The Duke of Wellington Pub – Silom Road

Located on a very busy section of Silom Road is one of the best-run pubs in Bangkok: The Duke of Wellington.  An English Pub, the Duke is managed by a real Englishman — Mark — who previously ran Robin Hood near Phrom Phong BTS station on Sukhumvit Road.

The Duke has a very nice decor, with comfortable heavy wooden tables & chairs, as well as leather-padded benches along the wall opposite the bar.  For people who are alone, or in a casual mood, there is a long table with stools.  It is usually occupied by men or women reading the newspaper or working on laptop computers (the Duke offers free wireless access).

This stretch of Silom Road is a business area, and the Duke is a businessman’s pub.  From 11:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday through Friday they offer a buffet lunch with both Western and Thai food offered in abundance at the very attractive price of 200 baht.  To my mind, this is a better value than the meat and potato buffet that used to be offered at the Irish Exchange.

Happy Hour runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Wednesdays you can drink pints of Tiger beer all night at a price of 80 baht each (Monday is Heineken night and Tuesday Guiness night).

With a well-trained service staff, an excellent food menu offering large portions of Western & Thai food day and night, attractive drink prices and very comfortable surroundings, the Duke of Wellington has been one of my favorite meeting points since it opened in January this year. 

I went in with a new friend on Thursday night.  He had visited the pub before, but only around four in the afternoon when it is quiet.  Arriving at 7:30 pm, with happy hour in full swing, my friend was impressed with everything he saw and tasted.

Recently the Duke has added live music to the mix.  A Thai man with a guitar and a good sound system started playing tunes around 8 p.m.  Unlike many Thais singing English songs, he knew all of the words and sang clearly.  I was sitting with my back to him, and at one point he sang a Jim Croce tune.  It sounded so much like Croce that I thought that he’d gone on break and that a CD was playing.  I was wrong.  Anyone who mourns Croce need mourn no longer — he’s been reborn in Thailand as a local guitar-picker.

All the food on the menu is good, but my personal favorite is the Big Duke Burger; a large beef patty served with cheese, bacon, a fried egg and all the trimmings.  You can choose between English-style thick-cut chips or American shoe-string fries.

For a comfortable happy hour dinner with friends, or a relaxed business lunch I figure you can’t go past the Duke of Wellington.  Visit their website at http://www.dukepub.com/location.html for more information.

Highly Recommended!