimented by the music from the vinyl turntable. The menu changes regularly, so those whom Last Call has found its way to will have new things to try all the time.

When available, the “Choc Mint Chip Old-Fashioned” is an interesting take on the classic that will impress even the ones who cannot stand mint, using the herbal notes of Fernet to compliment mint liqueur. The “East Coast Boulevard” utilises Campari infused with Bengal spices to combine with rye, Punt e Mes, Grifoll red vermouth, and some orange and chocolate bitters.

More info: Last Call
Opening times: Tue-Sat, 6.30pm onwards
Location: 413/10-12 Sukhumvit 55, Thonglor 25, Khlong Tan, Wattana, Bangkok, Thailand
Nearest station: Thonglor, BTS

The Loft takes guests on a grand tour of modern history through their new menu

The 20th century is full of wonders, and this year, Bar Manager Song Terbsiri condensed all the good times throughout the century into The Loft’s new signature cocktails. The year 1928 saw Alexander Fleming’s discovery of penicillin, paving the way to modern medicine. In 1969, humankind witnessed Neil Armstrong’s historic step on the moon. In 1977, Saturday Night Fever launched the population into disco inferno. Those mere hundred years represent some of the most rapid advancements of technology compared to any era, so let’s take a look back on all the fun stuff that happened just a little before our time.

The “Pizzeria,” telling the story of how Pizza Margherita arrives in New York, spawning countless twists of the dish, including this cocktail, is made with vodka, tomato liqueur, toasted bell pepper basil, and topped with a beautiful cream cheese foam. The “Rock & Roll” represents the sounds of 1950s youth culture that resonates today — a cognac-based drink with banana liqueur and peanut butter syrup. The “Level Up” is a gin-based sour with notes of yuzu and watermelon, harkening back to the arcade boom of the 1970s.

More info: The Loft Bangkok
Opening times: Open daily, 5pm-midnight (till 1am on Fri-Sat)
Location: Level 56, Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, 151 Ratchadamri Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok
Nearest station: Ratchadamri, BTS

Ruby’s gemstones-inspired drinks made us realise that diamonds can be anyone’s best friend

2024 sees the pleasure of Ruby’s, the bar at the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, now boasting its own identity separate from the Italian dining spot. The bar boasts only 16 seats that will leave bartenders able to take care of every guest who ventures inside without any problem. Their menu comes as a big book — a joy to flip through in itself — filled with 14 cocktails and two mocktails inspired by gemstones, and the scorned story of Ruby’s, having fallen in love with an Italian man who left before the day broke.

So many drinks, yet so little time, and each offers something different in its own way. Highlights include the “Emerald,” a fun, vibrant cocktail made with gin, artisanal mezcal, melon, mango sticky rice and durian coconut foam, the “Diamond,” a tequila-based drink with notes of yoghurt, citrus, and pear, as well as the “Sunstone,” a spirit-forward crafted using whisky, mezcal, saffron, porcini mushrooms, and jasmine rice.

More info: Ruby’s
Opening times: Open daily, 5.30pm-midnight
Location: L floor, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, 78 Soi Ton Son, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok
Nearest station: Chit Lom, BTS

Messengerservice moves to Chinatown, and delivers modern takes and techniques straight to your table

Messengerservice has found a new home this year in the Chinatown area, tucked inside a beautiful 100-year-old building called Baan Trok Tua Ngork. No longer will interested enthusiasts have to make their way to Pattanakarn to see what the hype is all about. It’s the clean, crisp flavours and minimal presentation cocktail duo Aum and Taln are known for, with a menu that sets them apart from their other venues — signatures have been brought from the old location but with further tweaks and balancing, and new classic twists are in.

The signature menu is themed around grocery shopping, with sections on produce, dairy, and more. As Messengerservice, they’re delivering those groceries into your hands. Those groceries just happen to come with booze. Highlights include the “Corn + Basil + Paprika,” a tequila-based cocktail with flavours true to the name and joined together by olive brine and coconut, their “MS Clover Club” which takes a spin on the classic Clover Club with lacto-fermented raspberries and clarified yoghurt, as well as their twist on the Negroni with palo santo.

More info: Messengerservice
Opening times: Tue-Sun, 6pm-midnight (until 1am on Fri-Sat)
Location: 3rd Floor, Baan Trok Tua Ngork, Thanon Santiphap, Pom Prap, Pom Prap Sattru Phai, Bangkok
Nearest station: Wat Mangkon, MRT

Rabbit Hole’s crossword-themed menu had us puzzled at their so-well-balanced savoury notes

Rabbit Hole has never played it safe when it comes to cocktails. Last year, their alphabet-themed cocktail menu, with 26 total signature menus, won the “Best Menu Design of the Year” in the Thailand’s 20 Best Bars list. This menu has 16 cocktails, themed around a crossword puzzle that takes you to different capitals all around the world. Their savoury-but-approachable flavours work because the balance is just right, and proves that they haven’t lost touch when it comes to creating something new to compete with so many other bars in Thonglor area.

If you’re up to venture a bit out of your comfort zone, highlights include the “Beijing,” made by fat-washing bourbon with duck oil, and pairing it with hoisin sauce, five-spice, and plum wine, “Lisbon,” their take on an egg tart with salted butter and egg custard sugar, as well as “Canberra,” a gin-based tall drink with truffle oil, grape vinegar, and a hint of Vegemite.

More info: Rabbit Hole
Opening times: Open daily, 7pm-2am
Location: 125 Thong Lo, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok
Nearest station: Thonglor, BTS

Mahaniyom’s third edition of their “Resourceful Cocktails” menu is packed with interesting ingredients

Cocktail enthusiasts around the world make Mahaniyom, led by Neung Ronnaporn, one of the bars to check out while they’re in Bangkok. A mainstay in the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list ever since they opened, this place showcases local ingredients through the lens of sustainability — generating as little waste as possible during the process of creating anything.

The third edition of their menu shows that this theme is still as fresh as the first day, all while introducing us to ingredients we wouldn’t have thought to translate into cocktails this seamlessly. The “Worm” is definitely a spectacle, infusing silk worms with tequila, bamboo worm with cacao liqueur, sago worm with yoghurt, and adding in honey, kiwi, mint, and sour soy sauce. The “Longan” blends aged rum with dried longan, combining it with single malt whisky, longan wood-smoked vodka, elderflower, and longan seed tea. The “Bamboo” features burnt bamboo vodka, white port and vermouth infused with bamboo leaves, pickled bamboo shoot brine, and a little bit of oxidised port wine.

More info: Mahaniyom
Opening times: Tue-Sun, 5pm-midnight (until 1am on Fri-Sat)
Location: 100 Mahaseth, 2nd floor, 104 Maha Set Rd, Si Phraya, Bang Rak, Bangkok
Nearest station: Hua Lamphong, MRT

Find the Locker Room’s new pop culture menu is like the bend and snap, because it works every time

Find the Locker Room’s “Time Capsule” menu has existed since the beginning, taking us on a journey through those times with cocktails inspired by pop culture through the era. This year, the capsule is finally fully finished, with new cocktails inspired by the 1990s-2010s. Whether you’re an enthusiast looking for something new, or just a virgin who can’t drive, the pop culture moments condensed into one menu will make you feel nostalgic for the good times of the past.

Looking for a blast to the past? Take a trip to the 90s-esque 8-bit “Mushroom Kingdom,” an earthy yet refreshing combination made from Kakubin whisky, Aperol, mushroom, ketchup, honey, and a little bit of absinthe. Grab your Burn Book and put on your pink courtroom power suit for the “Bougie Princess,” an ode to 2000s chick flicks using Bacardi Cuatro rum, toasted milk distillate, blueberry rice milk, vanilla syrup, and adorned with a fondant heart. And who could forget the frosted tips hairstyle of the 2010s? Turned into drink form as “Just the Tips,” it is made using Roku gin, blueberry cordial, cold brew, and topped with cranberry and jasmine tonic.

More info: Find the Locker Room
Opening times: Open daily, 6pm onwards
Location: 406 Thong Lo, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok
Nearest station: Thonglor, BTS