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Vertigo & Moon Bar - Banyan Tree Bangkok
Although there have been attempts to imitate it, nothing beats the exhilaration provided by eating and drinking 61 floors above Mother Earth at Vertigo & Moon Bar at the Banyan Tree Bangkok.
The adventure begins in an express elevator that races to the 59th floor; where a short flight of stairs leads to the summit and the open air containing Bangkok’s first rooftop bar and restaurant.
The hotel’s entire roof is covered with a tri-level wooden platform containing the Moon Bar and Vertigo. The bar occupies the highest of the platforms and is a rectangular affair with stools on two sides and seating all around. Restaurant tables with white table cloths and candles housed in containers to keep them from blowing out occupy the remaining two platforms, one of which is often used for private parties and promotions.
Although the atmosphere is compact and convivial, Moon Bar is a capital place for a romantic tête-à-tête or a pre-dinner drink. There is an extensive drinks menu containing cocktails, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages. I had a 370 baht ‘Presidential Martini’, a tasty affair made in the classic style. My companion enjoyed a ‘Nam Som Kan’, a similarly priced promotional drink made with Belvedere Vodka, orange, mandarin orange and a sprig of mint. After a few sips her nervousness changed to giggles and she was soon identifying landmark buildings in the panorama spread before her.
A snack menu is available for those who only plan to drink and snack. But we passed on it because, like many people, we were using Moon Bar for a pre‑dinner cocktail before moving to our reserved table at Vertigo. To aid those who want to enjoy an early drink, Moon Bar opens at 17:30, an hour before Vertigo starts its operations for the evening. The bar, by the way, closes at 01:00 and the restaurant a couple of hours earlier.
Vertigo ’s menu is built primarily around steaks and other items from the grill. I started our evening’s dining with a delicious variation on a traditional caprese salad: an 850 baht Salad of fresh Garofallo Mozzarella, tomato, aged balsamic and roasted pine nuts. My companion enjoyed a refreshing Pan seared scallop, Thai style green mango salad with crisp lotus roots for 900 baht that had a close enough connection with Thai food to keep her smiling.
We then moved on to the main course. My companion, a seafood lover, revelled over her Roasted wild salmon fillet, ed asparagus, dill cream and Avruga caviar. This was her first experience with wild salmon and she felt it was superior to the farmed variety. She would, however, have preferred real caviar to the herring based Avruga substitute. The steaks at Vertigo are from Australia and this signals good quality. I had a medium rare 250 gm Grain fed tenderloin that was perfectly cooked and served with bone marrow, ed sweet cherry tomato and sautéed mushrooms. I passed on the numerous sauces on offer so I could simply enjoy the great piece of beef. For a side dish I had a delightful Mushroom risotto for 250 baht.
The wine list is impressive at Vertigo and after much discussion on how to have something that would match both the salmon and the beef, we decided on an Australian 2008 Shiraz Cabernet ‘Diamond Cellars’ from Rosemount for 2700 baht. Perhaps a bit heavy for the salmon, it was a perfect match for my steak.
We decided to pass on dessert, but lingered at the table while enjoying the view and an excellent glass of Taylor’s Ruby Port.
In spite of the challenges and competition, Vertigo & Moon Grill has become an icon on Bangkok’s drinking and dining scene. This venue started the city’s rooftop dining craze, but its quality, atmosphere and fabulous sunsets have enabled it to endure and prosper.
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