Sky on 20 is a solid, non-pretentious rooftop bar with great picture-taking opportunities in an easy-to-reach spot — and, since it opened two years ago this month, we’ve loved this spot for watching the sun set over Benjasiri Park over pizza and a bottle of wine.
All that’s changed now. The Asoke-area bar, perched on the 26th level above Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, has nabbed craft cocktail maker Fabio Brugnolaro. He’s made some pretty impressive strides since joining their team a month ago. Tasked with creating an entirely new drink menu, the mixologist — known for the tipples at the now-closed Vogue Lounge — went above and beyond, creating 36 new drink recipes in four weeks. And the ones we tried were pretty delicious.
The Bango (THB300) is so named because the fresh mango-flavored drink packs a surprising bang thanks to freshly ground black pepper. It’s a potent combo, sweetly viscous with bits of real mango offset by the spice of pepper. It features white rum, mango chutney, and lime juice with a slice of homemade dehydrated lime on top.
With Sunset (THB300), a drink Brugnolaro made famous at Vogue, it’s the rose syrup that sets it apart, added to a lineup of gin, lime, mangosteen, and egg white. It’s the first offering listed under the sweet and sour category and it lives up to that descriptor. The pretty presentation is finished with edible purple and white flowers — this one is a must for the girly girl in your gang who loves a selfie with a cute boozer. (Budgeting Tip: this is one of four cocktails featured for THB200 during happy hour, daily from 5-7pm).
You can think of Robin (THB350) as a Negroni reimagined for a delicate palate. Designed to have a similar profile to the classic cocktail but be easier drinking, it still has the kick of the original but is slightly sweeter and less bitter with the addition of raspberry cordial to the traditional Campari, vermouth and gin (foam, in this case) ingredient list.
Some of the staff are partial to Mallow’s (THB400), a pretty pink option with a flower and two mini marshmallows pierced on a twig emerging from the glass. It’s surprising how refreshing this one is — the vodka, lime, raspberry, cucumber, and mint mixture tastes light and right. The best of tasters will be able to pick out a slightly herbal flavor underneath it all — that’s homemade chamomile bitters.
To match their sexy new drink menu, they’ve also stepped up their food options. It’s still a bar snack-focused spot rather than a full-on dinner venue, and the tasty pizzas and free popcorn are still there, but they’ve got some attractive new additions.
The Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs (THB320) are substantial if you’re planning on an extended drinking session, but it’s two others that we really loved. The Fried Zucchini with Hummus (THB250) eschews the assumed chips or pita for slices of freshly battered and fried squash, a combination we’d never considered but wholly approved of.
There’s also their streamlined take on a cheese plate, Gouda Cube Cheese with Mustard and Pepper (THB300) — an oblong dish stacked high with cubes of a perfect gouda cheese. On the side are piles of freshly ground pepper and very strong whole grain mustard meant for dredging the cheese cubes through. It sounds simple but tastes amazing. One thing that made this appealing was that, when you order a cheese plate, there inevitably seems to be one of two varieties that no one likes, one abhorrent jam, or some stale crackers that are left behind. With this, it’s just one thing done well. Not a cube remained at the end.
We liked this drinks spot before, but now, we love it. Heck, we’d go back just for that dish of cheese.
FIND IT:
Sky on 20
19/9 Sukhumvit Soi 20, 26th floor
Open daily, 5pm-1am
BTS Asoke
Reader Interactions