Corner of Rangnam and Phaya Thai roads
The buzz: Those who can’t make the climb to the rooftop Skytrain Jazz Club (or want air-con) can now stop on the second floor of that same building for a nearly 360-degree view of the concrete jungle at the Rangnam-Phaya Thai intersection. Why “Second Love”? Because the seven partners are all regulars of the Skytrain Jazz upstairs.
The décor: The view is great, as windows run along all sides of the bar, offering a very jazzy neon panorama that includes the streets below, the BTS and the massive Century Movie Plaza’s bright lights. Furnished with a hodgepodge of retro-inspired pieces, the single open room is pretty rough (some paneling with crating planks and a lot of bare concrete) but graced with a few quirky touches: posters (from Superman II to Happy Together), purple garlands of light and some original pop art. If your cool, broke film student friend had a bar, it would be just like this.
The music: Kitschy instrumentals, easy listening, acid jazz and funky disco. By midnight, things get a bit more house.
The crowd: What crowd? You can rent the place out, you can bring your friends and you can choose to sit here when Skytrain Jazz is packed, but every time we’ve checked, the place was pretty dead.
The price: There’s a basic cocktail list (B120) and some really intriguing broths like “Dog’s Nose” (gin and beer B150) and Punch Disco (vodka, lemon, salt, fruit juice, B150). Drinking food (sausage, spare-ribs) from Skytrain’s “kitchen” is B120 a plate.
Why you’ll come back: This place has a lot of personality and so does its playlist. Make sure to bring a crowd so you don’t end up all alone at the bar. Besides, this little gem obviously needs your support.
