Thread: Marmite's Guide to British Style Pubs in Bangkok

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Just made an update to Soi 8 Bar...

** Update 25/01/11
I visited the Soi 8 Pub last week and the Midget and I both had an early lunch there. It was terrible. I had a lamb pie that tasted like it had been deep-fried and it was only served with chips; no salad or veges. The Midget's Thai style salad was also poor and suffered from whoever prepared it being too lazy to cut the onion up properly. Out of 3 waitresses there, only one didn't look like she wanted to strap a bomb-belt to her waist and take the 5 customer to Hades with her. That's the last time I'll be going there.

The place has morphed into a terrible joke. Nut the joke is on the unsuspecting customer. I will never go there again. The little bar next door, opposite the 7/11 has more atmosphere in their toilet than the Soi 8 bar has in their whole place.

Originally Posted by somtamslap

Only pub I've been to on the initial list is Chequers..and a fair few times..

Quite possibly we have crossed paths before in normal life then Slapper.

Have hardly stepped foot in the place since Mark (Woody) sold the bar and I didn't go there because he owned the boozer.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

Quite possibly we have crossed paths before in normal life then Slapper. Have hardly stepped foot in the place since Mark (Woody) sold the bar and I didn't go there because he owned the boozer.

Didn't know it had changed hands, the last time I was in there was a good few years back and Peter was mainly working the place.

Soi 8 is OK for breakfast, but that's about it.

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Just made an update to Soi 8 Bar...

** Update 25/01/11
I visited the Soi 8 Pub last week and the Midget and I both had an early lunch there. It was terrible. I had a lamb pie that tasted like it had been deep-fried and it was only served with chips; no salad or veges. The Midget's Thai style salad was also poor and suffered from whoever prepared it being too lazy to cut the onion up properly. Out of 3 waitresses there, only one didn't look like she wanted to strap a bomb-belt to her waist and take the 5 customer to Hades with her. That's the last time I'll be going there.

Thanks for the update. Det 5 on the same soi is still a decent boozer, at least it was last time I was there. Soi 8 Pub used to be a good place to duck into while on the way up to Sukhumvit main road - not any more though!

Went to Witches a few weeks back. Ordered a pint of Guinness which arrived in 30 seconds and was the worst pour of a pint I've ever seen. Over the course of the next 3-4 pints we tried to get them to pour it correctly...they couldn't. The service got worse and worse until one of the waitresses rolled her eyes at us and walked away when we told her the beer wasn't poured properly.

Paid a PREMIUM price for that service and will never go back.

Which Witch's was that? Oyster Bar or Tavern?

I remember the old Bobby's arms above the car park, first pub I ever went to in Bangkok, that was 1997. A proper bar it was too, better than the overpriced plastic paddy and suchlike places that infest BKK now. Pity it lost it's way.
Jools is still a cracking little boozer, good crowd of regulars, nice place.

Originally Posted by MeMock

Smiley window?

Where, I just realiesed the only thingys i can see are the 'post icons' no smileys anywhere.

Hi Memock, I just saw your review on Jameson's in Silom, could I ask when you last came to the bar. I have been managing the bar since September 2010, and have changed the menu extensively(including portion sizes) and have spent a great deal of time with the staff in terms of service.

Please inbox me, maybe we could arrange another visit, and perhaps an updated review?

I would also be willing to offer teakdoor members a discount on food purchases at the bar!

I went to Jameson's a couple of weeks ago, and for me it's too far out the way to ever be a really successful Silom pub, unless it was truly exceptional and well worth the journey.

If you value some constructive criticism, for me the main problems are:

- Location (not much you can do about this, admittedly!)
- Beer - I had draft Heineken which was quite poor. It seems like the beer isn't kept very well
- Smoking allowed (seemingly) everywhere inside the pub.

On the positive side, food was decent and the decor, atmosphere of the place is quite nice.

Originally Posted by dantilley

- Smoking allowed (seemingly) everywhere inside the pub.

The pubs on Sukhumvit seem to follow the law, the pubs around Silom don't.

Easy to decide where to go out then....

Originally Posted by dantilley

I went to Jameson's a couple of weeks ago

Originally Posted by dantilley

Smoking allowed (seemingly) everywhere inside the pub.

There is no smoking at all inside. You must have been in the wrong bar.

Originally Posted by dantilley

I went to Jameson's a couple of weeks ago, and for me it's too far out the way to ever be a really successful Silom pub, unless it was truly exceptional and well worth the journey.

If you value some constructive criticism, for me the main problems are:

- Location (not much you can do about this, admittedly!)
- Beer - I had draft Heineken which was quite poor. It seems like the beer isn't kept very well
- Smoking allowed (seemingly) everywhere inside the pub.

On the positive side, food was decent and the decor, atmosphere of the place is quite nice.

Must be the wrong place.... We NEVER allow smoking inside the pub, and never will do. I would also say that our Heineken is used within a day or two of delivery and is Ice cold.

Originally Posted by Bobcock

Originally Posted by dantilley

- Smoking allowed (seemingly) everywhere inside the pub.

The pubs on Sukhumvit seem to follow the law, the pubs around Silom don't.

Easy to decide where to go out then....

again, we don't allow smoking inside. The bar is very open plan as well. We have free parking in the Holiday inn and are a 2 minute walk from Surasak BTS

^I might see you if you are in there later tonight. I will formally introduce myself.

I know the bar, could you clarigfied the smoking issue because I'm high unlikely to frequent bars where people are smoking.

Originally Posted by nobby shinawatra

Jools is still a cracking little boozer, good crowd of regulars, nice place.

I heard it also lost its way but good to hear the opposite.

I spent many an hour and baht in that little hole in the wall.

Originally Posted by Loy Toy

I spent many an hour and baht in that little hole in the wall.

You're not the only one!!!

Apparantly Big Dave is a skinny little man these days....

Originally Posted by buriramboy

Apparantly Big Dave is a skinny little man these days....

He'll never be skinny nor little mate but he has lost about half of his former weight around 110 kgs.

Still gets out around the town on occasions but drinks rather than wallows these days.

I thought Big Dave was long gone, Matt owns it now.

^He's still alive just doesn't own Jools anymore.

I've been in the bar attached to the Holiday Inn a couple of times this month; it is fine, even good. The food was very good value and tasty - I had a breakfast type number, and it was very filling and well cooked (big portions). I had a pint of the Spanish Thai stuff which was fine, if not amazing (but I don't like that beer much, just asked for one without thinking...).

No Guinness pissed me off, but I've heard that's a general problem, not related to this bar.

I would and will go back, especially in happy hour for a couple of beers and some food. The only thing that freaked me out a little bit was the wifebeaters... Not the bar's fault, but the last time I went the place had at least 6 blokes (I kid you not), in 3 seperate groups, wearing wife beaters and generally mincing around in a kinda wannabe powerlifter/silom soi 4/tourist in the wrong place/australian sports-star way... it all seemed rather out of place.

Originally Posted by Bobcock

Matt owns it now

Most would vote that his wife Rung runs the place now.

Last time I spoke with Dave he is fit and well, 2 little girls that he dots over and is very happy. Good on him to get out when he did which surely saved his life.

Originally Posted by mightyharriss

Must be the wrong place.... We NEVER allow smoking inside the pub, and never will do. I would also say that our Heineken is used within a day or two of delivery and is Ice cold.

OK possibly the wrong place then - just to clarify, this was a pub directly next door to the Holiday Inn on Silom.

At least three groups of people were smoking inside the pub. If you're saying smoking's not allowed, that's good of you to make that rule, however it was being blatantly broken on this particular evening.

The pint of Heineken that I had was definitely rough. I couldn't finish it, which is unusual for me.

Perhaps just an off day?