Lebua No. 3 – World’s Tallest Gin, Caviar, and Vodka Bar

The Lebua at State Tower is already well known for its dazzling sky-high bars and restaurants. Some of Bangkok’s top standout places to drink and eat are located here, hundreds of meters above the cityscape and Chao Phraya River.

Mezzaluna, winner of two Michelin stars, featuring fine French dining prepared by a Japanese chef, is here, as is the Sky Bar, whose “Hangovertini” (made with green tea liquor, Martini Rosso, green apple juice and rosemary-infused honey) became Bangkok’s most talked about cocktail after it became the drink of choice of the cast filming Hangover II at the venue, using the high-rise bar as one of its settings. Now, the Lebua family welcomes “Lebua No. 3”, officially the world’s highest gin, caviar, and vodka bar, with some exclusive drinks to go with its superlative views.

Credit: Lebua

Located on the 52nd floor of the luxurious Tower Club at Lebua side of the hotel, Lebua No. 3 exudes elegance, combining three separate circular bars that each are responsible for the extravagant gin, vodka, and caviar that are being featured here. Bathed in soft blue glow with soft mood lighting on each circular bar, the city lights below get accented here, as there are jaw-dropping views on every side, an added bonus along of course with the stellar drinks and party atmosphere.

Credit: Lebua

One enters the bar here via a spiral staircase that leads into a marble-tiled entryway, where the letters Lebua No. 3 light up over the floor, surrounded by rather surreal haloed blue light. Further in, you get the first of the circular bars, this one serving up vodka and set inside under a roof, with glossy black finish highlighting the bar and its prime position opposite the DJ zone and playstation. From here, you walk out onto the li-tup dance floor, with the caviar bar on one side of you and the gin bar just ahead.

Credit: Dave Stamboulis

On the other side is a walkway leading up to an observation skywalk, which looks out at the bar on one side and the elegant Ocean 52 restaurant on the other. The city views from up here are just staggering, going from the Chao Phraya all the way across all of Bangkok, a sea of neon glowing on all sides.

Credit: Dave Stamboulis

Back at the bar, many of the drinks here are made with the amazing premium Sipsmith London Dry Gin, which is featured in cocktail standouts like the “Glamour”, showcasing Sipsmith, Champagne Perrier Jouët, raspberry shrub, yuzu juice, and caviar air combined into one wild drink, or the “Negroni No. 3”, one of the most outstanding versions of this unique drink you’ll ever have, using Mancino Rosso, Mancino Chinato, Campari, and a green tea ice sphere to go with the gin.

Absolut vodka has also gotten into the action at Lebua No. 3, creating “Absolut Elyx”, a vodka that is manually distilled in a copper still, and available in Thailand only at the Lebua. Try a “Daniel Craig”, made with Plymouth gin, Mancino Bianco, absinthe, and Absolut Elyx, or a “Starry Night in Thailand”, concocted with Absolut Elyx, Capucana cachaca, yuzu, ginger, and charcoal.

Credit: Lebua

While caviar isn’t really my forte, a visit to Lebua No. 3 has changed all of that. The bar here has partnered up with the Caviar House of Bangkok to create a “caviar goes casual” scene, where Lebua No. 3 aims for an “affordable luxury for all” concept. Here, you get a serving of this superb local caviar plated on a Himalayan-salt spoon, which gets paired with a shot of vodka.

I never knew this, but evidently the best way to sample caviar is to rub some onto the upper side of your hand, allowing the caviar to mix with your sweat which enhances the taste of the roe. My partner and I tried this out and were wildly impressed, and the caviar went down neither too fishy nor too salty. While traditional lovers of caviar suggest eating it right off a metal spoon, this was even one step better. And better yet, the pairing of the caviar with vodka was absolutely perfect (or should I say Absolut perfect!). I’m also not a fan of straight vodka shots, but here the vodka when drunk right after a mouthful of caviar, went down smooth and sweet, far more like a mellow wine than a shot of hard liquor.

Credit: Dave Stamboulis

If you’re in the mood to party here, Lebua No. 3 exceeds on all fronts. Between the bars there is a digital retina display dance floor, which alternates between flower patterns, changing mood lighting and different colors, and a high-performance sound system that will keep the sounds of an international music play list going throughout the night. Tunes are spun by Ukrainian producer and DJ Taly Shum, who started her career as a dancer, and has since moved into the club world as a prominent international DJ, and is currently in-residence full time at Lebua.

It’s the perfect venue to party, unwind and see Bangkok at its most dazzling. Not surprisingly, the Lebua opened the bar back in December with a week of stunning parties, inviting all the Miss Universe contestants in for a night of photo-shooting out on the terrace, plus plenty of Thai celebrities, models, and a whole slew of the bespoke and be-seen crowd. Now mere mortals are the partygoers, but this remains the one best spot for that special date, celebration, or just one darn good venue to hang out with friends. Just don’t forget your camera; the dizzying shots that you’ll get from up here are not just the result of the drinks.

Lebua No. 3
Lebua State Tower, 52nd Floor
1055 Silom, Bangrak
Tel. 02 624 9555
www.lebua.com/lebuaNo3