The World’s 50 Best Bars – No. 19 to be found in Bangkok: Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar (7. January 2023)

The Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar is among The World’s 50 Best Bars, and I was curious to experience what it has to offer. And frankly, it is not in a place you’d just walk in since it’s located on the second floor of a restaurant (which is rated quite well as well), but it is worth booking a table in advance, since they are rather busy every day, as it seems. And they definitely offer a few interesting cocktail concepts, like the ‘nose to tail cocktails’, where they basically claim to use every single bit of a specific vegetable or animal in their drink.

So, it was time to try that, and I had gone for the “Duck (Duck Fat Scotch, tequila, brandy, sweet vermouth, duck blood hoisin liqueur, lychee, duck egg, honey, duck egg spices merinque, passion fruit gel)” (460 THB), which only looked semi-appealing to be honest, but actually turned out to be quite delicious really. Definitely a different take on cocktails than most of the things I’ve tried in the past.

Secondly, I had to try their signature cocktail with which they won the “Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition” in 2019 – the “Pink Me Up (Bacardi Carta Blanca, fresh tomato, fresh Thai sweet basil, orgeat syrup, fresh lemon juice, olive brine)” (460 THB) and I must admit that this cocktail is actually superbly enjoyable. Frankly, I get why they would get an awarded for that!

Then, they had their specials of the month, and here I decided to go for the “Issan Lady (Issan Rum, lemongrass, honey & Jasmine, cordial, dry vermouth)” (460 THB), which was another quite enjoyable cocktail. The little flowers on top of the ice cube were not a necessity in my opinion, as it didn’t really add to the drink in terms of flavour, but it still made for a tasty cocktail.

Last but not least, I went for the bartenders favourite cocktail, the “Grasshopper (white cacao liqueur, green mint liqueur, cream)” (400 THB), which she had only told me once I had ordered it. A personal recommendation is always nice to get, so I would encourage her to provide this recommendation upfront :) The cocktail was actually quite nice – not your everyday cocktail, but definitely of an interesting combination of flavours.

Given there were quite a few cocktails involved, I had ordered some small bites like the “grilled duck heart” (130 THB) and the “fried fish sauce cured pork belly” (280 THB) and while both were somewhat good, both dishes had an intensity, which is not easy to stomach. At least not to me, so, if you are looking for something light to pair with your cocktails, then I would, not something I usually say, recommend you to go for something, which is a bit more common to enjoy.

What was quite lucky was to be seated right in front of the bartender that night, and to watch her prepare all the cocktails with a stoical calmness and yet professionalism, which is hard to find. You could see, she is passionate about what she does, and that is really just something amazing to see.

Last but not least, the place is actually quite lovely in terms of interior design, but also rather small, so, I would highly recommend you to either come early, or to book a table in advance.

All in all, I absolutely loved the Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar – great place, lovely drinks, and superbly friendly staff. So, if you are looking for a bunch of great cocktails, then you should definitely visit this place!

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Contact Details:

Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar

2nd floor

104 Maha Set Rd

Si Phraya, Bang Rak

10500 Bangkok (TH)

Tel.: +66 61 664 6588

Homepage: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076463540818

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.