Smalls Bar & Live Music
David Jacobson, the founder of Q Bar, opened Smalls in 2014 across three floors of a corner townhouse on Suan Phlu Soi 1, hung it with his own contemporary-art collection, stripped the walls to brick, and made absinthe the house pour.
Why go
BK Magazine's listing sets the scene: "three rickety levels of an old corner townhouse" where Jacobson shows "his prized collection of contemporary art amid crumbling rooms stripped back to the brick-work," with a rooftop terrace running its own bar. It placed No. 42 on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2019 and the live 50 Best Discovery listing still carries it. The kitchen leans French bistro late, foie gras, cold cuts and oysters, and BK's 2025 live-music roundup keeps Wednesday as the jazz night, "soundtracked by some of the city's most exciting jazz musicians."
Order this / avoid
- Order: something off the absinthe list, B350-700 a shot per BK Magazine, and take it to the rooftop; cocktails run about $12 per 50 Best Discovery.
- Avoid: Tuesdays, when it's closed. And plan around a 2am close; the after-hours legend outlived the license, since every current listing stops at 2am.
What locals & experts say
- Time Out Bangkok (2016):
The crowd is brilliantly diverse too, mixing artists, soulful jazz enthusiasts and locals,
with the honest caveat that sets can run raw rather than polished.3 - 50 Best Discovery:
Set over three floors, dimly lit Smalls has a relaxed, laid-back vibe with a Parisian feel to the decor, and exposed brickwork and contemporary art throughout.
4 - BK Magazine (2014): draws
a hard-drinking after-work crowd of expats and locals.
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Good to know
- Timing: Wednesday to Monday, evenings to 2am; jazz anchors Wednesday, with secondary chatter of more nights, unconfirmed.
- Booking: walk-in; phone +66 95 585 1398, and rooftop seats can be reserved ahead. Third-party booking exists via Tavolos.
- Getting there: Suan Phlu Soi 1 off Sathorn Road; a taxi from MRT Lumphini or BTS Chong Nonsi. Saawaan sits up the same soi for a pre-drinks tasting-menu pairing.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: "Where to end up in the wee hours of the morning"
Verdict
could-visit — David Jacobson's three-story townhouse holds the late shift for Sathorn: absinthe by the shot, jazz on Wednesdays, contemporary art on crumbling brick, and a rooftop for the last round. It cracked Asia's 50 Best at No. 42 in 2019 and has outlived most of its era. The drinks are the supporting act rather than the headline, so it stays a could-visit, and the right answer to a specific question: where to finish a night south of Silom.