At The Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 ceremony, the Bar Us team sat waiting, nerves high. When the announcer reached #4, the hall seemed to pause for breath. Then came the words—“Bar Us Bangkok”—and the room erupted. For Taln and her team, the silence before the cheers made the moment even more overwhelming.
“We asked if it was real,” recalls Taln. “I was crying because this is what we—me, Aum, and the team—never expected.”
As their name echoed through the hall, the Bar Us team huddled together—tears, laughter, and disbelief blurring into a single rush of pride. Champagne bottles popped. Hugs turned into toasts. For a moment, it felt as though Bangkok itself had just been called to the stage.
That momentum soon went global. Just months later, Bar Us landed at #15 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025—a recognition that still feels surreal.
A City’s Win, Not Just One Bar’s
For Bangkok, the win wasn’t just applause—it was affirmation. The city has long been a nightlife powerhouse, but Bar Us’s leap signals something deeper—a new level of global recognition. For Taln, the award is less about one bar and more about a city claiming its voice.
“Bangkok has become more of a destination, in Asia and in the world,” she says. “It’s not just Bar Us. All the Thai bars on the list inspire curiosity. People want to come, taste, and feel it for themselves.”
Bar Us’s success is the success of a community—bartenders, bar owners, and guests—redefining Bangkok as a cocktail capital.
Rising to the Pressure
The confetti had barely settled when the reality of the recognition sank in. “We feel pressured because customers now walk in with high expectations,” Taln admits.
Awards bring attention, and with it, new stakes. Guests arrive expecting perfection, yet the Bar Us team meets that pressure with excitement. “If we don’t face anything intense, we won’t grow.”
Behind the bar, precision meets playfulness. The sound of ice against metal, the soft glow of brass, the laughter that steadies every pour—guests may come seeking perfection, but they leave remembering warmth. It’s proof that excellence and joy can live side by side.
From Messenger to Masterpiece
Bar Us isn’t Taln and Aum’s first success story. Their earlier venture, Messenger Service Bar, became a beloved neighborhood spot—comfortable, everyday, familiar. But with Bar Us, they aimed higher.
“When we found the space, it was just an empty square room. That blank canvas sparked ideas, what concept to take, what drinks to serve. With Messenger Service, we learned we loved savory cocktails. So, with Bar Us, we leaned into that, while also making drinks for every palate.”
At Bar Us, brass gleams in amber light as laughter swells between sips. The menu, structured like a dining experience—Starters, Mains, Afters, and All Night—mirrors that same rhythm: playful, layered, and social.
“It’s a one-stop for everyone to come together at the same table,” Taln explains. “The space is simple, with just the drinking table, the walls, and our dry ingredients as inspiration. We want guests to be curious, to try things they’ve never seen before.”
Every drink tells a story—with one intent: to turn drinking into a journey. For the Bar Us team, cocktails aren’t just drinks—they’re cultural messages. Whether reintroducing forgotten classics like the Bloody Mary or inventing something entirely new, their goal is the same: to surprise, educate, and keep guests curious.
That sense of discovery is the heartbeat of Bar Us—an unspoken dialogue between bartender and guest, where curiosity is met with craft and comfort.
A Home for Adventure
Looking ahead, Taln and Aum are clear-eyed about their vision. They don’t just want Bar Us to be a top bar—they want it to be a home base for adventurous drinkers.
“We want Bar Us to be a comfortable place for guests who love the adventurous journey of flavor,” says Taln. “Every time they return to Bangkok, we want them to think of us—whether for adventure, warmth, or true hospitality.”
The mission is simple yet ambitious: turning ambition into belonging.
From Bangkok to the World
Bar Us’s triumph is inseparable from Bangkok’s larger story. The city hums with creativity, camaraderie, and a newfound global spotlight. Once overshadowed by Singapore or Hong Kong, Bangkok is now drawing travelers in with fearless originality.
As more Thai bars rise onto the list, they collectively paint a picture of a city not just participating in Asia’s cocktail scene—but leading it.
“Being on the list among the world’s greatest bars really means the world to us,” says Taln. “It’s an honor, but also a responsibility we carry with pride. This isn’t just about Bar Us—it’s about shining a light on Thailand and the Asian bar community and pushing the scene forward together. For us, it’s the start of a new journey—one that keeps us motivated, improving, and finding joy in what we do every day.”
The tears have dried, but the spark remains. In a city that thrives on reinvention, Bar Us isn’t the finish line. It’s the toast before the next climb—proof that Bangkok’s heartbeat now echoes across the world.
Bar Us
61/37 Soi Sukhumvit 26, Klongtan, Klongtoei, Bangkok, Thailand 10110
