Quiet, Please! I'm Eating.

by Jup

Sunday, August 01, 2010 at 07:13 AM EDT

I remember the traditional libraries where you had to be extremely quiet and no food or drinks were allowed inside the premises. The one I recall from my days as a child was a building that divided into 2 sections upon entering; the room to the left was where all the children's books were, with a little corner full of toys. Across the hall, the spacious dark room filled with rows and rows of shelves brimming with books seemed intimidating for a mere child.

I haven't been to many libraries in my life but it seems that the more modern libraries nowadays are embracing a new concept; one where food, drinks and chit chat are allowed in designated areas. It gives the feel of a coffee shop, and I think that's where Li-bra-ry got the ideas for their shop from.

This tiny coffee shop has an outdoor seating area and two adjacent rooms inside, comprising a total of about 10 tables, a bar and a long communal table for patrons to sit down with their laptops and wile away the day, which is exactly what we did. The walls are lined with white bookcases, with piles of magazines leaning against each other. In the middle of the communal table were also more stacks of magazines...rest assured you won't be bored here if you happen to be waiting for a friend.

Li-bra-ry has a simple menu with a mix of European and Thai food. I had the Spaghetti Carbonara (135 baht) which was surprisingly good (but don't expect al dente pasta here) and Jane had Khun Chai Soi Dao, rice topped with shredded sweet pickled radish and a fried egg with a sprinkling of chopped fresh chilies. Her friend had Kaeng Kiew Wan, or green curry, and although the Brownie Donuts (65 baht) looked delicious, we didn't have any room left to try them.

This is a great place to just hang out and relax or to get some work done. And, unlike in traditional libraries, you don't have to keep the noise level to a minimum or tiptoe to the bathroom.

Li-bra-ry
70 Rama 9 Soi 41
Suanluang, Bangkok
Thailand 10250
Tel: 02-718-3993
Open: Daily 10:00am-9:00pm

This article originally appeared on Jup's Pintoh.