| Banglamphu is full of tiny treasures;
little places that aren't on the usual backpacker
trail. One Friday evening, walking around
the vicinity of Khao San Road, I found myself
outside just such a place: Sripoom Espresso
Bar. I'd passed by there many a time, but
on this particular night I decided to give
it a go, and in I went. |
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| Once inside Sripoom, I got
the feeling that this place was something
special. The DJ was spinning some chilled
soul tracks, the mirror ball was casting
little lights on the walls, and I sat down
on one of the cube-shaped seats to soak
up the unique atmosphere of this tiny bar,
feeling glad to have taken a chance and
come here. |
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| One of the first things that struck me
about this place was the funky, artsy decor.
Vintage furniture, gorgeous lamps, mirrors,
and a huge monochrome photo mural all add
to the relaxed mood. |
| |
| After a couple of minutes, a bartender
brought me a menu. Coffee-lovers are more
than well catered for at Sripoom, with an
array of different ways to get your caffeine
fix, and there are also numerous alcoholic
drinks on offer, including various cocktails.
I ordered an iced mocha (65 baht), and sat
back to watch the hustle and bustle of the
street outside. |
| |
| The Nintendo "Wii Sports" screen, mounted
on the wall just to the side of the door,
looked like a lot of fun. Two friends were
playing ten-pin bowling on the in-house
games console, which features a number of
different games (20 baht per person per
game). |
| |
| My iced mocha arrived, and I had a chat
with Jean, one of the friendly staff. She
was really welcoming, and told me about
the weekly Monday-night specials at Sripoom.
Customers can play Wii Sports free of charge,
and it's also "iPod night", when you can
hook your iPod up to the sound system -
and grab your 15 minutes of superstar DJ
fame and a free drink. Sounds good to me!
There's also a room upstairs that's available
for private parties. |
| |
| After my deliciously icy coffee, I opted
for a Long Island Iced Tea (90 baht), which
was really good and came in a pleasingly
tall glass. It was fun to watch the young
Thais arriving to meet their friends for
a night out; Sripoom attracts quite a mix
of people, from university students to young
professionals, and some travellers too. |
| |
| Sripoom is the kind of place where you
could go for a couple of quiet drinks or
for a more lively evening. Tasty Thai food
is also available. The music, the friendly
Thai vibe, the great bar menu - this place
has it all. I'll definitely be going to
Sripoom again. |
| |
|
Open:
Monday - Sunday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Getting there:
Turn right at the police station end
of Khao San Road. With the temple on your
left, go past the left turn into Soi Rambuttri,
and Sripoom is just a little further on.
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| About the author: Liz Clayton |
|
Liz Clayton has been living in Thailand
for 2 and a half years. Her first year
was spent in Bangkok, last year she worked
in Prachinburi province near Isaan, and
now she is back in Bangkok for a few more
years.
She enjoys looking for new places - finding
the little hideaways which aren't on the
usual backpacker trail. Fortunately, she
is passing what she finds onto KhaoSanRoad.com
visitors.
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