The Algonquin

Chiang Mai Thailand
Welcome

OUR MISSION

To inspire enduring connections and well-being within the Chiang Mai creative community.

OUR VALUES

Conviviality

We cherish merrymaking and revelry, feasting together at the table of life and enjoying lively conversations with friends old and new. The Algonquin fosters an environment of cheer, fellowship and jollification.

Localism

Localism is a long-term vision that supports the inclusive co-creation of our future community where human relations are the focal point. Localism is our shared identity for community well-being.

Privacy

The club is an analog space without screens that fosters the art of conversation. By not allowing cameras, phones or recording, the Algonquin is a place for personal refuge and an antedote to digital burnout.

WHO WE ARE

The Algonquin is an invite-only social club limited to 300 members, who enjoy an intimate community of like-minded people in a private, elegant setting.

Founded by two friends as a stylish escape from the crowd, the Algonquin is a social club that offers a diverse group of members an exclusive room for inspiring conversations and invite-only events. The club is housed in a quiet hidden venue with an elegant, bespoke design and serves as a hub for cultured, curious tastemakers who seek a private place to reflect their style.
The Algonquin is an in-town refuge for a privileged community of friends. We convene in the spirit of The Algonquin Round Table, where tastemakers spent leisurely lunches in conversations defined by a wit that stood against dullness, conformity and mediocrity.
It is our sensibility of gaiety and optimism that rejects the superficiality of social and broadcast media. We believe that authentic human connection is incomparable to a text, and a genuine laugh is ultimately more satisfying than a "like." The Algonquin is where important introductions are made and inspiring ideas are shared.

WHAT WE OFFER

The Algonquin is your in-town refuge.

Members of the Algonquin come to drink, dine and relax in a beautiful analog space, free from screens and the noise of social media. With menu items offered at special member prices, it is an affordable escape for those who seek a curated experience. Unlike impersonal, crowded restaurants or coffee shops, the club offers an intimate setting, with a comfort and privacy that fosters authentic human connection. Algonquin members and guests leave behind the demanding world of measurement and enter the world of possibility. Learn more here about the benefits of membership

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THE DIFFERENCE

Belong to the Algonquin tribe.

The Algonquin is not a hangout for Instagram ''influencers'', high-society posers, multi-level marketers or tourists. It is a secret space for curious, kind, adventuresome and convivial members. The club has zero social media presence and the house phone number is known only to members. We are not listed on Google Maps, or in any directory. Casual elegant dress is required. Use of mobile phones is not permitted.

The Club Features

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  • One of the best wine selections in town

    Drawing from a diverse group of importers, the Algonquin is proud to offer members access to an outstanding selection of wines from around the world at prices well below fine dining restaurants.

  • Private events for members

    Members are welcome to make use of the Algonquin for private events and meetings, including art exhibitions and catered lunches or dinners.

  • Inspiring dinner guests

    At least once a quarter, the Algonquin invites a well-known person to join select members for a special dinner and single-topic discussion.

  • Cold Chain Craft Beer

    Enjoy founding member Rene Federson's exclusive Bangkok-brewed Markie , served on tap at the Algonquin.

  • Bespoke cocktails

    The Algonquin has created signature cocktails that can only be found at our bar. Affordable luxury!

  • Full Western kitchen

    We offer a Sunday brunch, daily lunch and dinner menu, focused on Western fair with Thai currys, appetizers and salads.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

We convene as "The Virtuous Circle", expanding empathy and conviviality.

Today’s age is one where the great dream is to trade up from money to meaning. In it we find an unshakable and discomfiting sense that, in our obsession with optimizing our creative routines and maximizing our productivity, we have forgotten how to be truly present in the delightful mystery of life. This is a new age of fulfillment, where one can’t maintain a great work ethic without having a great rest ethic. We believe that the leisurely life is an artful life, one that expresses the curiosity, humor and waywardness of our essential humanity. Leisure is enjoyed for its own sake, without the intention of utility. In these activities, we’re our best creative and authentic selves, where our attention is on creating for creating’s sake, rather than consideration for results and how they are measured. The Algonquin is defined by a spirit of infinite and cheerful uselessness, born from a desire to avoid the evils of work. One of the underlying reasons for the Algonquin's existence is to cultivate appreciative inquiry among its members, by staking our ground against the tyranny of urgency and addiction to social media.


UPCOMING EVENTS

Your guide to what's happening at the Algonquin.

Loafing toward Salvation

Chris | December 05 2020 |

The Algonquin ethos is perfectly content is its pointlessness. It’s not a formula for any kind of traditional measure of success, nor intended to achieve any specific purpose. It’s defined by a spirit of infinite and cheerful uselessness that is found in all forms of play, and born from a desire to avoid the evils of work. When we embrace our laziness, we feel less guilty about the pursuit of leisure. We allow ourselves the time to dream and create versus being consumed by daily practical concerns. The leisurely life is an artful life, one that expresses the curiosity, humor and waywardness of our essential humanity.

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The Good Life

Chris | November 05 2020 |

I was in line at the grocery check-out and noticed that all the lifestyle magazines featured bucket lists. You know, the 20 places in the world you must visit before you die, the restaurants you have to try, the ultimate experiences that define a well-lived life. And I thought, really? I must? And if I don’t, I’m somehow less of a person, living a pale rendition of ‘the good life’? Bucket lists are for suckers, here’s why…

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The Five Faces of Shiva

Chris | October 05, 2015 |

What do you do in your free time? We ask this harmless question to better know a person by their interests or when we want to steer the conversation away from work. I pose it when I sense that people aren’t inspired in their career, because of the way they say things like, “It’s just a job”, with the same tone of resignation one might use in the phrase, “But I can control it with medication”. Free time is a strange concept, because it implies that the rest of our time is not free; we pay for it with our labor. It is only the small remainder of spare time that we can call our own; the leftovers from the banquet of life.

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Membership by invitation only | Elegant casual dress

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