Bangkok is a veritable goldmine of high-end gourmet tables brimming with gastronomic delights...
Dining out in the City of Angels is an experience of extreme enjoyment, especially since the luxury eats scene has evolved at such a rapid pace, outside of five-star hotels. Gastronomes are gleefully seeing heavyweight Michelin-star and celebrity chefs drawn, as testament to Bangkok’s dining desirability.
One staple of consistently excellent cuisine and service, founded nearly 20 years ago, which has grown in size and popularity ever since, is Eat Me. Tucked away on a sub-street of Soi Convent, off Silom Road, and influenced by Asian and Australian styles, this restaurant, bar and gallery, which oozes a casual elegance, has amassed countless accolades, remaining highly relevant. With some of the most attentive and friendly staff the city has to offer, literally everything on the menu is to die for. Be sure to save room for the signature sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and ice cream, and stay for a homemade shot of limoncello or chocolate-bar vodka.
A much-sought after dining destination, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is found on the fifth floor of the Mahanakhon CUBE building. Open for lunch and dinner, the brand speaks for itself and the French cuisine served is of international renown, all within decidedly ‘tres chic’ surrounds. Sit back and watch the show, as the chefs perform for your dining pleasure in the open kitchen, and sip on decadent French vintages. Opt for the epicurean tasting menus on a first outing, and be sure to book well in advance.
Another must-dine luxury French establishment, with a Dutch touch, worthy of note, and also eponymously named, Savelberg is located at the Oriental Residence on Wireless Road. Chef Henk’s four-course Savelberg Experience, in which each ingredient appears to shine, features a steak tartar, grilled monkfish and roasted veal, delicately surmised by an apple strudel and apple sorbet.
The multi-award-winning kitchen, and brain-child of Chef Gaggan Anand, on Soi Langsuan, Gaggan resides inside an old Thai-style house and serves up progressive Indian cuisine of the molecular-gastronomic kind. On every top table list, gourmets flock in droves, to sample the refined dinner concoctions. This alchemist chef, formerly of elBulli, Spain, has composed The Gaggan Experience, a vastly creative tasting journey, for which snagging a table is a feat unto itself, in need of forward planning. Expect an ensemble of smoked, spherified, pulverized and foamed creations, in picture-perfect presentations.
Thai-inspired eatery, Le Du, focuses on prime locally-sourced, seasonal, sustainable and free-range produce, with both à la carte and four- or six-course tasting menus, accompanied by befitting wines. Ancient Thai traditions are coupled with modern culinary techniques, to conjure up highlights from land and sea, such as black barracuda and 30-day dry-aged beef tenderloin. Located on Silom Soi 7 and closed on Sundays, young high-calibre chefs at Le Du have put this dimly-lit street well and truly on the culinary map, with tasting menus a relative steal, comparatively speaking.
Zuma is a sizable independently run Japanese restaurant, perfectly placed inside the five-star St. Regis Bangkok. Of international acclaim, Bangkok’s chapter of this gourmet venue hits the mark for contemporary Izakaya style consumption. Precision-sliced sushi, sashimi and robata grill meats and seafood never disappoint, particularly the signature arjun negi toro rolls, and seabass with truffle oil and salmon roe. Open throughout the day until late, indulge in the recommendations for elite sake and wine pairings and linger on the terrace for a memorable night out.
This selection is by no means exhaustive, given Bangkok’s long-standing love affair with food and its fleet of top quality fine and fabulous dining destinations.
Dining out is clearly a subjective affair anywhere, yet, these standout establishments seem to hit the mark again and again, drawing diners from near and far to their doors. Bangkok is a definite hotspot, whatever your food preference…
Look out for my next blog on Bangkok food trucks, coming soon!
NB: Photo credits courtesy of the establishments mentioned.