Akara Sky Hanuman Bangkok

The view is the reason to come, and it's a big one: floors 58 to 61 of One City Centre on Phloenchit Road, right over the central business district. Because the venue spreads across four levels rather than one terrace, an evening here can shift as you go, quieter bar corners on one floor, more open, louder social space on another. My advice is to wander before you commit to a seat. People plant themselves at the first table they're shown and never see the rest of it.

The crowd skews polished, a mix of Bangkok office types and travellers, though it doesn't feel stiff. Sunset is the obvious hour and the busiest, so if you'd rather not queue for a rail spot, come later when the city is fully lit and the first wave has moved on. Daytime is a different proposition entirely, with doors open from 11am, and the view without the crowd has its own appeal.