High seasons at Cape Sienna’s Vanilla Sky & Gastro Pub marries an Andaman blaze with a hedonistic happy hour and then becomes explosive as a ring-side seat to watch the New Year fireworks along Kamala Beach below
By: Ruth Jones / Pictures: Yoko Pun
Golden Hour on the Clifftop
Perched above Kamala’s curved bay, Cape Sienna’s Vanilla Sky and Gastro Pub feels purpose-built for the sunset coast. As you ascend and exit the blue-glass panoramic elevator high season’s clear, dry breezes arrive, the horizon sharpens and the Andaman performs its nightly theatre: a slow-blooming gradient of tangerine into mauve, coastlines etched like brushstrokes.
Guests drift to the terrace glass fence instinctively, stemware catching the last rays, phones forgotten as sea and sky trade colours. It’s the double attraction of the Andaman sunset and the cocktail happy hour that draws the first arrivals, and the mood is immediately celebratory – unhurried, and quietly glamorous.
Happy Hour, Elevated
There is a knowing rhythm to service here: swift enough to match the sinking sun, unhurried enough to savour. Mixologists lean into tropical abundance with citrus, botanicals and a hint of island spice, aligning flavours to the light; bright and zesty while the sky still glows, whilst more complex. Happy hour pricing tempts exploration without compromise, and glasses bead with cool as the temperature slips into evening comfort. It’s that rare pairing of spectacle and craft; come for the view, and stay for what’s in the glass.
Plates with a Point of View
‘Gastro pub’ is a modest label for what arrives from the kitchen. The menu suits the setting: shareable, elegant, quietly indulgent. Think crisp bites to anchor another round, seafood that speaks of the waters below, charcoal whispers from the grill, and salads that cut cleanly through the tropics’ richness. It’s tapas style on steroids. The team guides with deft suggestions, balancing Thai brightness and international comfort with the confidence of a venue that knows its vantage is both literal and culinary.
The High-Season Crowd
Come peak season, Vanilla Sky and its adjoining Gastro Pub become a magnet for island insiders, returning regulars and first-time celebrants who quickly understand why locals keep this on their list. Linen and silk, bronzed shoulders, low laughter and a soundtrack that hums rather than demands; this is a scene set to a soft-focus tempo. The tables closest to the sea offer postcard drama, yet even the inward banquettes feel connected to the panorama through clever sightlines and the open-air design. Service is polished and discreet, topping up, anticipating, and vanishing just as easily as the sun.
A New Year’s Eve to Remember
While any evening is elevated here, New Year’s Eve is the moment Vanilla Sky truly earns its name. From this rooftop aerie you command a sweeping, unobstructed vantage of Kamala Beach, a front-row seat to the fireworks that unfurl along the bay like a necklace of light. Champagne flutes catch the bursts; the sea mirrors them in quicksilver shimmer. The atmosphere lifts a notch – still chic, still relaxed – but with the intimacy of a private party set above the fray. It’s the perfect place to toast the year gone and the one waiting just beyond the horizon.
And When All’s Said and Done
In high season, Vanilla Sky and the Gastro Pub offer more than a bar and a meal; they choreograph an evening in layers; golden light, crafted drinks, refined plates, live music, an easy-luxe crowd, and that cinematic view. Arrive for the double attraction of the Andaman sunset and the cocktail happy hour; leave with the sense you’ve found Phuket at its most polished and effortless, where the island’s allure is not only seen, but beautifully framed.
VISIT
Cape Sienna Phuket Gourmet Hotel & Villas: 18/40 Moo 6, Nakalay Road, T. Kamala, A. Kathu, Phuket 83150
Opens: daily at 5pm until midnight. 30% off selected drinks & cocktails Happy Hour from 5.30pm to 6.30pm.
Live music: on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday.
Reservations recommended, essential for New Years’ Eve.
Typical meal and drinks price: 2,000 THB /guest.
Book: +66 (0)76 337 300, rsvn@capesienna.com