Vertigo Moonbar: Banyan Tree Hotel

We procrastinated going Vertigo Moonbar for 2 years…! Had we visited it the first time we wanted to see Bangkok from above, it would have been perfect: 59 floors up, busy bar, polite staff, free snacks…

They do have a dress code advising no flip flops or tank tops, and they check backpacks when you arrive. This mostly applies to males, so some women just wear whatever they feel like, especially ladies of respectable age. We’re not fashion fascists at all, but all the advice on clothing doesn’t really mean it’s a super hi-so place.

Since we were one of the first customers, we were greeted VERY professionally. The English staff introduced us to an innovative way of choosing their signature cocktails – fragrance test strips infused with the scent of the cocktail. Luckily, the drink itself was as delightful on the tongue as it was on the nose!

The views from the top are stunning, especially when it’s dark and the city starts lighting up. However, long-exposure time isn’t really an option, as the flashing of mobile phone cameras gets in the way! As you can guess, the biggest turndown was the crowds. It was all nice and dandy for about half an hour.

TOP TIP:
Arrive at 5 PM when they open. We came at around 16:50 and were nicely greeted and to wait seats in their fancy lounge on the ground floor, overlooking a green garden with a pond filled with Japanese carps. At 16:57 people started coming in so we rushed to the lifts. It was nice and quietish for the first half an hour, when the sun was just setting. There are two “top top” decks – one is a restaurant, and the other one is a bar. The restaurant was super chill the whole evening, but the bar got pretty crowded after 5.30 pm.

Ambience:
The four of us spent ages choosing a decent place, in terms of comfort and views. It’s so hard! The 20 or so small tables that are crammed onto the small platform around the bar  were almost empty, but filled up quickly and people were fighting for standing space: “excuse me, this is the service area! Excuse me!” The Moonbar is outdoors, on the same level as the restaurant. The views are really pretty, but you need to get there early as they don’t take reservations. Why would they!? People are going to come and go anyway.

There’s not much space to move around: I was taking pictures of Auste when one man politely asked me to move a bit so he could sit back in his chair properly. After 6 people were already lurking around waiting for you to vacate your seat, just like how you lurk around the Central Food Hall’s bread section after 8 pm innocently waiting for the BOGOF offer.

Prices:
If you’re on a backpacker budget, Vertigo Moonbar is definitely NOT for you. No happy hour in sight, even though you can see the whole city! Pun pun… Cocktails are about 600 baht – tasty, mocktails (a.k.a. Big C guava juice) go for 300 baht, and something more sophisticated like wine will set you back 600 baht per glass. This is more expensive than most rooftops: Baiyoke (300h entry including a free cocktail), Cielo (about 400), Cloud 47 (from about 200) and Park Society (300-500).Interestingly, basic food was about 300 baht per dish, which we were told we cannot have as they only start serving at 10:30 pm, but stop at 11 pm – clearly a communication issue. We snacked on the refillable, complementary nuts and peas instead…

Getting there:
You can either take the MRT to Lumphini, or BTS to Sala Daeng. From there the motorbike taxi charged us 40 baht per person, it was literally a 2 minute ride. On a Saturday there was not much traffic, so you may as well get a tuktuk or a taxi. The four of us got back in a taxi for 100 baht with zero negotiations.

At a glance:
-No Happy Hour.
-Snacks. Complementary salted nuts and some Thai pumpkin shavings.
-Charges. 10% service, 7 % govt.tax, clearly indicated on menus.
-360 degree view. Sunset over Mahanakhon tower, you can also see the Lumphini park with scycrapers in the distance, and on Samut Prakan side you can see the Chaophraya river.
-Rules. No shorts. No tank-tops. No flip-flops. Girls wear sandals/leggings no problem.
-Busy!
-Location. BTS Sala Daeng/MRT Lumphini. Get a quick motorbike/taxi ride.

Photography:
No tripods are allowed, but Justinas used a gorillapod and got sick shots! Between 5 and 6:30 pm you can get both the sunset, and the evening lights. And when it’s dark you need to interrupt people’s private space to get to the edge for photos.

The verdict:

Nice views – if you haven’t been to a rooftop bar, it’s worth a visit. Maybe a bit on the pricy side, but you pay for the view. On the other hand, if you have seen little cars from above before – I would think twice before going for a drink at a busy bar.