The buzz: The team behind If It Is Restaurant and 1979 Vinyl and Unknown Pleasures have teamed up with their high school friends to create another solid Ekkamai hangout. Joining the hipper-than-thou Ekkamai Shopping Mall—home to the likes of (Un) Fashion Vintage Collection, Happy Monday and the new Ebisu Sushi— Castle Bar offers a somewhat Irish pub vibe for those looking for some quality beer, live music and big screens for the weekend football. 

 

The décor: Taking over the spot that used to be Craft Antique Scandinavian furniture shop, Castle Bar keeps the same rustic rock exterior, which also extends to one wall inside. There, you’ll find all the standard Irish pub signifiers—a long wooden counter bar, beer-related wall decorations, wooden tables—plus decorative wooden logs and molded steel pendant lamps. The result is a cross between an Irish pub, a log cabin and a fairytale castle. 

 

The music: Very rock-centric and very retro with 80s-90s hits from Dire Straits, Barry White and Eric Clapton, as well as a sprinkling of disco. On Wed-Fri, acoustic acts perform live (Sat-Sun is all about EPL matches). You can also expect the guys from 1979 Vinyl and Unknown Pleasures to spin more up-to-date tunes from time to time, too. 

 

The food & drinks: The food is mainly European favorites with some Thai fusion, all of which pair well with beer, starting with the waffle fries (B140) and deep-fried mushroom (B150). The must-try dishes are the Castle Bar cheese steak (sandwich stuffed with stir-fried pork neck, onion, cheese and “secret sauce,” B250) and Castle Bar ribs (B290). There are three beers on tap: Carlsberg (B95/135 per half-pint/pint), Paulaner Hefe-Weizen (B170/250) and Kilkenny (B140/240). As for bottles, there’s Brewdog, Deschutes and Rogue (B240).