Fearless rambler Ben Hopkins steps in where angels fear to tread

It all began innocently enough. Around twenty years ago someone had the bewitching idea of luring in the innocent; mixing cocktails and serving brew in a purpose built Victorian building thereby creating the ambience of an old English tavern. The Witch’s Tavern was the first English pub in Bangkok and is today the most unique; an oasis from the bustle of Bangkok where bands concoct a nightly dose of popular tunes from the 1960’s onwards.

Most great ideas spawn an offspring and it was ten years later that the group opened The Witch’s Oyster Bar in Soi Ramrudee. Having been told by a couple of friends that this stylish bar and restaurant was the best kept secret in Bangkok my curiosity is piqued as I creep through the Soi toward the smoky lights penetrating the mist before me.

Any sense of trepidation is swept aside as I enter the homely abode. Before me is a selection of fine ales from across the oceans and above me hang one of the most comprehensive selections of malt whiskies in Thailand. Surely a sight for sore eyes for any wandering farang; but what sets this evening on the right track is the fact that it’s happy hour and the night has only just begun.

The bar’s restaurant area overlooks the ground floor and spills out onto a balcony overlooking the street. Afraid of the shadowy mists that have enveloped the night my partner chooses to take a ta­ble inside. Climbing the rickety staircase we seat ourselves at a table that looks down on the bar area where people are flinging back the ale and mak­ing hay while times are good.

Filling my vessel with blood red wine the waitress asks me what my fancy may be. Tracing my finger down a menu that reads like a feast fit for a medi­eval King I predictably select a platter of oysters followed by a hearty serving of Roasted Foie Gras with Crushed Almonds and Port. My partner seeks comfort in the more homely fare of crispy roasted pigeon with creamy mash potato. Accompanying this is the Oyster Bar’s very own and very unique creation of chutney. When I ask the waitress what might be in that mix she turns pale and beseeches me to drink more.

More than happy to comply I sink into my chair, soak up the fare and gaze across at the far wall stacked high with various sized jars of syrup liquor. A million shades of amber nectar blend and coagulate into an attractive spec­tacle of potions that shimmer and swim with the movement of people. The wine is working wonders as my partner and I move onto our final course; Witches Dim Sum Basket.

The morsels, no doubt created in a cauldron where east meets west prove to be the per­fect end to the meal.
However, the night is far from over and with the sandpaper tones of Dylan ris­ing up from the floor below I knew it’d be a long time before I stepped back into the mist.

The Oyster Bar is located 20/10­-11 Soi Ruam Rudee, Ploenchit, Bangkok 10330  Tel: 02-251-9455 0.3 km’s from BTS Ploenchit Station