French Restaurant and Lounge

The number and quality of French restaurants in Bangkok has increased dramatically over the past few months. One of the latest is the impressive Paris Bangkok in the Saladaeng business area. French owned it falls, according to its energetic General Manager Philipp Seipelt, “mid-way between a brasserie and a fine dining restaurant.”

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The restaurant is housed in an extensively converted home. The main dining area is in what was formerly a garden. Although almost entirely covered with a roof, a large tree has been retained, giving it the feel of a garden and the advantages of dining indoors. What was once the house now contains the kitchen and three rooms for parties and private dining.

The décor is a charming mix of Thai and western influences, but as one looks about, the verve and sense of style are unmistakably French. There is an abundance of warm wood, lots of earth colors and a large number of plants, and, of course, that enormous tree. The art pieces that dot the restaurant are primarily from Thailand. There is an attractive bar and a popular lounge area with casual seating where customers can enjoy a quality Cuban cigar and a fine drink.

The kitchen is under the direction of Eloi de Fontenay, a Frenchman with extensive experience in France and Belgium, including a stint at the 2-star Michelin restaurant “Sea-Grill” where renowned Chef Yves Mattagne took him under his wing and became his mentor. In 2008 Chef Eloi undertook the challenge of opening a fine dining French restaurant in Beijing and a short time ago moved to Bangkok to take charge of the kitchen at Paris Bangkok.

Chef Eloi likes to keep things simple by emphasizing fresh, high quality ingredients. This was illustrated when we tried his 620 baht Slow roasted, marinated lamb shoulder, eggplant caviar with lemon confit. “We had a hard time finding lamb that satisfied the chef,” Philipp told me, “but once we discovered it, he has prepared some great dishes with it.”

Another dish I enjoyed was the Tuna and cod fish ceviche with avocado and tomatoes, in a lime marinade at 370 baht. It was a balanced combination of fresh fish flavors and tartness that punctuated by a dash of tomato and avocado. Served in a martini cocktail glass the portion was large enough to be enjoyable and still leave room for the main course to come.

Quality seafood is an integral part of the French dining experience and Paris Bangkok doesn't scrimp on the precious commodity. Live Atlantic lobsters are imported weekly and served in a variety of ways, including a Traditional lobster thermidor, a dish rarely encountered in Bangkok. Fine de claire oysters from France are also imported regularly and served with black bread, butter, shallot vinegar, and yellow lemon.

Considerable thought has gone into the creation of the restaurant's wine list. The proprietors recognize that wine is expensive in Thailand and they have taken steps to make wine drinking affordable by selecting less expensive quality wines and keeping the restaurant's mark-up low. The list emphasizes wines from France, but also includes numerous selections from other areas. Wines by the glass start at 120 baht and bottles begin at only 700 baht. There are also reasonably priced house wines available in carafes.

Set lunches at Paris Bangkok are among the most comprehensive and reasonably priced of any to be found in the city. One dish is 180 baht; two dishes are 360 baht and two dishes plus dessert are 460 baht; coffee or tea is complimentary.

What sets these lunches apart from most of the competition is the number of courses available. The last time we checked there were nine appetizer courses, including items like Nicoise salad or Light pumpkin soup with Thai watercress. The five different main courses included Pan-fried dory fish with mashed potatoes and spring onions and Slow roasted chicken breast in its own juice with sage, new potatoes. And for dessert there were four choices, including a delicious Traditional French chocolate mousse and a Selection of ice cream and sorbet. 



In closing it is important to note that the restaurant has probably the most comprehensive and well-organized website of any dining spot in town. Any information that you could possibly require is available, including provisions for making online reservations. Checkout www.parisbangkok.com to see what it is all about.

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