There’s a proposal. The answer is ‘yes’. The happy couple kiss and the restaurant crackles with applause.
This is a weekly occurrence in this spectacular location, I’m told.
I’m dining at one of the world’s highest open-air restaurants – Sirocco in Bangkok.
Positioned at a height of 702ft (214m), this alfresco spread of white tablecloths, topiary and soft lighting crowns the State Tower skyscraper in the Thai metropolis.
Any challenges posed by Sirocco’s sky-high setting are smoothly worked around – when bad weather renders alfresco dining unfeasible, dinner service moves inside the skyscraper’s gold-domed rooftop. Diners who fear heights can be escorted down the restaurant’s glass-edged staircase to their seats. Particularly anxious patrons can bypass the open-air stairs altogether and access the dining area by elevator.
Ailbhe MacMahon tries a five-course tasting menu at Sirocco in Bangkok – one of the world’s highest open-air restaurants (pictured)
Positioned at a height of 702ft (214m), Sirocco crowns the city’s State Tower skyscraper, as seen here
The restaurant (above) is under the umbrella of Lebua, a hotel brand that runs two sister hotels within the building – ‘Lebua at State Tower’ and ‘Tower Club at Lebua’
Ailbhe enjoying the dizzying heights of Sirocco
State Tower was constructed in 2001, and the ribbon was cut for Sirocco two years later. The restaurant is under the umbrella of Lebua, a hotel brand that runs two sister hotels within the building – ‘Lebua at State Tower’ and ‘Tower Club at Lebua’. I’m staying at the latter, an elegant all-suite hotel that takes over floors 51 to 59.
Some come to Sirocco for the skyline views, others for its Hollywood cachet – it starred in the 2011 box-office hit The Hangover Part II. Its staircase features in the opening scene, in which Bradley Cooper’s character Phil delivers the line: ‘This time we really f***** up.’ A police helicopter hovers over the edge of the restaurant later in the movie.
For fans of the film, the Sky Bar at Sirocco – a tourist-heavy cocktail joint with an LED-illuminated bar that changes colours every 90 seconds – rustles up ‘Hangovertinis’. Priced at a steep THB1,500 (£33/$41), this sweet blend of vermouth, scotch and green apple was originally concocted for the production’s crew.
Dedicated cinephiles can even spend a night in the ‘Hangover Part II Suite’ on the 53rd floor, which hosted the film’s cast.
My two-bedroom Tower Club Suite is a few steps down the corridor. It’s enormous, with neoclassical balconies that frame a hypnotising panorama of Bangkok. I could spend hours watching the BTS Skytrain glide across the city and cruises chugging along the Chao Phraya River.
Sirocco features in the 2011 box-office hit The Hangover Part II. Its staircase, Ailbhe notes, is shown in the opening scene (above) in which Bradley Cooper’s character Phil delivers the line: ‘This time we really f***** up’
Ailbhe writes: ‘Any challenges posed by Sirocco’s sky-high setting are smoothly worked around – when bad weather renders alfresco dining unfeasible, dinner service moves inside the skyscraper’s gold-domed rooftop’
Above is the ‘Hangovertini’ which sells for a steep THB1,500 (£33/$41)
Other floors hold a vast outdoor pool, a gym and more Lebua-owned restaurants – two of which are two-Michelin-starred.
The hype for Sirocco begins once you enter the skyscraper’s copper-hued lift, another Hangover Part II filming location. ‘My ears just popped,’ the man next to me remarks on the ascent.
Hostesses in golden gowns serenely usher diners through the restaurant entrance on the 64th floor. Out in the open, the wind whips your hair into a frenzy.
I’m seated at a corner table, where I’m at eye level with a flock of birds that have nothing but empty sky beneath them. As the sun sets, a live band fills the air with jazz.
I wonder whether Sirocco’s Mediterranean fare can match the magic of the setting.
But I needn’t worry. Each dish in the five-course tasting menu by Chef Brian Rodriguez is a culinary home run.
It begins with a soft loaf of milk bread with knobs of chilli-infused butter. The star act comes next – a slab of kingfish drizzled with oyster emulsion and paired with an earthy apple-tarragon sorbet.
Hostesses in golden gowns serenely usher diners through the restaurant entrance on the 64th floor, says Ailbhe
Pictured left is Sirocco’s lobster on a bed of grilled courgette risotto. Pictured right – a rhubarb and almond mousse pudding
Ailbhe stays in an ‘enormous’ two-bedroom suite in the Tower Club at Lebua hotel (pictured)
Ailbhe remarks how she is glued to the ‘hypnotising panorama’ of Bangkok available from her room (above)
Describing the experience of staying in her lofty room, with its neoclassical balconies, Ailbhe writes: ‘I could spend hours watching the BTS Skytrain glide across the city and cruises chugging along the Chao Phraya River’
Pictured above is the swimming pool shared by guests of the Lebua hotels
‘Dedicated cinephiles can spend a night in the “Hangover Part II Suite” on the 53rd floor (above), which hosted the film’s cast,’ writes Ailbhe
‘Next, we’re going to Italy,’ Restaurant Manager Timo Muchenberger says as he guides me through the Mediterranean wine pairings, which span from a crisp Chardonnay from Sicily’s Planeta vineyard to a silky Albarino from Spain’s Familia Torres winery.
They marry beautifully with smoky scallops with creamy quinoa and truffle; turbot with fennel purée and rich ‘beurre blanc’ sauce; lobster on a bed of grilled courgette risotto. Dessert, a delicate rhubarb and almond pudding, keeps up the momentum.
It’s no wonder the Michelin Guide labels the fare as ‘outstanding’.
One more drink is had at the Sky Bar, where another patron tells me: ‘You’ve not been to Bangkok ’til you’ve been at Lebua.’ I’m beginning to see what they mean.
When my meal draws to an end, late-night Bangkok is lit up like a sparkling switchboard. Sirocco has secured a winning recipe – imaginative food mixed with infinity views and a pinch of Hollywood lore. A reservation here will elevate your experience of Bangkok.
TRAVEL FACTS
Ailbhe was hosted by Lebua Hotels and Resorts. Suites at Tower Club at Lebua are priced from THB9,100 (£139/$181) per night
Ailbhe was hosted by Lebua Hotels and Resorts. Suites at Tower Club at Lebua are priced from THB9,100 (£139/$181) per night.
A tasting menu at Sirocco is priced at THB6,100 (£139/$181) and a wine pairing is THB5,200 (£114/$141). Visit lebua.com/hotels/tower-club-at-lebua/ and lebua.com/restaurants/sirocco/.
PROS: The food is clever and artfully presented, the service is pin-sharp and the views are spellbinding. It’s a unique experience to have in Bangkok.
CONS: It is expensive, but you’re paying for the views as much as you are the excellent food and wine. More of an emphasis on locally sourced produce would be welcome.
RATING: *****
GETTING THERE
Sirocco is located in Bangkok’s Bang Rak neighbourhood, near the Chao Phraya River. The nearest Bangkok Skytrain stop is Saphan Taksin, a seven-minute walk away. Don Mueang International Airport is a 40-minute drive away.
Want to arrive at the restaurant in style? Then book a Blacklane chauffeur
Blacklane chauffeurs are extremely courteous, drive carefully and will transport you in a luxury car. The drivers, all trained at the Blacklane Chauffeur Academy, will always provide bottled water, Wi-Fi, and a multi-charger cable.
The ‘First Class’ service allows clients to travel in ‘true luxury’, with a fleet of vehicles including the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 or EVs such as the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
Chauffeurs will wait up to one hour to allow for delays, and clients can cancel their ride up to one hour before their booking time. Visit www.blacklane.com/en/chauffeur-service-bangkok.
