The buzz: This rooftop garden-slash-bar is all about playful tropical cocktails and classic barbecue dishes. Think of a tiki bar combined with an American backyard barbecue, just on the 40th floor of the soon-to-open Kimpton Maa-Lai hotel in the middle of posh Langsuan.

The vibe: From the elevator, you’re greeted with a bright, breezy space filled with lush greenery designed by global design firm Hassell. The decor screams tropical, with leafy and bamboo-clad decorations offering a vibrant backdrop for after-work drinks. The bar, though posher than other areas, still adheres to tropical hues and is a good place for conversation. Beyond there you’ll find the terrace, where you can appreciate the Bangkok skyline as you unwind to electronic music that’s chilled enough to vibe to without being too upbeat to throw you off your game.

The food: Think comforting, classic dishes you’d have with your friends at a summer cookout. Helming the grill is executive chef Lamberto Valdez Lara, who rolls out hearty recipes featuring locally sourced goods, like grilled beetroot and asparagus with snap peas, red onions, walnuts, goat cheese, honey, thyme and a ginger-orange emulsion (B190). The seared snapper tacos (B270/three) assembled in house-made flour tortillas are another healthy highlight, loaded with fresh ingredients like avocados, pickled cabbage and cilantro. The real show-stoppers, though, are the slow-cooked beef brisket (B390/two people), rubbed with sweet and smoky chipotle and served with a side of slightly crispy baby potatoes, and the Greatest Hits Platter (B750/four people). Filled with fried calamari, smoked baby pork ribs, chicken wings and drumettes, pulled pork nachos and a smoked chicken quesadilla, the platter is perfect feed to chow down on with the gang. Still have room for dessert? The Garden’s Fruit Factory Basket (B190/two people; B350/four people), packed with seasonal fruits and sorbets, provides a light finish to your feast.

The drinks: Tropical and tiki-influenced cocktails feature heavily across the menu. Start the night with their signature fruity creations like The Queen’s Group Pineapple (B310), a tequila-based drink with zesty lime, pink grapefruit, a splash of apple brandy and queen pineapple juice; the blackstrap rum, Campari, pineapple and lime juice-laced Junglebird (B330); or the slightly stronger Siesta (B350), a mix of Italian red bitter liqueur, blanco tequila, grapefruit and lime. In addition to the tropical concoctions, they also offer mules (Mezcal Mule, B390), daiquiris (B200/glass; B800/pitcher) and other usual suspects from draft beers (from B230 for Full Moon Bussaba Ex-Weisse) to wines and Champagne (B4,700 for a bottle of Salon Delamotte Brut).

The crowd: Your long-lost classmate from international school, upper-middle class socialities and on-trend expats.

Why we’d come back: With its tropical hues, from the decor to the drinks, it’s a nice place to unwind with friends, colleagues or partners. Plus, it’s pet-friendly.  
Dhipkawee Sriyananda Selley and Veerabhatr Sriyananda