Bombay Blues rooftop Indian restaurant in Bangkok

Indian Rooftop restaurant Bangkok – old-world alfresco dining near Khaosan Rd.

Once upon a time Bangkok restaurants and bars were created on rooftops to make use of natural air-conditioning and provide unique atmospheres (including gardens and versions of Thai salas) while rising above street noises and escaping tuk-tuk fumes. Today, rising up from street level has taken on a new shape. Many, if not most, of the acclaimed top 10 best restaurants in Bangkok are not on two or three-story wooden rooftops with teak terraces oozing charm, but sleek lounge bars, clubs and contemporary venues for gourmet cuisine in five-star dining rooms on the 25^th to 83^rd floors of luxury skyscrapers. These restaurants with lounges and high-rises provide stunning views of the Chao Phraya river and panoramas of the metropolitan cityscape, however as sky-high dining becomes the trend, the old-style wooden rooftop restaurants become rare, making them a treasured find for travelers who stumble upon them by accident. It needn’t be by accident. It doesn’t matter if you’re staying at the Millennium Hilton or a budget hostel on Khaosan, the red, red Bombay Blues Indian restaurant in Bangkok is a place worthy of a visit. The ambiance is eccentric and the food exquisite. Eating in Bangkok should be done slowly and at Bombay Blues there’s no rush. Arrive at 3pm and stay till 1am playing games, sipping cocktails or stretching out on pillows trying fruity sheesha flavours.

Top rooftop bars near Bombay Blues on Khaosan

Although Bombay Blues isn’t one of the chic Bangkok rooftop bars, it has a couple “friends”, which critics have deemed worthy of being amongst the best, despite being near Khaosan Road. The two places are: The Gazebo Club – a funky Moroccan inspired jazz club, and AB Bar (Level 2, 44 Roof Top, Thanon Chakrabongse, right below Gazebo), a cozy space with sheesha, soft red lighting, lounge chairs and a laidback atmosphere for jazz and live Thai music. Gazebo and AB Bar are great places to go after dinner at Bombay Blues. They’re similarly easygoing and just a 3 minute walk away. You don’t even need a map of Bangkok or a tuk-tuk. Exit Bombay Blues on Thanon Rambuttri and walk southeast about 100m, then turn right onto Thanon Khao San (Khaosan Road). Walk 100m along Khaosan to the end where it meets Thanon Chakrabongse and turn left. Walk about a block, almost to where Thanon Chao Fa begins. On the left, look up, and you’ll see a long narrow red sign that says Gazebo Club, and a white billboard with a lightening bolt that says the same thing.

Finding the best restaurants in Bangkok

Of the several thousand Bangkok restaurants, finding the “best” is not just a matter of personal taste but about location, ambiance and the food itself. BKK has Chinese, Japanese, French and a surprising variety of Italian choices. Amongst the best restaurants in Bangkok are places like Napa on 26 for international dishes; Opus Wine Bar with Italian favorites; Seven Spoons Bar & Restaurant in Chinatown with vegetarian food (in an avant-garde wooden venue); The Rain Tree Café for sushi and La Table de Tee for Thai and fusion. But an Indian restaurant in Bangkok that has good food, good location and an inspiring ambiance isn’t easy to find. At last count there were about sixty Indian restaurants, some renowned for their food like the award winning Bawarchi Indian Restaurant (but the ambiance is neither romantic nor relaxing and the décor is gaudy with stark lighting), others with excellent locations like the two India Gate BKK Restaurants situated in Sukhumvit and on Petchburi Road, but few are renowned for ambiance. Bombay Blues has two ingredients for being one of the best Indian restaurants in Bangkok (and perhaps one of the only remaining wooden roof top restaurants in Bangkok with authentic Indian food), but it’s bound to remain a secret because it’s at the end of an ordinary street near what is referred to as the “backpacker ghetto”. So although it’s a gem, it’ll be a place whispered from traveler to traveler and enjoyed by those who relish venturing into grittier areas of the city.

The rooftop restaurant Bangkok offers in the sky

Bombay Blues Indian Restaurant is about leisurely eating in Bangkok while stretched out or cuddled up with pillows and about mouthwatering masala, tikka and biryani; yes, about good food and relaxation. But it’s NOT one of the top10 skyscraper lounge bars or rooftop restaurants in Bangkok and it never will be. For the “top” rooftop restaurant Bangkok has in the sky you’ll need to go to the 83^rd floor of the Baiyoke Sky Hotel (in the Pratunam district) and dress appropriate to sip cocktails from the revolving deck. Sky Bar on the 63^rd floor of the 5 star Lebua at State Tower offers impressive views of the Chao Phraya riverside. Then there’s Vertigo & Moon Bar on the 61^st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel Sathorn with jazz, champagne and cityscapes. Next is Red Sky on the 55^th floor of the Centara Grand at CentralWorld Siam, which has a martini bar, gourmet cuisine and live jazz. The glass-enclosed Three Sixty jazz lounge on the 32^nd floor of the Millennium Hilton Bangkok is so named for the 360° panoramic vistas. Long Table restaurant & bar on the 25^th floor of the Column Tower in Sukhumvit has a single ultra-long table facing glass windows with sky views. Getting lower to the ground is the Rib Room & Bar on the 31^st floor of the Landmark Hotel in Sukhumvit that serves up steaks, red wine, and rhythm & blues with views. The last two places are rated higher for food and drinks than the ones higher up, with Bangkok Bluesky rooftop bar and restaurant on the 24^th floor of the Sofitel Centara Grand Hotel in Chatuchak being many critic’s favorite for French cuisine. There’s a romantic bosa nova ambiance at Balco rooftop bar and lounge atop the River City Shopping Complex, albeit the lowest to the ground, with exquisite views and a variety of international cocktails.

Getting around is a challenge especially when searching for small places like Bombay Blues Indian restaurant. Sambawalker provides mobile apps and a printed map of Bangkok with clearly marked places for partying, romancing and relaxing… even little ones on an old Bangkok rooftop near Khaosan.