OK, we all need a good excuse to go out drinking during the week. Fortunately, a number of Bangkok bars and restaurants have given us just that with their “Theme Nights.” The idea: come for the food and stay for the booze. But are these actually good deals or just a cheap ass marketing trick? We lined our stomachs to find out.
THE PLACE: Wine Pub
The Pullman Hotel’s Wine Pub offers affordable wines and good DJ lineups with the occasional live singer/saxophonist/guitarist as backup. There’s a good buzz as the crowd is a bunch of regulars, not hotel guests.
Pullman Bangkok King Power, 8/2 Rangnam Rd.,
02-680-9999. Open Tue-Sun 6pm-2am.
THE DEAL: Pasta or Cheese. Take your pick: all-you-can-eat pasta and all-you-can-drink wine for B900 every Tue 6-10pm or all-you-can-eat cheese and cold cuts and free-flow wine for B1,500 every Thu from 6-10pm. To order pasta, just tick boxes on a little slip of paper with a selection of ten flavorful varieties. We could do with less oil, lighter sauces and pasta that’s a touch more al dente, though. The cheese selection is impeccable: all French and perfectly aged. Throw in some good ham and lots of red wine, and you’ve got a great deal.
THE VERDICT: For the pasta, it’s going to take a lot of munching and sipping to really warrant B900—especially on a Tue. But there’s nothing wrong with being hung over on a Fri, so don’t miss cheese night.
THE PLACE: Roadhouse
This three-story bar and restaurant is a favorite with office workers and expats. The first two levels are steakhouse-esque dining areas while the third floor has a foosball table, pool table and shuffle board.
942/1 Rama 4 Rd., 02-236-8010. Open daily 10-1am.
THE DEAL: Chicken Wings. Every Mon, 4-11pm, buy 10 chicken wings (B145) and get 10 more for free. The 20 pieces of decent-sized wings come with dips including Caesar dressing, and extra Frank’s Red Hot sauce. Choose between plain, medium, hot or suicide. The plain is just fried chicken, but it’s tasty. Medium is chicken lathered with Frank’s hot sauce, hot is a mix of Tabasco and Frank’s, while the suicide combines Tabasco, Frank’s and dried chili. Just inhaling the fumes is crazy and the super sourness will not disappoint.
THE VERDICT: A big BK stamp of approval. The wings are the real deal and at a good price. What better way to start the week than with a cold lager and some spicy wings?
THE PLACE: Bourbon Street
Tucked in the corner of this slightly seedy Square, this expat hangout has a New Orleans-style bar and a brighter dining area finished in shades of blue and orange.
Washington Square, Sukhumvit Soi 22, 02-259-0328/9. Open daily 7-1am.
THE DEAL: Mexican. Every Tue stop by for their Mexican buffet (B295) from 6-10pm. Start with a choice of soups and salads but don’t fill up before the main event. This buffet is a feast of meat-based dishes including chicken tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas and burritos or DIY fajitas. Side servings of refried beans and corn on the cob break up the carnivorous diet and you can finish things off with a choice of dessert. It’s not a refined dining experience, but we have to admit all the dishes are well prepared and finger-licking good.
THE VERDICT: Not all that pricey compared to other buffets, but drinks on top do push up the bill. If you come hungry, you’ll find plenty of choice to satisfy your tex-mex cravings.
THE PLACE: Tokyo Joe’s
A cool, no-nonsense haunt, Tokyo Joe’s is now a nightlife staple thanks to its live jazz and blues. Take
in the band, dining area and bar on the first floor, relax on comfy couches on the second or shoot some pool on the top level.
25/9, Sukhumvit Soi 26, 02-259-6267/8. Open daily 6pm-1am.
THE DEAL: Pasta. Every Wed all pasta dishes drop to B150 each. While that’s only a B10-50 saving from normal prices the pasta dishes are delicious and come in big portions (well, big for Thailand). You can pick from 12 dishes, with Western, Thai and Japanese flavors. A must is their spaghetti with squid and mentai (a spicy cod roe sauce). With its real Japanese flavor, this interesting dish is mouth-watering. Also, try the penne with salmon in alfredo cream sauce. The salmon is perfectly cooked and the cream sauce is pure heartiness.
THE VERDICT: Not much of a discount at all but we will be back for their great, hearty pastas at a reasonable price and the chilled out ambience.
THE PLACE: Glaz Bar
This upmarket hotel bar has large glass windows overlooking Wireless Road, cozy seats and Filipino singers crooning out easy listening tunes nightly. A mostly professional crowd come to enjoy the fusion tapas and five-star service
Plaza Athenee Bangkok, 10 Wireless Road,02-650-8800. Open daily 11-2am.
THE DEAL: Cocktails and Cones. On one Thu of every month, their B550 “Cocktail and Cones” deal, from 6:30-8:30pm, gets you four drinks and unlimited cone shaped tapas. The tapas is certainly delicious, but be warned you might have to ask them to rustle you something up, or at least be quick to grab the bite-sized treats once they’re served. The drinks are cocktails created by Flow so you know they’ll be tasty. To avoid boredom, probably on both sides, the cocktail choices are changed monthly. The best bit is a large part of the ticket price goes to charity.
THE VERDICT: This is not a great option for heavy drinkers or big eaters. But at the end of the night, this deal is all about networking and raising money, not filling up your belly.
THE PLACE: Barsu
Classy lounge/nightclub frequented by hotel guests and locals. Dim lighting and a glitter dome ceiling accent the red lit circular bar while comfy sofas and a dance floor fill the rest of the space.
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, 250 Sukhumvit Road
between Soi 12-14, 02-649-8358. Open daily 6pm-2am.
THE DEAL: Sushi and Sashimi. Every Mon from 6-9pm, you get a free plate of sushi and sashimi with every drink (wine, spirit or cocktail) you order. While they might not be the biggest portions, they do serve up tender, melt-in-your-mouth red tuna and salmon sashimi. If raw fish isn’t your thing go for their “wapas” on Tue 6-9pm. Five courses of tasty fusion (Western/Asian) tapas per person for every bottle of wine you order.
THE VERDICT: If you want early post-weekend drinks and don’t mind paying slightly higher prices for your booze then head here for classy décor and top quality food.
