The buzz: Thonglor and Ekkamai have long specialized in the midcentury house-turned-bar. Chew n’ Brew is the latest such offering, but its 50s décor and the cornucopia of trendy fonts plastered throughout its baby blue décor take trendiness to a whole new level. 

The décor: The theme is travel: world map-wallpaper, compasses, retro cameras, postcards, etc. But really the theme could be “décor trends of the past couple years” given how systematically every box has been ticked: Eames chairs, whimsical ceiling lamps (bowler hats fitted with bulbs, in this case), pillows with vintage prints and blackboards. It all comes together very well, though, and the effect is both cozy and comfortingly nostalgic. 

The music: Met 107 lineups during the weekdays, while two live bands cover Thai and international hits on Fri-Sat starting from 8pm onwards. 

The crowd: Thonglor-Ekkamai office workers in their 20s-30s after work and freelancers with laptops during the day.  

The price: Mostly beers and cocktails, as Johnny walker Black Label (B1,700/750ml and B1,900/1 liter) is the only choice for whiskey. Classic cocktails are featured alongside beach-friendly signature recipes such as the Bay Beach (rum, pineapple juice and cranberry juice, B230), Tiramisu (rum, pineapple juice and Tiramisu, B230) or the Bora Bora (vodka, passion fruit juice and blue caracao, B230). All signature cocktails can be ordered in the massive “Party Cub” glasses (B890)—great for sharing and, yes, Instagram. There’s no  beer on tap but they do have the usual bottles: Paulaner (B195), Budweiser (B170), Hoegaarden (B220), Stella Artois (B220) and Japanese craft beer Hitachino (B250-260). On the food side, the menu runs from Thai to international fusion with choices like larb tuna (B280) and lamb shanks (B480). Of course, they have sheesha (B500), too, with classic flavors of apple, grape and mixed berry.   

Why you’ll come back: It looks like your Pinterest, and should do wonders for your Instagram cred. But beneath the trendy surface, this is really a cozy and chill venue and has some pretty neat deals (such as the cocktails buffet at B399 per person until 10pm or 499 per person all night).