Teriyaki Bar Kelly's
46 Sukhumvit 51 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110
Kelly's is the kind of place that earns repeat visits through specificity rather than spectacle. The owner's Nagoya roots show up in the menu in ways you won't find at generic yakitori spots, and the glass-wall kitchen makes the whole operation feel honest. Our view: skip it if you want a big night out, stay if you want real izakaya rhythm at prices that still make sense.
The name is a nod to Grace Kelly, and the room leans into it. Vintage movie posters line the walls, mix-and-match lampshades hang overhead, and the soundtrack sits somewhere between a Nagoya tavern and a 1950s American diner. It should feel confused. It doesn't.\n\nThe owner is from Nagoya and builds the menu accordingly. Grilled chicken skin comes at THB48 a skewer. Chicken sashimi runs THB120. Nabe is priced at THB300 per person, which is honest for Bangkok. A glass-wall kitchen means you can watch every skewer come off the grill, which matters when you're ordering semi-cooked chicken with egg or octopus tentacles in wasabi. There's no smoke-and-mirrors on the plate.\n\nDrinks cover Asahi draft, a full run of sake, shochu, and umeshu, plus cocktails and wine. The Japanese drinks list is the stronger half of the bar program. Cocktails are functional rather than considered, which is a practical caveat worth knowing before you arrive expecting a craft menu.\n\nThe crowd skews Japanese, the staff is Japanese-heavy, and the rhythm of service follows izakaya logic: order in rounds, graze across a long evening, don't rush. It operates until midnight on most nights, which makes it a legitimate late option in a neighborhood where the kitchen closes early at many spots.\n\nSukhumvit 51 has filled in considerably over the years, but Kelly's doesn't feel like a product of that trend. It opened on the premise that a small, specific Japanese bar with a real owner identity could hold its ground. A decade-plus later, it still does.