The pitch: an editor's read on Above Riva
Above Riva sits on the roof of the Riva Surya Hotel at 23 Phra Athit Road in old Bangkok, a four-minute walk from Phra Athit Pier. The room opened with the hotel in 2012 and runs as a small terrace facing the Chao Phraya, with the temples of Wat Arun and Wat Rakhang visible directly across the water.
This is the room for a drinker who wants a B280 cocktail, a river-facing seat, and no rooftop queue. Skip it if a tasting menu or a 50-bottle whiskey list is the brief.
The room: a closer read
The space runs as a 36-seat terrace with a small indoor lounge for monsoon nights and a six-seat bar counter facing east. Lonely Planet's 2023 Bangkok guide called the terrace 'the only Chao Phraya rooftop on the old-city side worth a walk-in', noting the absence of a hotel cover charge.
The only Chao Phraya rooftop on the old-city side worth a walk-in.
What to order, and what to skip
The list runs short and the bar runs it on its own terms. Order from the signatures.
Skip the off-list improvisations on a first visit. The published list is the room's editorial position; the bartenders built every serve to earn its place.
The crowd: who shows up, and when
The crowd is 60% hotel guests on a weeknight and 70% Phra Athit walk-ins on a Friday or Saturday. r/bangkok riverside threads consistently flag the 5:30pm to 6:15pm window as the best for an east-facing terrace seat before the Wat Arun light show begins.
One bar worth your weekend, every Friday.
One email a week. The bars our editors are recommending right now, across 60 cities worldwide.
What regulars say
- “5:30pm for an east-facing terrace seat. Past 6:30pm and the Wat Arun seats are gone.” (r/bangkok riverside thread, 2024)
- “Order the Riva Spritz and a Singha. The list is short and that is fine.” (Google Maps review, January 2026)
- “Better than the Lebua side for a B280 cocktail. The walk-in is the value.” (TripAdvisor review, November 2025)
- “Sunday at 5pm is empty. Take a friend and a phone for the Wat Arun shot.” (r/bangkok visitor thread, 2024)
Who it is for
- Travellers staying in Phra Athit or the old city who want a B280 sunset cocktail.
- Walk-ins. The room runs no reservation list and no cover.
- Anyone planning a Wat Arun-side photograph. The east-facing terrace is the seat.
- Avoid if a destination cocktail counter is the brief. Try Mahanakhon Bar or Sky Bar at Lebua instead.