WTF stands for Wonderful Thai Friendship, the Sukhumvit Soi 51 cocktail-bar-and-gallery that has been one of Bangkok's most quietly excellent rooms since 2011. Two floors: a ground-floor cocktail bar, a first-floor contemporary art gallery with a Thai-artists rotation.
The bar itself seats around forty across a long counter and a few small tables. The cocktail programme leans Asia-via-Europe — Thai herbs and fruits worked into classical builds, with a strong house bitters programme (six in-house bitters at any given time). The signature WTF Martini — local gin, a half-spoon of dry vermouth, kaffir lime twist — is the bar's house drink and a good introduction to the kitchen's approach.
The gallery upstairs hosts six-week shows of contemporary Thai artists and the opening nights pull a mixed crowd (artists, collectors, regulars) that spills back into the bar. The art is genuinely good — many of the artists go on to gallery representation. Free entry; tip the gallery staff if you buy something.
WTF is the right destination when you want serious cocktails in a setting that takes the local cultural scene seriously. Walk-ins are welcome; reservations help on Friday nights. Two drinks and a walk around the gallery is the correct ninety-minute commitment. The crowd is local creatives and the kind of visitor who has been told to come by a friend.
Best time to visit: Weekday evenings before 9pm for a quieter version of the room; weekends after 9pm for the busier one. Reservations recommended where the bar accepts them.
What to order
- 01
WTF House Martini
- 02
Tom Yum Sour
- 03
Lychee Negroni
- 04
Pandan Old Fashioned
- 05
Mekong Daiquiri