During my internet research on Bangkok nightlife, I stumbled upon "Iron Fairies" quite a bit. It sounded rather mysterious and wonderful, so the husband and I decided to kick off a night of bar-hopping there. The restaurant is approximately a kilometre down Sukhumvit Soi 55 -- about a 10-minute walk from the Thonglor BTS station.
"They don't take reservations," proclaimed one reviewer so we got there early-ish (about 8 pm) on a Saturday night. As soon as we walked in the door, it was like a different world. Dark and dim interiors, strange wooden machinery and barrels, potion bottles and vials, candlelit tables and a singer crooning jazz and blue tunes...the place was like a mash-up between Grimms' fairy tales and Artemis Fowl!
The place was already rather packed and the host/waiter pointed us to a corner table behind a staircase from which we could see absolutely nothing.
"We're happy to sit there but when another table frees up, we'd like to move there. Is that okay?" requested the husband.
Shrug, shrug, the waiter went. Okay, then. Whatever that meant!
We ordered a cocktail called "Smoke in a Bottle" for the husband, a glass a Prosecco for me, and a plate of nachos to munch on. While we waited for the drinks to arrive, we decided to take seating matters into our own hands -- our table was completely cut off from the rest of the restaurant and I couldn't see anything except a staircase! So we moved a couple of stools and tiny tables and set up our own little seating area; this is something the staff could easily have done but chose not to. Also, while my husband's drink and the nachos arrived quickly, my Prosecco was nowhere in sight even after fifteen minutes. A reminder finally produced my drink.
Anyhoo, our drinks were gorgeous. Take a look at Smoke in the Bottle; quite a sight, isn't it? The nachos were average -- the chips were too thick and they were rather stingy with the jalapenos. As we sipped our drinks, there was plenty to look at and the singer was excellent. Disclaimer: He sang Ray Charles, so I may be wearing rose-tinted glasses! The restaurant seemed a popular venue for bachelorette parties -- we saw at least three such groups come in.
To conclude, Iron Fairies is atmospheric and offbeat -- perfect if you enjoy a dash of darkness and magic. The service, however, leaves a lot to be desired and the prices make it a once-in-a-while destination, at least for me!
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