The Nana area on Sukhumvit Road is an intersection and neighbourhood at the beginning of Sukhumvit Road by Highway 3 in the Khlong Toei Subdistrict of downtown Bangkok. The name of the area originates from a Thai politician called ‘Lek Nana’ who was one of the first entrepreneurs to invest in the land around this area in the 1970s. It has long been known for its vibrant bar scene since the end of the Vietnam war when the area and bars such as the infamous ‘Thermae’ bar were popular places for the army personnel to hang out and relax. Nowadays, most of the bar scene in this area lies on Sukhumvit Soi 4, Soi 11, and Soi 8 with the BTS Nana station lying just next to Soi 8 and Soi 11. Also popular, is Soi 13 and Soi 15. After Soi 15, it’s considered to be in the Asoke area. In this post, we’ll be looking at the best Nana bars in Bangkok as the pandemic draws to a close, we see what is currently open and whose ready for the tourists to return en-mass in the (hopefully) near future.
Viva Sports Bar & Restaurant
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Viva bar is located near the top of Sukhumvit Soi 8, close to Nana BTS. It somehow managed to survive the pandemic and was one of those bars that opened its doors between lockdowns as opposed to those that closed their shutters for the whole time. It is visually impressive, boasting an open front design, where you can sit, eat, and watch the cul-de-sac Soi 8 people traffic go by. They play relaxing music and sometimes you feel like you’re actually on one of Thailand’s famous islands instead of in downtown Bangkok, which of course, is a job well done by the Viva Sports Bar and Restaurant. Their food is always delicious and with large portion sizes, you always feel you are getting great value for money here.
Bangkok Buzz’s highlights of Viva Sports Bar & Restaurant are:
- Great downtown location very near Nana BTS on Sukhumvit Soi 8
- Open front design with tables on the side Soi alley for that real Thailand dining feeling
- Ambient music and all the sports you could want on several large TVs
- Extensive International and Thai menu with excellent quality of meats and fish available
- Wide variety of local and imported beers, wine and cocktails made to order
- DJs on some weeknights.
Stumble Inn British Bar
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The Stumble Inn British Bar is positioned near the top of Sukhumvit Soi 4, not far from the infamous Nana Plaza. It’s a British bar / pub with all the sports, pool tables and pub food you could want on a trip down the Nana area. Their menu boasts an all-day full English breakfast, burgers, fish and chips and many other pub favourites, snacks and traditional Thai dishes. The pool table is a professional Brunswick table and the waitresses will give you a good game if you want to try your luck!
Bangkok Buzz’s highlights of Stumble Inn British Bar are:
- Close to the infamous Nana Plaza on Sukhumvit Soi 4, about a 5 minutes walk from Nana BTS
- Great place to drink, play pool and watch sports on their 7 large HD screens
- Full English breakfast, burgers and fish and chips plus other pub favourites and Thai dishes
- Regular live music from local and International bands
- Get 10% OFF food and drink with a BKK Fun Card.
Hemmingway’s Bangkok Restaurant & Bar
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Hemmingway’s is a theme restaurant and bar based on the author Ernest Hemmingway where his legend lives on throughout the venue, and the Garden Bar & Bistro is dedicated to the places he lived, the drinks he so dearly loved and the great food from around the world. Hemmingway’s used to boast an amazing Thai-style building next to Asoke BTS, but unfortunately they lost their lease and had to move to a new location in Sukhumvit Soi 11, so it’s now officially allowed in this Best Nana bars in Bangkok roundup!
Bangkok Buzz’s highlights of Hemmingway’s Bangkok are:
- Excellent atmosphere and decor that has been well replicated from the original Asoke location
- An every day Happy Hour from 9 am to 7 pm with excellent deals on a variety of drinks
- Seriously delicious food at affordable prices, make sure to check out the Hemmingway’s burger!
- Regular daily specials on food and drinks. Mexican Mondays, Ladies’ Night Thursday etc. (see their Facebook page)
- Live DJ on Wednesdays (at the time of writing this post, see their Facebook page for updates).
Fitzgeralds Irish Pub
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A classic member of the Irish pubs in Bangkok group right in the thick of the downtown Bangkok tourist and ex-pat area of Nana, Fitzgeralds (formally Hanrahans) is just a short walk from Nana BTS station. There are actually 3 floors of this massive Irish pub and an outside patio seating area if looking at the people passing by Soi 4 is your thing. Upstairs on the mezzanine floor, you’ll find a cosy Irish pub ambience of comfy leather Chesterfield sofas, a pool table, an additional bar. Upon the third floor, there’s a ceiling window panorama and a more intimate feel, perfect for private parties and large groups.
They feature a vast selection of food and drink, from cheap local lagers like Singha beer to more expensive imported draught beer like Kilkenny and of course, Guinness. In terms of traditional Irish food, they have all the pub classics such as the Beef and Guinness stew, lamb stew, lamb shank and bangers and mash and all the usual pub food you’d expect such as sandwiches, pizzas and burgers. They also feature more high-end imported Australian rump steak and Australia lamb loin all with roasted veggies and sauce.
Bangkok Buzz’s highlights of Fitzgeralds Irish Pub Bangkok are:
- Excellent downtown Bangkok location, right in the hustle and bustle of Nana Sukhumvit soi 4
- Winner of Bangkok’s Best Restaurant Awards 2017
- All the live sport you could want including the Superbowl, Premier League, UFC boxing etc.
- Award-winning weekend roast dinners of beef, chicken, pork or lamb
- Regular live music from the likes of The Streets of Siam and more
The Game Bangkok
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The Game Bangkok is conveniently located directly beneath the BTS Nana Station at Sukhumvit soi 9. It boasts one of the largest big-screen TVs in Bangkok for fans of watching live sports with a cold one and some excellent food. It also has several American pool tables and you don’t need to bring a playing partner as the staff will be more than happy to play with you. The Happy Hour runs from opening to 7 pm every day with great prices on local beers, house wine and sangria.
Bangkok Buzz’s highlights of The Game Bangkok are:
- Easily accessible location underneath Nana BTS station at the top of Sukhumvit soi 9
- Fans of Beer Laos will be delighted to find it on draft for B185 a pint
- All the live sports you could wish for including the Premier League, Rugby, UFC boxing etc.
- Wide selection of pub grub is available including the build-your-own Mexican burritos!
The Sportsman Bar & Restaurant
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The Sportsman Bar & Restaurant is located down Sukhumvit 13 Road, just a short walk from Nana BTS station. As the name suggests, it’s 100% focused on being one of, if not the best place in Bangkok to watch live sports. The management pride themselves on the ability and goodwill to show literally any live sport around the world providing it’s televised! They are also one of only a few bars that show late-night Champions League and Premier League football games. So, apart from the twenty-six large TVs and eight HD projector screens, The Sportsman Bar Bangkok also have a large focus on playing pool – boasting a whopping 15 pool tables across its upstairs and downstairs areas. Also, for fans of darts, they have two pro darts boards downstairs and three more upstairs and a fun darts tournament every Friday from 8 pm.
Bangkok Buzz’s highlights of The Sportsman Bar & Restaurant are:
- Showing All sports you can think of on 26 TVs and 8 HD projectors
- 7 downstairs pool tables and 8 tables upstairs with regular pool competitions and league matches
- Thai and Western food menu with daily specials
- Wide selection of beers including craft beers
- Five pro darts boards are available and a Friday darts tournament is from 8 pm.
