Shades of Retro is set above a working Vespa restoration shop in Thonglor. You walk past the scooters, climb a metal staircase, and step into a room full of vintage furniture, original concert posters, and a vinyl turntable that runs all night. It is the bar Bangkok bartenders go to after their own shifts.
Bookings are taken direct through the bar or through Hungry Hub for parties of four or more.
The room is built on a simple proposition: good music, cold beer, a short cocktail list that does the basics well. The vinyl collection runs the length of the back wall, and the bar staff genuinely DJ from it, switching records every two or three songs. Expect funk, soul, indie, sometimes Thai luk thung if it is late and the right person is in.
Drinks are deliberately uncomplicated. Local craft beer on draught, three or four house cocktails on the chalkboard, a small whisky selection, all priced around ฿180-280. This is not a destination cocktail bar and it does not want to be. It is a place to settle in for three hours of drinks and music with friends.