The Huntsman pub at the Landmark Hotel (Sukhumvit Road) has never been a place I’ve had much time for. Although I have been several times – in fairness, mostly at lunchtime or early doors - I have found little to inspire me. On the contrary, I have always been put off by the inflated beer prices to which service and VAT get added.
However, after a few comments from others, I went later one evening and suddenly found a new Huntsman. Yes, the beer prices are the same, but the place was fairly buzzing, mainly because of the excellent band.
Well that initial conversion led to further visits and now I quite often drop in for an evening feed.
At the moment they are renovating the basement area of the Landmark and I can’t help but wonder if this PC-conscious hotel will consider an image change. Huntsmen are now almost as taboo among the chattering classes as male chauvinists, and Andy Capp, of whom there is a mannequin sitting outside the door (complete with ‘fag’ and Flo) - is a caricature of the working man that has long been committed to PC history!
Also, Andy Capp gives the impression that the Huntsman is an English taproom, rather than the lounge bar it actually is.
With a low ceiling and a good central bar, around which are a plenty of dark wooden tables with matching carver chairs, the interior is simple but tasteful.
The head barman is a real star. His production of a simple Irish coffee is worth watching. As he mixes and flames, you could be forgiven for thinking he was acting out a scene from Macbeth!
The menu could be called typical pub grub, although these days that tends to imply naff food. In fact, the menu here is pretty good, as well it should be in a four-star hotel.
Apart from pies, stews and salads there is a good Thai menu and some say the best burgers around. Yes: they are bigger than big and larger than whoppers!
However, the real plus is that they are made of a substance that is clearly identifiable as meat. And to totally confuse you, they even taste like meat! There’s a choice of either beef or lamb, and if you ask for rare, it arrives nice and pink in the middle.
Like most places, the Huntsman needs a buzz of people to really shine.
And thanks to the resident band, Sweet Inspiration, that’s usually the case.
These guys are the are the Huntsman’s main attraction. Of course, you have to like live music to appreciate them because they are inevitably loud in this low ceilinged room. Sitting at the bar they are in your face, further back in the room they are just loud music.
That said, the good news about Sweet Inspiration is that they are very versatile. With four musicians and two or three singers they have a huge repertoire and perform each number really well. This is not some floor show band that will only hit the spot after enough booze to float the QE2, this is genuine cabaret act that you can enjoy.
As to those prices, well they seem to be more realistic as the night wears on. However, with tax and service a pint of Carlsberg works out at 185 baht and a lamb burger 322 baht.
Another place where music makes the difference is the strangely named Ad Makers Pub (51 Soi Lang Suan). This a very popular Thai hang out, that also has a good following of expats.
The outside suggests a more elegant venue than the beer hall-style operation within. There is a good bar, but that seems to be ignored in favour of the many bare wooden tables around the various areas.
The food comes from an extensive menu which is predominantly Thai, although there are a few farang dishes, including a pig hock, on offer.
The Ad Makers is clearly a place to hang out in and there are plenty of private bottles of JW Black behind the bar as testament to the regulars’ preferences.
Currently, the music is provided by the Big Boy band. When I walked in they were beginning to play Bohemian Rhapsody - an adventurous number I thought, but they just about managed it.
Later on they rotated through many contemporary numbers, as well as few good old ones. And, as I seem to find in many places, they had a little Thai girl who could out belt the likes of Cher!
I decided a B52 would help the evening’s onward progress and asked for one at the bar However, the barmaid declared they were out of B52s, so I instead asked for a shot each of Kahlua, Baileys and Cointreau - they had no Grand Marnier.
With the three ingredients of a B52 placed before me, and a spare glass requested, I proceeded to make my own B52s as a confused barmaid looked on!
It was great fun, though I’m not sure the bar manager was too amused – he wasn’t too impressed at the sight of a farang making his staff look silly!
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