The buzz: As a testament to Bangkok’s shifting definition of a night out, Moods—a Thai-style pub—is now 1852, a “bistro and wine bar” with a walk-in wine cellar. A wine selection of moderately-priced and value-oriented bottles has replaced the bottles of whiskey, and the menu is now resolutely Occidental, to go with the wine.

The décor: Retro and masculine. Oxblood colored presidential couches, black velvet chairs and dark wooden tables furnish the dining area, which features an elevated section with a black and white checkered floor. Decorative wine racks, chests and wine crates ram home the wine theme.

The food: Global appetizers like nachos (B175), paté (B145), or fried crispy salmon with spicy green apple (B225) are a great jumping off point before getting into heartier Western beef cuts like the US grilled Angus rib eye (B795) or the grilled Angus sirloin (B465) from Australia. For something a bit lighter, try the grilled cod with capers (B235) or the angel hair crab meat with XO sauce (B295). There are also some khao pad (B155) and laarb (salmon, B203, fried pork, B135) options.

The drinks: The experience of walking into a cool room and selecting from shelves of bottles organized by country of origin is always more fun than a wine list. The selection favors value-oriented New World wines like Andeluna Malbec 2009 (B790) from Argentina, Antinori (B890) from Italy, and The Post Stones Shiraz (B890) from South Africa. French-wine drinkers will find solace with Chateau Moulin Haut Villars 2006 (B1,690) and even cheaper, no-name vins starting from B900. A glass of house wine is only B140.

The crowd: Groups of Ari residents popping in after work, from young women on a girls’ night out to couples in their late thirties. But you know the neighborhood: women wear dresses and guys wear shirts—even when they’re “relaxing.” Cole Pennington