This minimalistic Soi 31 institution has design written all over its name. Quality hues and an equally impressive bean menu with contributions from Panama, Colombia and Ethiopia are merely some of the roasts on its filtration tap. It is not a coffee bar in the most common definition of the word but an indulgence in subtle flavours, encapsulated in a design space that mimics elements of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Paga (an acronym for the two founders of Paga – award-winning coffee connoisseur Gabriel and his wife Patrica) is all about clean design. It draws attention to the coffee experience and pushes the focus of coffee enjoyment away from its interior. White walls with a rough texture surround quality drip stations, and a massive coffee maker welcomes the curious in with some anticipation. Housed in a two-floored townhouse, it may be limited in seating (and not the most comfortable in Bangkok when coffee is on the menu), but caffeine aficionados will definitely get their high when seeing Paga’s roaster on display on the 1st floor.
With prices ranging from Baht 90 to Baht 130 for the more usual brews, it has one of the most extensive menus of foreign-sourced beans in Bangkok. Freshly grinded when orders are punched in the register (the noise can be a bit overwhelming when a conversation is ongoing), the baristas purely drips (using high-end Gem Drippers) those exclusive beans once prepped and ready to be served. All roasts come with an extensive list of what flavours one may expect; a stop for connoisseurs for sure when seeing the maestro at work at his chromed and computer-regulated roaster during selective days.
Devoid of memorabilia and decorations, coffee definitely takes centre stage at Paga. The almost sterile interior design clearly hints towards an architect at work however the passion and deliverable of a coffee experience at this sanctuary for the taste buds does not need further explanation. Prices for its speciality coffee run between Baht 250 to Baht 350 for two decent glasses of exquisite coffee – without sugar and milk.