ÆTHER rooftop lounge bar: With its launch on 19 December a new alfresco cocktail experience has arrived at the heart of Bangkok’s Silom area – boasting a concept with a difference.
Æther (pronounced “ee-ther”) – unveiled by Watermelon Group – is a 360-degree view ‘experimental rooftop cocktail lounge’ rising 44 floors above Dusit Central Park. By introducing its new interpretation of the rooftop experience – with a heavy focus on DJ music with a focus on House – this lounge seems like the closest to an open-air nightclub one can get (albeit at the mercy of the elements, since it is completely uncovered from rain). Its genuinely cool and intriguing concept is one grounded in design, sound, atmosphere, and craft cocktail, “rather than theme or spectacle.”
Awakening cocktail. Photo: Dennis Thern.
There are bars – average bars – and then there are bars with distinction. And of those latter we now have many within Asia. And the concepts vary immensely, even though there has been a clear growth of luxurious, and more often than not very ambitious bar concepts within the five-star hotel segment. Then next is about what concept and differentiation a bar has – even if it for example boasts being a “rooftop” bar. And, like in the world of music within the bar and cocktail scene it never ceases to surprise and excite guests these days, and who follows and become more and more savvy cocktail enthusiast. In the case of Æther is also something more, with its cocktail lounge concept.
Blending clean, minimalist architecture with a house-music-driven sound identity, the intro says that Æther is crafted for guests who appreciate the power of subtle details – the way light shifts across the skyline to how sound shapes the presence, and the way ambience defines connection from sunset to late night.
It is clearly a dramatic shift from daylight, to dusk and then city lights on the nigh skyline.
“We envisioned a modern rooftop that does more than impress visually – a space that allows people to reconnect with themselves through atmosphere and energy. Æther is crafted for guests who recognise quality not just in form, but in feeling,” says Pattarit ‘Bing’ Jittawait, Founder of Watermelon Group. “It’s something new for Bangkok’s rooftop scene.”
Æther bartender. Photo: Dennis Thern.
He also elaborated to Happy Hour Asia that he wanted to bring the underground culture to a rooftop, and where it can be open and more accessible.
This new concept also marks the next chapter of Watermelon Group’s expansion. The group’s portfolio includes Rabbit Hole, Crimson Room, and Luma, each shaped around the personality and culture of its neighbourhood and the evolving tastes of Bangkok’s creative community.
“CPN (Central Pattana) contacted me, wanting something really good on the most prestige address in Bangkok. They asked us if we were interested to do something and pondered for a long time to what to do, and it required a lot of planning. But we wanted it be open, and something special.”
In case of rain the cocktail lounge has a partnership with another indoor venue two floors down.
Æther rooftop lounge bar: progressive mixology
As for the cocktail programme it is led by Depp, Bar Manager of Rabbit Hole (Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2020) and Group Beverage Director of Watermelon Group. Æther’s menu showcases progressive mixology using a full suite of modern techniques, including rotovap distillation, clarification, ultrasonic infusion, rapid maceration, fat-washing, and laboratory-style flavour extractions. The resulting cocktails are clean, expressive, and crafted with precision, designed to complement the rooftop’s cinematic atmosphere.
Æther’s DNA comes from originality, experimentation, and refinement. The cocktail menu seems to have three layers, or spheres to guide the guests in their cocktail discoveries: ‘The meeting point of craft and experience, the invisible layer that lifts everything a little higher and quietly invites you to imagine.’ All cocktails are prepared in-house from ferments and distillates to milk washes and cordials.
Æther CityFlora cocktail. Photo: Dennis Thern.
The signature drinks are found under three categories: ‘Ground State’, ‘Transcend’, and ‘Exosphere.Beyond’.
The Ground State cocktails focus on earth, smoke, fermentation and depth.
Examples:
‘Gravitation’ (Pisco, wild mushroom, Campari, soy sauce, maple sugar, hinoki bitters), ‘Red Clay’ (Phraya rum – a local Thai product, mezcal, Thai tea curry, paprika bitters, smoked chili oil drop) or ‘Awaken.Ing’ (distilled Burdock, gin, café drip, artichoke liqueur, burned caramel bitters, cream blue cheese float).
‘Transcend’ offers cocktails oriented towards citrus, herbs, flowers and bright transitions. Examples: ‘O2’ (mezcal, lemon balm, yuzu, clarified milk, handful of peppermint) or ‘City Flora’
(ginger flower compote, Roku gin, Mace, rhubarb, pandan syrup, malic acid).
Within ‘Exosphere.Beyond‘ one finds cocktails “at the edge of stillness, beyond sound, beyond gravity.” Examples: ‘Lumen’ (gin, ylang ylang, Mediterranean tonic water) or ‘Stillwave’ (Gardenia – fragrant plant, Patron tequila, pear, Rice Sato – Thai rice wine, distilled Yunnan tea, lactic acid).
About Æther
Æther merges sound, design, cinematic ambience, and crafted cocktails into one sensory experience. Located on the 44th floor of Dusit Central Park, it blends minimalist architecture, panoramic views, progressive mixology, and a house-driven sound identity to create a new form of elevated nightlife – one centred on presence, emotion, and authentic connection.
Dusit Central Park is a mixed-use skyscraper development, including the rebuilt Dusit Thani Laguna Bangkok, that occupies a large site on the corner of Sala Daeng Intersection at the beginning of Si Lom Road.
About Watermelon Group
Watermelon Group is a Thai hospitality and nightlife collective known for creating design-led, experience-driven venues across Bangkok. Its portfolio includes Rabbit Hole, Crimson Room, and Luma. With a focus on creativity, music culture, and meaningful guest experiences, Watermelon Group continues to shape the evolution of modern nightlife and dining in Thailand.
Pattarit Jittawait, co-founder of Watermelon Group. Photo: Dennis Thern.
About Pattarit Jittawait
Pattarit Jittawait is the co-founder of Watermelon Group, a Bangkok-based hospitality collective recognised for creating design-led, experience-driven food and beverage concepts. With a lifelong passion for dining and nightlife, Pattarit has spent years exploring places to eat and drink, transforming those inspirations into original concepts developed alongside his partners.
Known for a leadership style that is quietly confident, decisive, and grounded in humility, Pattarit remains deeply hands-on in every project, leading with passion and by example.
Under his leadership, Watermelon Group has launched influential venues including Crimson Room, Rabbit Hole which is recognised as one of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, Luma, and The River Club, each reflecting a distinct perspective on atmosphere, craft, and guest experience. The group’s newest concept, ÆTHER, builds on Pattarit’s belief in creating spaces that encourage presence and connection, offering an elevated rooftop experience shaped by design, sound, and mood.
Beyond Watermelon Group, Pattarit is also the owner of TP Tea, operating multiple branches across Thailand, further reflecting his commitment to the food and beverage industry across different formats and audiences.
His personal interests span music, nightlife culture, sports, and fitness, with a strong focus on longevity and maintaining energy, rhythm, and lifestyle sensibility behind his business ventures.
