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Show me the way to Bangkok’s best Whisky Bars
Like almost every Asian capital, Bangkok has no shortage of whisky bars. And like the others, they are far from cheap. But if you like hobnobbing with the uber-corrupt, or have clients who do, maybe a smokey table in the private room at the back is the place for you. Be ready to drop a lot of baht and emerge smelling like an old bonfire.
Whisgars
A nod to classic luxurious gentleman’s clubs of old, Whisgars is a whisky and cigar lounge where any man can feel right at home at. The bar offers a large selection of whisky, cocktails and cigars, placing a heavier emphasis on rare single cask, high-end malt whisky as well as premium quality hand-rolled cigars. Need somewhere to relax while the missus is out shopping? Whisgars is your answer. Between 5PM to 7PM and 12AM to 2AM on weekdays, you can buy 1 glass of whisky and get another free! The venue is smoke friendly and open daily from 2:00 pm to 2:00 am.
Calls itself the most exclusive private members-only cigar club in Thailand: single malts and Perdomo cigars! Dress code required.
Let your wildest imagination conjure up an image of one of the absolute best whisky and cigar bars and chances are Cohiba Atmosphere in Bangkok will come close. This unique lounge brings together the fine pleasures of drinking top quality whisky and smoking premium cigar. On hand, they have a selection of over 300 fine Cuban cigars - easily the biggest selection in the whole of Thailand.
A bijoux speakeasy with a small but good selection of whiskies. The young Japanese owner is very nice and friendly. Fresh ginger ale and snacks.
Bamboo Bat at the Mandarin Oriental
The Mandarin Oriental hotel’s bar has been a sanctuary for music lovers among Bangkok’s best whisky bars since it opened in 1953. Classy jazz is still conspicuous. Lovely ambience and great cocktails. Try Riffin’ The Scotch – Johnny Walker Gold, mushroom, pear and agave.
Dark atmosphere like a speakeasy in old Sicily. Not crowded, with a very private feel. Coolest lab-coated mixologists and serving table. Tastefully decorated and designed. Jazz at the weekends. If you’re looking for somewhere cosy to enjoy a dram of Scotch, or perhaps even a handcrafted cocktails that’s both cosy and quiet, Black Amber Social Club is a decent option. The atmosphere is laid-back with comfy leather sofas and countless reviews online have claimed their service to be impeccable. Doubling as a cigar lounge, smoking indoors is totally acceptable so knock yourself out.
Buy a bottle when you are with five or more friends and get free entrance. No flip-flops, shorts or singlets. Foreigners have to pay 400 baht (US$10) but get some free drinks. Loud mainstream EDM, but very well organized with helpful staff. The crowd is mainly local teenagers.
Brought to Bangkok by way of Hokkaido, Yoichi Nikka emphasises whisky from Japan’s northernmost island. That means single malts from distilleries such as Yoichi and Miyagikyo, as well as pure malts from the likes of Taketsuru. But the bar doesn’t just stock Japanese labels. There’s a good range of expressions to explore, from fruity, sherry-heavy Glenfarclas 12 to triple-distilled Woodford Reserve Bourbon to Kavalan, the flagship single malt from the emerging Taiwanese distillery of the same name. The bar is fairly no-frills, keeping the focus on its whiskies as well as its exquisitely crafted Japanese drinking food: fresh oysters, roast beef, smoked octopus and more, all from Hokkaido.
Tep Bar
More of a noisy club with live Thai music and cocktails made from Thai whisky. A hidden gem with good food, music and cocktails in a small alley. Recommended for out-of-town visitors.
Another good spot where you can relax, smoke and be merry in Bangkok is Character Whisky & Cigar Bar. You will find yourself in a classy wood-inspired interior furnished with leather sofas and armchairs. Apart from the usual suspects – cigars and whisky – the bar’s unique feature is a stunning view from the 32nd floor overlooking Benjasiri Park and Bangkok skyline. Cigar gourmets will be spoilt for choice in Character Whisky and Cigar Bar. Their selection exceeds 100 fine handmade cigars predominantly from South and Central America and the Caribbean. On the drink side, you can find fine and rare malt whisky accompanied by other fine spirits.
Japanese Restaurant with a huge variety of sake & Japanese whisky still rates among Bangkok’s best whisky bars. Nice food to accompany the drinks, especially the cabbage with salt. Wednesday is ladies’ night with "Buy one, get one Free" drinks.
The place to be if you want to just have some whisky and a chat with good friends.
Super hidden – look for Heidi’s Secret Place, it’s on the second floor. Rated by many as one of the best bars in the capital. Supercool vibe, and friendly staff.
A great selection of whiskies and good cocktails
La Casa del Habano is a refined gentleman’s lounge located within the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and decorated in the British Colonial style. This timeless venue stands out from the crowd as the first official retailer of Habanos cigars in Thailand and it delivers. While seated in comfortable leather armchairs and admiring the iconic interior, you can browse from more than 80 different kinds of rare liquor. And when there’s time to take a puff, La Casa del Habano has over 300 Cuban cigars on the menu. Take your pick. Open daily 5:00 pm - 12:00 am
Like almost every Asian capital, Bangkok has no shortage of whisky bars. And like the others, they are far from cheap. But if you like hobnobbing with the uber-corrupt, or have clients who do, maybe a smokey table in the private room at the back is the place for you. Be ready to drop a lot of baht and emerge smelling like an old bonfire.
Whisgars
A nod to classic luxurious gentleman’s clubs of old, Whisgars is a whisky and cigar lounge where any man can feel right at home at. The bar offers a large selection of whisky, cocktails and cigars, placing a heavier emphasis on rare single cask, high-end malt whisky as well as premium quality hand-rolled cigars. Need somewhere to relax while the missus is out shopping? Whisgars is your answer. Between 5PM to 7PM and 12AM to 2AM on weekdays, you can buy 1 glass of whisky and get another free! The venue is smoke friendly and open daily from 2:00 pm to 2:00 am.
- 16 Soi Sukhumvit 23, Phra Nakhon
Calls itself the most exclusive private members-only cigar club in Thailand: single malts and Perdomo cigars! Dress code required.
- 3/1 Sukhumvit 28, Khlong Toei
Let your wildest imagination conjure up an image of one of the absolute best whisky and cigar bars and chances are Cohiba Atmosphere in Bangkok will come close. This unique lounge brings together the fine pleasures of drinking top quality whisky and smoking premium cigar. On hand, they have a selection of over 300 fine Cuban cigars - easily the biggest selection in the whole of Thailand.
- Soi Ruamrudee (63 Soi Plookjit 3), Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
A bijoux speakeasy with a small but good selection of whiskies. The young Japanese owner is very nice and friendly. Fresh ginger ale and snacks.
- 7/1 Sukhumvit 31, Vadhana
Bamboo Bat at the Mandarin Oriental
The Mandarin Oriental hotel’s bar has been a sanctuary for music lovers among Bangkok’s best whisky bars since it opened in 1953. Classy jazz is still conspicuous. Lovely ambience and great cocktails. Try Riffin’ The Scotch – Johnny Walker Gold, mushroom, pear and agave.
- Bang Rak
Dark atmosphere like a speakeasy in old Sicily. Not crowded, with a very private feel. Coolest lab-coated mixologists and serving table. Tastefully decorated and designed. Jazz at the weekends. If you’re looking for somewhere cosy to enjoy a dram of Scotch, or perhaps even a handcrafted cocktails that’s both cosy and quiet, Black Amber Social Club is a decent option. The atmosphere is laid-back with comfy leather sofas and countless reviews online have claimed their service to be impeccable. Doubling as a cigar lounge, smoking indoors is totally acceptable so knock yourself out.
- Thonglor Soi 6, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
Buy a bottle when you are with five or more friends and get free entrance. No flip-flops, shorts or singlets. Foreigners have to pay 400 baht (US$10) but get some free drinks. Loud mainstream EDM, but very well organized with helpful staff. The crowd is mainly local teenagers.
- RCA (Zone C), Huai Khwang
Brought to Bangkok by way of Hokkaido, Yoichi Nikka emphasises whisky from Japan’s northernmost island. That means single malts from distilleries such as Yoichi and Miyagikyo, as well as pure malts from the likes of Taketsuru. But the bar doesn’t just stock Japanese labels. There’s a good range of expressions to explore, from fruity, sherry-heavy Glenfarclas 12 to triple-distilled Woodford Reserve Bourbon to Kavalan, the flagship single malt from the emerging Taiwanese distillery of the same name. The bar is fairly no-frills, keeping the focus on its whiskies as well as its exquisitely crafted Japanese drinking food: fresh oysters, roast beef, smoked octopus and more, all from Hokkaido.
Tep Bar
More of a noisy club with live Thai music and cocktails made from Thai whisky. A hidden gem with good food, music and cocktails in a small alley. Recommended for out-of-town visitors.
- 69 -71, Yi Sip Song Karakadakhom 4 Alley, Pom Prap Sattru Phai
Another good spot where you can relax, smoke and be merry in Bangkok is Character Whisky & Cigar Bar. You will find yourself in a classy wood-inspired interior furnished with leather sofas and armchairs. Apart from the usual suspects – cigars and whisky – the bar’s unique feature is a stunning view from the 32nd floor overlooking Benjasiri Park and Bangkok skyline. Cigar gourmets will be spoilt for choice in Character Whisky and Cigar Bar. Their selection exceeds 100 fine handmade cigars predominantly from South and Central America and the Caribbean. On the drink side, you can find fine and rare malt whisky accompanied by other fine spirits.
- 153/2 Mahatlek Luang 1 Alley, Khwaeng Lumphini, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330, Thailand
Japanese Restaurant with a huge variety of sake & Japanese whisky still rates among Bangkok’s best whisky bars. Nice food to accompany the drinks, especially the cabbage with salt. Wednesday is ladies’ night with "Buy one, get one Free" drinks.
- Sathon 10, Bang Rak
The place to be if you want to just have some whisky and a chat with good friends.
- 48/3 Pracha Chuen Rd, Chatuchak
Super hidden – look for Heidi’s Secret Place, it’s on the second floor. Rated by many as one of the best bars in the capital. Supercool vibe, and friendly staff.
- 88 Soi Sukhumvit 24
A great selection of whiskies and good cocktails
- Wireless Road, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok
La Casa del Habano is a refined gentleman’s lounge located within the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and decorated in the British Colonial style. This timeless venue stands out from the crowd as the first official retailer of Habanos cigars in Thailand and it delivers. While seated in comfortable leather armchairs and admiring the iconic interior, you can browse from more than 80 different kinds of rare liquor. And when there’s time to take a puff, La Casa del Habano has over 300 Cuban cigars on the menu. Take your pick. Open daily 5:00 pm - 12:00 am
- Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 48 Oriental Ave, Bangkok