Doug_1970

Hi,

I went to a French restuarant in Bangkok about 2 years ago but I can't remember where it was. There was seating inside and outside, most of the seating outside was on mats on the floor and there were lots of alcoves and trees.

I think it was near Sukhumvit, but I'm not sure. I'm going back to Bangkok next week and want to go back, can anyone tell me where it is ?

Thanks

Doug

MegatopLover

I can't tell ya for sure, but have a look at the listings for French restaurants on this site and see if one of the names jogs your memory. You can sort by location or cuisine. From your description and the review's descriptions, it sounds like A L'Etage, Suk Soi 39, may be the place.

Meerkat

Not the same restaurant as I think you were asking about, but I had a good dinner a couple of nights ago at another French restaurant here, Indigo. Sounds a bit similar; some seating inside, some outside. The outside tables are set in a leafy alcove - the restaurant itself is on a quiet soi, so pleasant to sit outside.

It's on Soi Convent, a few minutes walk from the Silom Complex. The menu was pretty extensive and the food wasn't bad. The tuna tartare was a tad oversalted, but the duck confit was excellent. Wine list could have been fuller, but with around 6 reds and whites each available by the glass, was perfect for me as I was driving. The bill came to THB 1,100 each (starter, main, a glass of wine and a coffee) which I thought was good vfm.

MegatopLover

Indigo sounds nice. ^^ The wine list seems as short as seemingly everywhere else in Bangkok. That's one of the reasons why I often bring my own from America. Another reason is I really know what I like and it's often things that are hard to find on U.S. winelists, nevermind overseas (where a ridiculous tarriff jacks the price even higher than already absurd super-retail).

On that point, we had a strange experience at Prime, the steakhouse at the Millennium Hilton. They saw that we had brought our own wine (an '01 Dominus, which turned out to be underwhelming), so maybe they didn't show us the full list. But when we were walking out, I had a peak in their wine room, and they had quite a lot of my favorite labels--very impressive, especially for BKK. The portions at Prime were definitely American-sized, except that they didn't offer heart-attack-at-the-table-sized steaks, which was fine. The steaks weren't quite as good as you can get at American steakhouses, but that may be because I'm used to how American beef tastes (no mad cow jokes, please!) and I think I was served Australian. The service was outstanding, which is why the place was recommended to us.

On my next trip, we're going French. (We did Prime because basically every French restaurant in town was closed for Songkran on my last visit.) The F&B director at the hotel we always stay at has put in a strong recommendation for La Vendome (review included on the site linked from my post above), so we'll give that a try. They've got some yummy-looking foie gras on the menu (a favorite of both me and Mr. Megatop), in addition to lots and lots of other tasties. So good, in fact, that we might build our own "tasting" menu by ordering four or five courses from the a la carte menu. I'll try to remember to post comments after we dine there.

Peregrine415

Is it Lyon behind the Conrad Hotel on Wireless Road or Philippe?

Always Flyin

Lyon is behind the Conrad on Ruam Rudee.

Philippe is on Sukhumvit Soi 39.

MegatopLover

Went to Le Vendome a few weeks ago. Food was quite good, and our server was a young Thai woman, very friendly and good at her job. The ambiance left a bit to be desired, but that was probably due to special circumstances... The thing that irritated us the most was that management, who was there and generally friendly, made no attempt to apologise or otherwise make up for the bad situation we found ourselves in. The dining room is small, reportedly holding just seven tables or so. Well, six of them had been combined into one massive banquet table for a party of at least 26 people obviously on some big business dinner. The manager tried to stick us at a little table in the corner at the foot of the stairs on the way to the bathroom-- as if we were the poor cousins intruding on the proper banquet, or the kids at the kids' table during Thanksgiving. Mr. Megatop and I wanted no part of that so we opted to sweat it out in Bangkok's sweltering heat outside in the garden (pleasant, except when the smokers from inside came outside to light up a few feet from us). The staff did bring us a mobile a/c unit to blow cold air on us but it was a pretty uncomfortable experience overall. I can understand getting hit with a last-minute large booking, and the restaurant does have to make money, but management really needed to do some service-recovery work not just shrug shoulders. On balance, I wouldn't tell people never to go, but I wouldn't put the place on the top of my "recommended" list either. Food was very good, ambiance and management-level service NEEDS WORK.

Corkage was steap for Bangkok, at 700 baht (and they never poured us a drop, which really frosted me!). At least the wine was good, if I do say so myself.

BTW: The place is very difficult to find. Suk. Soi 31 splits into a Y shape, with addresses ending in /2 on the left fork of the Y. Le Vendome is on the left fork.

MegatopLover

Dragging up an old thread...

Mr. Megatop is looking for places to go for my birthday this year, coming up at the end of this month. He has suggested picking one of the following... your comments/reviews are most welcome:

A L'Etage
Le Banyan
Ma Maison
Aubergine
Le Pre Grill
Lyon

ak333

IIRC, the Thai custom is for the birthday boy to pay for the dinner, so shouldn't you decide?

Kalboz

I would definitely recommend Le Banyan. Dined twice there in the past (2005 & 2007) and it was the best quality of food & cooking, service and ambience. IMHO the food was better than Le Normandie's at the Oriental.

Try the foie gras, the Chateaubriand, the signature dish of pressed duck Rouennaise-style and /or salmon!!! ... amazing French food.

MegatopLover

Hehehehe. Mr. Megatop has volunteered on this one, but I probably won't let him get away with it. In any case, I'll be bringing the wine.

Thanks for the good words on Le Banyan. I was leaning toward that one or A L'Etage. We might also do Le Pre Grill one other night.

So many restaurants and food stalls in Bangkok, so little time....

Anyone else have any comments or suggestions?

Chapel Hill Guy

We (two of us) had dinner at Lyon in November. We were staying at the Conrad and just sort of stumbled on it walking out the back door.

Good food and service. Nothing spectacular or exceptional, just solid. I'd eat there again. White table cloths and waiters in tuxes IIRC. Only two other couples there on a Monday night.

From our check:

Starters:
Salade Roquefort 190THB
Moules 380THB

Mains:
Saumon Champagne 450THB
Boeuf (aka filet ) 450THB

Dessert:
Mouse (sic; we split it) 160THB

Two bottled water @ 30 = 60THB
Four glasses red wine @ 220 = 880THB

10% service 257THB
7% tax 197.89 THB

Total 3024.89 THB

Kalboz

You are very welcome MegatopLover

Corkage fee for wine at Le Banyan is 500 Baht.

D'sens at the top floor of the Dusit Thani Hotel is an excellent French restaurant also. Dined there once in May 2005. Eating there reminded me of the final dinner in the 1987 film "Babbette's Feast"

From May 21-24, the Dusit Thani Bangkok is holding a four-day culinary extravaganza to showcase fine French cuisine for the delectation of food connoisseurs. It's called "Printemps Gourmand" and it will feature menus at lunch and dinner by famous chefs, afternoon high tea with gourmet desserts, special cooking demonstrations, fabulous cocktails concocted by star mixologists, and an art exhibition.

For more information about the festival, please call 02-200-9000 ext 2499 or email Thomas Deledalle, D'Sens manager at [email protected] or [email protected].

http://www.bangkokpost.com/leisure/r...french-cuisine

Kalboz

Another option you might want to consider is the new Plaza Athenee Bangkok generous promo offer that will get you free dinner at their French restaurant Reflexions with paid accommodation: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...bangkok-2.html

Back in Sept. 2006 (during the military coup), we had a full dinner for two at this place and the total price was between 4-5K Baht. The food quality was excellent and I highly recommend it. This was the first time I tried frog legs and they really test like chicken Very nice ambiance, they play silent-era movies on their high wall.

MegatopLover

We might have to give Reflexions a try. Thank you for the suggestion.

Mr. Megatop booked us in to Le Banyan. I trust it will be lovely.