Review: Sing Sing Theater

Set the scene: What can we expect at this place?
When you push open the doors of Sing Sing Theater, you're greeted by a beautiful woman wearing a floor-length red cheongsam with an elaborate feather headpiece. From there, you'll pass through heavy velvet curtains into a maze-like set of rooms that leads to a small dance floor. Welcome to a Hollywood version of 1930s Shanghai, complete with lanterns, metal screens, painted umbrellas, wooden dragons, and lots of red lighting. The mastermind behind this Asian fever dream is Aussie transplant Ashley Sutton, creator of Bangkok’s Iron Fairies, Maggie Choo’s, and others, along with a few bars in Hong Kong. Sutton’s signature design is including hidden rooms, so go exploring to try and find the birdcage alcoves with private tables and views of the dance floor. It’s very sexy, a little disorienting, and incredibly intriguing.

Um, that sounds amazing. Who else is here, pretending to time travel?
A well-heeled, good-looking crowd is having a ball on the dancefloor or enjoying bottle service at a private table. Note: Bouncers check handbags and IDs (you need to be at least 20 years old to enter) and enforce a smart-casual dress code: no flip-flops, tank tops, shorts, and, for men, open-toe shoes.

Got it. So, are the drinks as good as the theme?
If the intoxicating atmosphere doesn’t do the job, the boozy cocktails will. Even the rail drinks here are high class, often incorporating top-shelf liquors like Grey Goose vodka or Iron Balls, Sutton’s cheekily named own gin. Although there are signature creations—including the colorful Lucky Rabbit, made with tequila, Cointreau, and rosella—most patrons stick with classic vodka or gin drinks. There are two small bars on the main floor and some slightly hidden bars upstairs, so you'll never wait too long for a refill.

Perfect. What's the service situation?
Those beautiful women gliding between tables? They're mostly there to tend to the bottle-service crowd. Guests paying drink-by-drink tend to get more straightforward service: neither rude nor particularly accommodating.

That's fine with us. Alright, wrap it up: what are we coming here for?
Sing Sing Theater is the ultimate Bangkok nightlife experience: bold, brash, intriguing, and just a touch over the top.