Bar.Yard
Bar.Yard should be no stranger to folks who know Bangkok’s nightlife scene or fans of rooftop bars. This is the third year in a row the venue has earned the top spot from the BAD Awards voting panel in the rooftop bar category, and that’s largely because the venue keeps refining its best-in-class formula. This year, it launched an all-new line-up of weekly parties called “Nights at the Yard”, creating a good mixture of vibes and energy levels here with everything from ladies nights to more off-the-cuff parties and cosmopolitan dance-offs. Combine that with the already good food and drink and you have a home run yet again.
40/F, Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, Soi Ton Son, 02-056-9999. Open Sun-Mon 5pm-1am and Tue-Sat 5pm–2am
Finalist: Nobu Rooftop
Nobu Bangkok was one of the most highly anticipated openings of 2024, commanding a large media junket and acting as the main promotional vehicle for the larger EA Rooftop launch at the top of Empire Tower. While the restaurant takes up most of the limelight, the open-air rooftop bar area has quietly stolen the show, and our panelists agreed. Completely booked nearly every night, what the bar area lacks in raw mixologist firepower it more than makes up for with some of the most insane 360-degree views you find in the city.
Nobu Bangkok, 57/F, Empire Tower, 1 Sathorn Rd., 02-407-1654. Open daily 5:30pm-1am
Finalist: Penthouse Bar + Grill
This gargantuan venue atop the 35th floor of the sleek Park Hyatt not only boasts some of the best views of downtown Phloen Chit you’ll find, it’s also a range of different bars and restaurants wrapped up in a single location: steakhouse, live music hall, serious cocktail den, and breezy rooftop bar. You could argue it should place among the top five in Bangkok for all of those, but among the city’s sky-high places to get a drink it stands among the pack.
35-36/F, Park Hyatt, 88 Wireless Rd., 02-011-7480. Open 5:30pm-2am
Finalist: Com’On Bar
One of the youngest entries to crack this list in years, opening in just 2023, Com’On Bar’s location just on the outskirts of the city’s old town keeps it far away from the gleaming high rises of the business districts, allowing its perch on the seventh floor to offer 270-degree views of the surrounding area, which the bar team gives nods too through their area-themed drinks like the smoky-flavored “Old Town” the housing number of the building with the crisp “One One Four”. A respectable selection of craft beers on tap rounds out the menu.
114, Soi Salak Hin, 095 861 8363. Open daily 5:30-midnight
Finalist: Tulum Sky Bar
The jungle-themed rooftop escape sitting atop Movenpick’s 29th floor in Ekkamai made waves in early 2024 for its design tributes to the Mexican Caribbean, with sculptures reminiscent of the Mayans and Aztec patterns adorning the walls. The drinks, as you would expect, lean very tropical and use tequila as the star ingredient. This is where you go when you want a dash of Latin-style jungle vibes to your rooftop experience, replete with jungle-style dance shows, DJ’s spinning Latin beats, and the occasional fire dance.
29/F, Movenpick Ekkamai, 559, Sukhumvit Soi 62., 82-973-0275. Open daily 5pm-late.
