LL/F, Grand Hyatt Erawan, 494 Rajdamri Road, 02-254-1234. Open Mon-Sat noon-1am, Sun 5pm-1am.
Opened: Four-five years ago but recently underwent a complete renovation overhaul making it all sparkly and “new.”
The buzz: Tucked away in a corner of the Hyatt’s lower lobby, the Divan@494 is garnering interest as the place to get into the most gentlemanly of pastimes: whiskey and cigars.
The décor: The first thing that greets the eye is row upon row of carefully stacked and artfully displayed cigar boxes. Light glints off the various whiskey bottles and flasks as a large ceiling fan slowly whirs overhead. Add in the artfully faded paintings and the dark wooden furniture and the vibe is unmistakably comfortable colonial decadence. This open seating area branches off into two adjacent rooms, which are lushly furnished with an underlying African theme. Not surprisingly there is an omnipresent scent of cigar smoke hanging in the hazy air.
The music: Light and forgettable background tunes are easily drowned out by the chatter of good conversation.
The crowd: A large number of farang and Thai whiskey and cigar aficionados and a fair share of in-house hotel guests.
The price: The crème de la crème of their whiskey selection is a 38 year-old Old Malt Cask single malt scotch at B24,000 per bottle and a Remy Martin Louis XIII at B220,000 per bottle, B15,000 per glass. Those on a more realistic budget can still enjoy famous brands like Hennessy VSOP and Courvoisier XO for B3,500/300 and B9,800/B696, respectively. As for tobacco, brands like Cohiba (B830-B3,720) and Romeo y Julieta (B100-B49,000), stand out from the extensive selection.
Why you’ll come back: It’s an interesting alternative for the casual drinker, but if you have a passion for whiskey and cigars, there simply aren’t many other places that offer such a choice. They also host monthly whiskey tastings, and you can reserve the smoking rooms for private parties.
