Tuxedo Espresso Bar

Barista coffee in the morning, TWG tea in the afternoon and a martini once the lobby fills. Tuxedo Espresso Bar is the café and bar on the lobby level of Carlton Hotel Bangkok Sukhumvit, running through several moods in a day without changing rooms.

TWG tea, pastry work and martinis

The named beverage partner is TWG, poured with the afternoon tea service, where each set comes with a pot of TWG tea or freshly brewed coffee. Around that sit coffees, teas and infusions, wines, local and imported beers, spirits and the house signature martinis.

The pastry work is where the kitchen shows off. Seasonal afternoon tea editions have run to a cube-shaped chocolate financier, a chocolate shell filled with cream cheese, peanut butter and Florentine crumbs, a choux with blueberry mousse and diplomat cream, a green tea macaron, and a chocolate dome hiding a green tea opera cake. A lemon and chia scone has come with clotted cream and lemon glaze.

One room, several dayparts

Tuxedo is built to be used differently at different hours: barista coffee early, wine and light bites at midday, afternoon tea in between, and a bar mood later. Indoor seating and an alfresco terrace let it work as lobby calm or open-air ease, and it takes a casual business meeting comfortably.

The food supports that flexibility. Deli-style sandwiches, freshly baked artisan breads and pastries, sweet treats and light bites run alongside the drinks list, so a visit can be a five-minute coffee or a two-hour table.

Start with the afternoon tea

The afternoon tea is the most complete version of what Tuxedo does: savoury bites, scones and showpiece desserts, paired with a pot of TWG tea or freshly brewed coffee, with a bubbly upgrade available. Editions change with the season, so the plate in front of you will not match last year's.

The savoury pieces deserve the attention that usually goes to the sweets. Past sets have included ricotta citrus waffles with yuzu, lemon, grapes and orange, a ham and cheese sandwich, smoked duck and berry choux with green apple and lime caviar, and a golden chicken pie. For a shorter stop, order freshly brewed coffee or TWG tea with an artisan bread or a pastry, and leave the signature martinis for later in the day.