5 hidden nightlife gems of Khao San Road

Khao San Road is many a farang’s first taste of Bangkok’s nuttiness. But while smashing buckets and eating fried scorpions is thrilling the first few times, these activities can grow tiresome. Some denigrate the neighborhood, saying that it’s all hustlers and smelly backpackers, but well informed Bangkok nightlife experts know that there is another element to the area… one of charming and underrated spots in which to let loose.

Ladies and gentleman, these are the 5 hidden nightlife gems of Bangkok’s famous Khao San Road, as presented by Singha Beer!

1. Madame Musur

Madame Musur is the perfect place for a northern Thai night out. The bar satisfies with tasty pairing of Lanna cuisine and cocktails with a local twist.

Whether it be sai oua, northern Thai sausages made of pork and herbs, washed down with a Thai rum-based mojito, or a set of nam prik noom, Thai green chili paste served with vegetables, paired with the famous Madame Musur cocktail of Chiang Mai spirits and juices, this spot delivers awesome flavor combos.

Wooden chairs, bamboo walls and roofs, paper lanterns, day beds in Lanna-style covers and northern artwork will make you feel as if you are in Chiang Mai’s trendy Nimmanhaemin neighborhood.

Find it:
Madame Musur
41 Soi Rambutri, Chana Songkram, Phra Nakorn
02-218-4238

2. Barlumphu

Barlumphu definitely offers the best live blues in the neighborhood, some say in all of Bangkok. Music lovers flock to the bar early for dinner and hang around as long as the tunes last. The blues go until around 8pm and then classic rock takes over.

Barlumphu serves Thai food classics, from tom yum goong to pad thai, which you can enjoy outdoors whilst watching the masses flood by on Rambuttri Road.

Find it:
Barlumphu
2 Rambuttri Road, Chana Songkram, Phra Nakorn
02-629-2579

3. Newlight

Further down Rambuttri Road sits Newlight Thai Tapas Bar, which occupies a beautiful vintage Thai house that stands out from other buildings in the area. You can choose a table at the front lawn or one inside the house for more privacy and to escape the crowds.

At Newlight Thai Tapas Bar, you can enjoy tasty central Thai and Isaan cuisine served in light tapas style, as well as some warm-up drinks before a long night ahead.

You can be sure the food is prepared here with care and quality ingredients as the bar is operated by reputable restaurant chain See Fah. Kor mu yang or grilled juicy pork neck served with spicy sauce is their most popular dish.

Find it:
Newlight Thai Tapas Bar
Rambuttri Road, Chana Songkram, Phra Nakorn

4. Hippie de Bar

Step back in time to the ’70s at Hippie de Bar, which celebrates all things retro in a secret alley beer garden off Khao San Road. Live music is not the draw here – it’s the constant steam of radio hits from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Despite or perhaps because of being hard to find, Hippie de Bar is super popular with the local Thai creative and alternative crowd.

The bar consists of a garden, where you can chill out and watch live football matches with friends and a 2-story wooden house with a pool table.

Hippie de Bar serves a bunch of gaab glam (Thai drinking food, most of it fried) to go along beer and cocktails. The top dish that you’ll probably see on every table is  the crispy seafood spring roll, which is made in a mini size to ensure crunchiness and is served with burning wasabi dip.

Find it:
Hippie de Bar
46 Khao San Road
02-629-3508

5. The Club

OK, you got us. This isn’t really a “hidden gem” with its massive sign and location smack dab in the middle of Khao San. But over the years, The Club has become an integral part of any night on Khao San. This is where you end up getting wild until the sun comes up.

This late-night destination features a huge dance floor and an elevated DJ booth on where you can show off some slick moves for extra lad points. Throughout the night, you will be kept moving and excited by in-house CO2 canons’ smoke special effect, avant-garde lighting and a gargantuan sound system.

The Club has an army of resident DJs and invites guest DJs from around Asia to come spin on an occasional basis. What you will love most about The Club is the crowd, which is a mix of locals and tourists and always youthful, crazy, and active. People are here just get free and have fun, so expect crowd surfing and dancing on tables.

Find it:
The Club
123 Khaosan Road, Talat Yot
02-629-2255