The buzz: Ari finally has a proper cocktail bar that’s not also a beer bar-slash-cafe. Frank Mansion comes from the same team as common Ari names like Sousaku, Porcupine Cafe, Landhaus, Sasori Izakaya and O’Glee.

The decor: The good thing about opening a bar out of busy (and expensive) areas like Thonglor and Sathorn is the space. With two floors of masculine and slightly mysterious dark brown, metal and woods, this is one quality cocktail joint where your'e practically guaranteed a seat. For breezy nights there's even an outdoor terrace. Our tip: take your pew in the intimate, low-ceilinged live music room, where bands play stuff like Stevie Wonder, Blackstreet, Amy Winehouse and Ray Charles.

The drinks: There's just seven signature cocktails, created by the team at Bootleggers spirit importer and distributor. Our favorite is Dorothy (B320), a pretty-looking drink that packs a strong punch of vodka mixed with rose water and thyme. Gin lovers need to go straight to the Phantom Punch (B320), made with homemade dried chili syrup. To match the masculine vibe of the place, get the JFK (B320), a spirit-forward, strong cocktail with rye whiskey as the main ingredient.

The food: You can’t sell alcohol and not serve any food in Ari, and thankfully here their food is up to the standard of the drinks. The Pasta Kak Kak (B340) features fettuccine and beef stewed with red wine , topped with deep fried crispy beef—good enough for a main course. Chalermpon “Van” Rohitratana of Phra Athit’s Rarb has contributed some special dishes as well. Get the one named after him, Chef Van (B170), which sees pork neck stir-fried with coconut milk and a seaweed-like leaf called bai cha kram, which brings a slightly salty taste to the dish, served with rice.

The music: Grown-up soul, R&B and jazz—think Al Green, Frank Sinatra and Irvin Mayfield, often played live.

The crowd: Older, more sophisticated Ari residents and even Thonglor’s cocktail-nomads.

Why you should care: We know Ari is a little bit far (is that even Bangkok?) but the craft cocktails and well-done dishes make it genuinely worth traveling for.