Bangkok's Highest Bars
Eating in the Clouds Bangkok's Tallest Restaurants and Bars
Bangkok is a sprawling, frenetic metropolis and outside a small number of spectacular temples it has few (if any) examples outstanding architecture. Yet this mass of seething humanity is home to a disproportionate number of five star hotels.
Along the banks of the Chao Phraya itself are the Shangri La, the Sheriton, Peninsular, Marriott, Millennium Hilton and the Grande Dame of Bangkok’s luxury hotels the 140-year-old Oriental. Away from the river the list of top notch hotels is even longer, the Banyan Tree and the Sukhothai on Sathorn Road are both spectacular hotels.
Now while many of the world’s hotels consider that they offer something unique or at least different in dining and drinking experiences nothing comes close to the sky-high bars-with-a-view that three of Bangkok’s better hotels provide. These restaurants are the Millennium Hilton’s 360 bar, the Banyan Tree’s Vertigo Grill and Moon Bar and the Sirocco at the State Tower.
The 360 Bar is a Chao Phraya landmark seemingly peering over the top of the Millennium Hilton it looks like many people’s idea of a flying saucer that has precariously settled atop the hotel.
With its 360o view this-jazz bar is the only public space that provides a total panoramic view of Bangkok and Thonburi and a large reach of the Chao Phraya.
As the day settles to dusk and then to night the moods and colours of the River of Kings changes with it; from its sludgy-brown daylight hue and massive, lumbering barges, tourist boats and the buzzing long tail boats makes for a lively picture.
At night the scene changes the waters taken on the quality of a shiny anthracite-like ribbon of black that reflects the living lights of the city. Like iridescent insects hotels’ little illuminated shuttle boats scamper to and fro across the river.
360 Lounge is open from 5 pm to 1 am every day.
123 Charoennakorn Road, Bangkok
Tel: 66-2-442 2000
The Vertigo Grill and Moon Bar is a dizzying 62 floors above the cityscape and affords superb vistas of Bangkok, the Chao Phraya River and Thonburi.
Guests are whisked to the 61st floor in a dedicated lift staffed by liveried attendants who guide you to your table. This roof top restaurant claims to be one of the highest in Bangkok and it may certainly be the windiest, but don’t let that put you off, because a meal at the Vertigo is memorable for its variety and quality. The menu ranges from Thai to Asian to Western dishes. The wine list is impressive for its variety.
After your meal enjoy a cocktail or beer at the adjacent Moon Bar while gazing at nighttime Bangkok The ribbon of red and white lights that is Sathorn, Convent and Silom roads is spread out before you with their never ending stream of cars and buses. And the view of the Chao Phraya ferry and shuttle boats as they chug up and down the river is almost mesmeric. Open from 5 pm to 1 am every day.
Banyan Tree hotel (South Sathorn Rd;
Tel: +66 (0) 2 679 1200)
At 63 floors high theSirocco on Chareon Krung Road is similar but more pricy but only go for drinks that are fairly reasonably priced.
Open from 6 pm to late.
Tel: +66 (0)2 624 9556
More sky high bars here
