Header: Panoramic Studio
Known as Krung Thep in Thai, Bangkok has seen a great many people who mostly describe it as vibrant, colourful, smoky, and loud. The adjective “exciting” is also used in almost every description due to the bustling energy of the temples, shops, clubs, and restaurants that make up Thailand‘s rich capital.
With so much constantly happening in Bangkok, it can be hard to decide where to eat, which hotel to stay in, and where the best mixologists can be found. However, some restaurants stand out due to their curated and often unique interior design.
Known for recognising the best hospitality designs worldwide, the LIV Awards have shared the best restaurants in Bangkok where food and experience are perfectly mixed together through interior design. Customers come in and are hit with an awe-like feeling unlike anything they’ve seen before, even in the streets of Thailand’s capital.
Guilty Restaurant
From South American-inspired food to teasing cocktails, GUILTY tries to set itself as the upscale spot for the many hedonists that visit Bangkok. Located in the city’s Ratchadamri district, the restaurant lies within the luxurious Anantara Siam hotel, from Minor Hotels, who made sure the restaurant’s design was nothing short of perfect.
The decision was that GUILTY would be a space where bold geometry meets earthy green and amber tones, bringing about a Richard Artschwager/pop art kind of vibe.
Right at the entrance, a resin cast feature light hovers over the guests, greeting them as they enter the artistic restaurant and reminding them of what art can be. This light fixture acts as an abstract art piece on its own, giving customers the feeling that everything about the restaurant is art: the aesthetic, the lights, and the food.
The interior design is complemented by a curated collection of masterpieces from local artists, including Melanies Greis, Nakrob Moonmanus, Kitikong Tilokwattanotai, and Phannapast “Yoon” Taychamaythakool. Loyal to the artistic aesthetic of the design, the restaurant welcomes patrons and artists, introducing them to hotel clients while also opening up the sometimes hidden art world.
LOST & FOUND
As per the LIV Awards’ description, “LOST & FOUND promises fabulous food and drink, boundary-pushing entertainment, and a one-of-a-kind experience for everyone”, which we feel perfectly bundles up the restaurant’s many attributes.
Part of the Avani+ Riverside Bangkok hotel, the LOST & FOUND is a bunker-like restaurant where guests are invited to enjoy a drink or plate while admiring performances given by some of Bangkok’s unique shows and performers. The design was completed by the studio Ashley Sutton Design, and with Ashley Sutton herself as lead designer, it couldn’t be more in sync with Bangkok’s energy.
The restaurant offers more than just shows of singers and drag artists; it actually created a fictional backstory brought to life by its very own cast of actors. Clients can get immersed in both the food and drinks and in the story of the restaurant: it’s here that the curated interior design comes into play.
The space looks similar to a bunker in shape, with the walls adorned with geometric patterns highlighted by piston-moving ceiling lights. In the middle of the restaurant, a long table dominates the space, connecting one side of the restaurant to the other. This thoughtful choice made it possible for the customers to connect with one another and see the story of the restaurant unfold before their eyes.
The performers, in the fashion of the city’s dynamic nature, often dance atop the table, engaging with the customers and truly giving them a show they’ll never be able to forget. The restaurant tries to adapt to its community of “magnificent misfits“, adopting a sort of luxurious yet decadent energy that sets it apart as the extravagant go-to spot for people who want to leave society’s boundaries behind for a little while.
Kilik Social Club
The Kilik Social Club is a bar that transports clients into an enchanted realm where nature is more magical than normal and myths become true.
The name of the bar, Kilik, is a word in Tagalog, one of the main languages from the Philippines, that means “to have butterflies in your belly“. This unique feeling can be felt when one sees their crush or when excitement is felt, a magical emotion on its own.
The design takes a bit from this, adding even more from the realm of mysticism. The studio responsible for the project, Gratitude Design, with Warakorn Termwattanapakdee as lead designer, managed to create an enchanted forest indoors. Filled with mythical creatures from Scandinavian folklore, the bar truly is a place where dreams and fantasies can come true, at least for one night.
Gratitude Design combined Western and Asian design together, taking only the best parts from all and creating a unique design style. This international twist made the design quite unique, which allowed for the vision of an enchanted forest to have a place in our reality.
Each area of the space has its own theme, all within the wider concept of a magical kingdom somewhere out there. The main entrance acts like a compass where clients are shown the way into the forest. The studio decided to use marble flooring and cover the walls with wooden panels, a design that resembles a dark passage that finishes in a world of light and magic.
The bar is meant to be the fortress of this world, with the drinks and arches resembling the walls. Plants, roots, and wood complement the design, further conveying this vision of an old wall protecting the kingdom and its people. Above the bar, a sculpture-like fabric can be seen. It resembles a warm cloud or even a part of the clothes of the mystical creatures that live in that world.
It’s in the seating area that we find the enchanted forest. Enormous paintings cover the walls, creating a sense of depth and mystery. What lies beyond? Chairs in different colours are placed throughout the space, giving the idea of portraying the many flowers that cover a forest’s floor. The tables have stone-like tops, further enveloping clients in the mystique of the enchanted forest.
The private room, located on the second floor, serves as the kingdom’s castle. This is an intimate and warm space that has a wide view into what goes on below, giving clients the sense of ruling this enchanted world.
The finishing touches of this restaurant are the waiters and bartenders. The restaurant decided to bring “hulders“, seductive forest creatures from Scandinavian folklore, into the design, which are portrayed by the waiters. These creatures are known to be kind to huntsmen, protecting them while they sleep in exchange for gifts. The huntsmen, portrayed by the bartenders, give clients what they ask for, giving them the sense of being as magical as the other mystical creatures of the forest.
