Restaurant Tips

[PeterRS]

Suspect Le Bouchon is still not yet open in the new location. Passed by the top of Soi Nanta/Mozart on Sathorn Soi 1 the day before Songkran and there was still a lot of work going on.

Two notes on the excellent recommendations. Eat Me is a wonderful up-market small Australian fusion restaurant that has maintained its standards for something like 20 years now. But its prices have risen very considerably and it's now nearer the top end. It's also not the sort of restaurant that you should walk into wearing a Hawaian short and shorts. 

The location of Ruen Urai in an old-style Thai house at the Rose Hotel on Suriwong is excellent as is its Thai cuisine. It's small and elegant, and looks more pricey than in fact it is. Book in advance and insist on being on the ground level. Upstairs there is no view and feels quite claustrophobic.

For Italian, Zanotti on Soi Convent is near the top of the tree with prices to match. Much better value and more casual is Il Bolognese off Sathorn Soi 7. The owner for many years sold the restaurant more than a year ago and has moved to a new Italian restaurant off a soi at the lower end of Soi Ngamduplee (closer to Narathiwat). Sorry cannot recall the name.

[PeterRS]

Re Le Bouchon, we dined there yesterday evening. It felt a little strange as we kept trying to work out where the Babylon entrance and staircases had been! We found nothing familiar. Not surprising since it had been a ladies spa and another business since Babylon moved out to the larger premises further down the soi about two decades earlier.

We had heard mixed reports about both the food and the service. Some of the staff from the old location on Patpong 2 were still there and they were excellent. Three tall, younger Thai ladies were rather dumb but we assume they will learn. Once seated and with our drinks, everything moved up quite a few notches. We both thought the food was excellent, especially a starter with Hokkaido scallops. The salmon was also near perfection. My plentiful chocolate mousse for dessert had a lovely chocolatey taste and a nice consistency. My partner's Creme Brûlée was as good.

Price for a three course meal plus aperitifs and a glass of wine each was 1,900 baht for two. Good value even if on the slightly pricey side. The present menu will be gradually expanded as the staff get into their stride. We were told that the set lunch at 480 baht++ is packed virtually every day. Last night it was around three-quarters full. Closed every Tuesday.

[vaughn]

I have a new recommendation from my last trip, it's not reasonably priced and more of a stuffy fine dining restaurant. The stunning boy I took with me turned a few heads, the table alongside us had an oh-so-posh British gay couple talking about this 1880s vintage they simply must try. They gave the best side eye glance and disapproving look I'd ever seen haha.

The restaurant is Blue Elephant and was one of the best meals I've ever had in Bangkok, highly recommended if you want to try fine dining Thai food. https://www.blueelephant.com/bangkok/

 

[PeterRS]

Blue Elephant has been a Bangkok Institution for almost two decades. I had the pleasure of being invited to a dinner party there soon after it opened. Everything was as near perfect as one could hope for - food, service, ambience. etc. Since then I have been back more than a dozen times and have never once been disappointed. It's a great restaurant if you have a special guest you would like to impress. The late King's sister, Princess Galyani, would sometimes dine there.

[Patanawet]

On 5/13/2022 at 8:51 AM, PeterRS said:

Blue Elephant has been a Bangkok Institution for almost two decades. I had the pleasure of being invited to a dinner party there soon after it opened. Everything was as near perfect as one could hope for - food, service, ambience. etc. Since then I have been back more than a dozen times and have never once been disappointed. It's a great restaurant if you have a special guest you would like to impress. The late King's sister, Princess Galyani, would sometimes dine there.

I seem to remember, 20+ years ago, visiting a Blue Elephant Thai restaurant  in South London.
It had a stream  running through it  with a bridge-- or maybe my memory is embellishing that bit.

At  that time I worked in Soho and a section of the area was closed off by the police with a 'bomb scare' -- it turned out to be the local Thai restaurant frying chilli's or shrimp paste

[Londoner]

A number of Blue Elephants in London. My favourite is two hundred yards from Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea FC. The taste is always better after we win!

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Londoner said:

A number of Blue Elephants in London. My favourite is two hundred yards from Stamford Bridge, the home of Chelsea FC. The taste is always better after we win!

Well, let's hope Chelsea win today.    [Disclosure:    My interest is in seeing the Scousers lose]

[Londoner]

Don't get me started!

[10tazione]

I enjoyed the food in Baan Suriyasai in Surawong Road, in the price range of Mango Tree (or maybe slightly more expensive).

[thaiophilus]

I second the recommendations for Blue Elephant (the Bangkok one)

Baan Chiang (on Th. Sri Wiang near BTS Surasak) is another restaurant similar to Mango Tree. I haven't been there for a while but it used to be pretty good.

[vaughn]

'The House on Sathorn' below the W Hotel was another favorite dining experience from my last trip, it's a little more relaxed than Blue Elephant but still on the expensive side. Great food and service, in a really beautiful courtyard of a heritage home. https://www.thehouseonsathorn.com/

Worth adding to the list for anyone who hasn't been there.

[orson]

What about somboon seafood in suriwongse? Is it still good? 

[Fantasia]

On 5/17/2022 at 8:02 AM, orson said:

What about somboon seafood in suriwongse? Is it still good? 

I went there 2 months ago. It's still my fav haha