Rooftops, take to the skies

Bangkok may be stifling, chaotic and gruelling, but it has one thing that very few capitals can boast, at least not at this level of excellence: rooftops. Bars, restaurants and lounges at altitude have become the prerogative of this hot and noisy metropolis. So much so that it's hard to count the exact number of rooftop terraces where you can let off steam during the day and cool off in the evening. One of the most popular is the Red Sky Bar at the top of the Centara hotel, which has long since proved its worth, but continues to impress. The reason? Its truly spectacular location, at 55^e floor. No high winds, no obstructions, just the absolute feeling of dominating the city, which grabs visitors by the arm. The intoxication of the summits, in a way, which continues as you relax on deep sofas, enjoying colourful cocktails in front of the huge LED arch, whose colours change as the evening progresses. This very lifestyle venue also lends itself to more formal dinners and business meetings.

The same goes for the Banyan Tree hotel, which offers two sumptuous open-air terraces - a rarity, even in Bangkok - and two even more breathtaking locations, since at 62^e floor, with a soaring view of the glittering concrete jungle. From the Vertigo restaurant and the Moon Bar, you flirt with the exhilarating sensation of having landed on the heliport, James Bond style. Reserving a table along the glass panels is essential if you want to enjoy the view of the meandering Chao Praya on one side and the brand-new Pixel Tower on the other, almost skimming it.

Opposite, almost next door, the Sofitel So offers another fine option with the Hi-So, which has a radically different, more intimate atmosphere. Located on the edge of Lumpini Park, this bar overlooks the park's foliage, with the skyline lit up in the distance. Part of the terrace is covered, while on the upper floor, the VIP area of the So Society restaurant preserves the discretion of business meetings. The service is impeccable and the cocktails deliciously original. It all adds up to a feeling of exclusivity that can also be found, in miniature, at the Hotel Muse, which dominates the long straight line of a street wedged between skyscrapers, reminiscent of New York and 5th Avenue. You can gaze at the swimming pools and tennis courts set against the surrounding rooftops, and enjoy people-watching from a low angle in a hushed, select setting.

Decibels and the rhythm of the river

For a more festive atmosphere, popular with Bangkok's golden youth who come to see and be seen, head for the Long Table, already a classic of its kind. Here you can dine at a huge table lined with sofas. The only downside of the place is that you have to leave it to admire the view from a terrace that is certainly pleasant, but largely underused. This is doubtless why Cloud 47, one of the city's newest addresses, is so popular these days. The decibels are high and you can sip rhythms as well as gin and tonics on a vast terrace filled with soft seats, making it the place to go for after contract signings. Wiser, but no less seductive, the Three-Sixty in the Hilton Millenium hotel is a bar suspended above the Chao Praya. And we love it. Because a river is beautiful at night.

Notepad

RED SKY BAR - HOTEL CENTARA GRAND999/99 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan - +66 2 100 1234 - Email : cgcw@chr.co.th - Internet: www.centarahotelsresorts.com/redsky/ VERTIGO RESTAURANT/MOON BAR - HOTEL BANYAN TREE21 /100 South Sathorn Road - Phone: +66 2 679 1200 - Email : bangkok@banyantree.com - Internet : www.banyantree.com SOFITEL SO2 North Sathorn Road, Bangrak - Tel : +66 2 624 0000 - Email : h6835@sofitel.com - Internet : sofitel-so-bangkok.com MUSE HOTEL55/555 Langsuan Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan - Tel :+66 2 630 4000 - Email :H7174-RE@accor.com - Internet: hotelmusebangkok.com LONG TABLE25th floor, 48 Column Bangkok, Sukhumviti Soi 12 - Tel: +66 2 302 2557-9 - Email : info@longtablebangkok.com - Internet: www.longtablebangkok.com CLOUD 47, 47th Floor, United Center Building (Office Zone), Silom - Tel : 091 889 9600 - Email : reservation@cloud47bangkok.com - Internet : cloud47bangkok.com THREE SIXTY - MILLENIUM HILTON123 Charoennakorn Road, Klongsan - Phone : +66 2 442 2000 - Email : bangkok.reservations@hilton.com - Internet: www3.hilton.com