The buzz: Yen Akat keeps getting livelier by the minute. This latest addition to the neighborhood proves that there’s more to Bangkok nightlife than just Sukhumvit.

The decor: Thanks to the downtown Yen Akat location, here you get to enjoy views of big trees and low-rise buildings. The bar maintains a connection with the greenery outside through a glass wall, which ensures you won’t feel like you’re trapped in a boxy room like most other cocktail bars. It is also half open-air, so you get to enjoy all that nature even more, while pretending you’re drinking in summertime Palm Springs, California, surrounded by cacti. Take the stairs up to the rooftop for a quieter, more relaxed atmosphere, where you can chill around the bonfire.

The drinks: The drinks are tasty and easy to down, which goes hand-in-hand with the easy-going vibe that the bar’s got going on. Our favorite was the Californication (B320), which is served so icy-cold that you’ll hardly even taste the Havana Club rum, mixed with pandan, passion fruit, pineapple, and chili to spice things up a little. Another favorite was the Pamela On The Green, with Absolut Elyx vodka, fresh muddled kiwi, house-made mango syrup and egg white (B390). If you’re a beer drinker, order the Italian Mulatto (B320) which mixes Beefeater gin, Peroni, Campari and grapefruit—simple and tasty with a nice aroma from the Peroni beer. There’s no kitchen, but Cagette, a trusted purveyor of French comfort food, is just downstairs and you’re welcome to order things like oysters (B45-170 per piece), the charcuterie board (B450) or the Fishman seafood board (B830) to the bar. You can also order northern Thai delicacies to be delivered from Eats Payao just around the corner.

The crowd: Sathorn locals winding down after a long day.

Why we’d come back: The atmosphere here is something you can’t get in busy, crowded Sukhumvit—plus, you get to escape from bumping into the same old crowd time and again. Their cocktails are very tasty, too.