Walking inside May‘s dimly lit lounge, it’s hard to focus on just one element. Beautiful red and gold Thai lanterns seem to float from the ceiling, the liquor shelves behind the bar are placed in their own mini golden palaces, and a giant protective kinara (half man/half bird) hangs above the bar stools. My friend and I opted for one of the cushy half-circle booths and relaxed to Modest Mouse and the Roots. Select cocktails, beer, and wine are $4 each every day between 5 and 7 p.m., and again from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. To start things off, we tried the Razzle, an interesting blend of vodka and raspberry liqueur with a champagne float. It tasted almost royal. From the happy-hour menu, we selected a collection of four of their six appetizer choices for $9 (alone, the appetizers are $4 each). Artfully arranged on a grand, traditional Thai serving platter, our sampler included guay tiew taung taake (rice noodles with Chinese broccoli and egg), pla meuk yang (calamari with Thai chili sauce—the spicy zing made our eyes water), and gai tod (chicken wings). The latter had a too-tough texture but a unique, kicky flavor. To cleanse our palates, our server suggested a regular Cosmo; it was strong but not overpowering, with just the right touch of lime to offset the sweet juice. All in all: Decent food, better cocktails, heavenly atmosphere. 1612 N. 45th St., 206-675-0037, www.mayrestaurant.com. WALLINGFORD