n addition to JESTER'S at the Peninsula Hotel, where we are staying, we are considering two other high end restaurants in Bangkok.
D'Sens (French cuisine) in the Dunsit Thani hotel for their prix fixe French dinner menu (1700 BHT not the 2900 BHT menu)
AND
Lord Jim's (international cuisine) in the Oriental hotel for the seafood.
Not interested in the rooftop/outdoor restaurants.
Anyone eaten at these restaurants? Is one better than the other?

Or do you have other suggests for French or international restaurants in BKK?

Lord Jim and Jesters are not exactly French, more like fusion. D'Sens is often very quiet and if they do have a lot of guests then the food can take quite long.

For the most authentic French I would go to the Normandie at the Oriental. For more home style type of French cooking I like Phillipe.

i've been to d'sens a couple of times for the executive lunch. excellent food and value.

the butter is just fabulous. goes well with the various breads.

Hanuman,
Yes, that is what I said in my post, that Lord Jim's was international... No, it's not French, I am not just looking for French... My title refers to two types highend (meaning international fusions-- which is too long to put in a title) & also to French, which is D'Sens.

Normandie is beyond our price range. It's very pricey.

I will check into Phillipe. Where is it?

Can you recommend another international/fusion/seafood restaurant in BKK?

No Thai food as I am highly allergic to chili spice.
thanks!

Phillipe is situated in Sukhumvit Soi 39 and I like it for it's home style cooking for French country dishes like stews and apple tart. Prices are quite reasonable.

For fusion seafood type of restaurant here are some choices for you apart from Lord Jim and Jester's:

Cy'an at the Metropolitan hotel - pricey.
Harvey's(Sukhumvit soi 55) not exclusively seafood but they do have a lot flown in everyday(clams, lobsters etc) - also pricey.
Zanotti(Soi Saladang, near the Dusit Thani hotel) Italian but they always have lots of fresh seafood on the menu(razor clams, scorpion fish, New England lobsters etc) - moderate prices.

If I can think of more I'll let you know.

Tagging along so I can be sure and get info. from this thread.

Hi

Maybe not French...but if you are into wine I would recommend V9 at Hotel Sofitel on Silom road. A great view of Bangkok, a nice selection of European wine and it is affordable

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

the oldest french rest. in bkk is the Le Bouchon; 37/117 patpong II; tel: 02-234-9109

small and simple....quite good even though it is in patpong....


lord jim is fantastic...make res and ask for a window seat....the lunch buffet is out of this world...about $27...

our fav bkk rest. contiunes to be biscotti in the four seasons hotel...make a res...italian

Thanks to all.

Hey rhkkmk,

We live in Los Angeles, so Italian is not something we'd spend time in BKK eating, that is why I'm focusing on international, fusion & highend French & seafood (other than sushi a we have great ones here)... highend French is very expensive here.

I've heard that Le Delat Indochine on soi 23, sukhumvit is good, but I am wondering if there is any Vietnamese cuisine that does not involve chili peppers/oil or sesame oil? (I am violently allergic)?

Will definitely do Lord Jim's or D'Sens for dinner, plus Jester's... Diem Sum @ Pen. I know their Thai restaurant is good, but I can't eat so much of it (due to allergies) and we have thousands of them in L.A. (due to a very large Thai population) & it's something that is very available where we live.

So, that is why I am focusing on fusion (the best I've had is Chin-Chin in Auckland, New Zealand on the wharf), French & international...

What is the food like at Le Bouchon? I don't care if it's in Patpong, if it's great French food, who cares!? ;-)

i would call it french country food...

biscotti was suggested because it is a bit different in many ways and less costly there than here...

If you're allergic to chili oil etc then you better becareful since fusion to me is Thai food + other nationality food and they would still use chili oil.

Check out Mahanaga(Thai infused with European food) if you like that kind of thing.

Le Bouchon - great for a quick meal. The Escargot there is good. Kind of hard to find.

I would not do le Delat Indochine. You can get much better vietnamese food elsewhere (including LA).

Is the new French restaurant in River City open? Has anyone eaten there or heard any reviews?

we loved le delat...

I liked Le Delat Indochine a lot several years ago but when I went last time I thought it had gone way down hill.

I have actually learned how to say I am allergic to chili in Thai. Now I need to learn sesame oil. To me fusion means fusion of different cuisines, not necessarily Thai. It can be French-Japonaise, Chinoise-Filipino-French. There's an incredible fusion restaurant that fuses all of those cuisines in Auckland called Chin-Chin, it's on the wharf. Just order all the appetizers, the chef has worked in many cities...Toykyo, Montreal, San Francicso, etc.

Someone on Trip Advisor recommended a French restaurant in BKK called Le Banyon... And THEIR website claims that they are the 'oldest French restaurant in all of Asia'... which is quite a claim...

I went to their menu & it seems they specialize in fois gras (fried & cold) yum-yum...& pressed duck... their appetizers & desserts sound wonderful. Has anyone here eaten there? Although their a la carte menu seems to be more expensive than the prix fixe French dinner menu @ D'Sens... which is 1700 BHT pp.

Any of your foodies have an opinion on Le Banyon?

Le Banyan is situated in Sukhumvit Soi 8. I used to eat there a lot when they first open, I still have a certificate that my first pressed duck there was number 7 for the restaurant.

Set in a converted 70s style house with lighted gardens at night. The owners were the old maitre de at the Normandie(Oriental hotel) and the head chef during the 1980s.

After a while I found that the food went down hill hence the last time I ate there was around 10 years ago so based my opinion on that.

Thanks for your advice. When restaurants change chefs it can have a dire effect on the food.

How far in advance do we need to ask our Pen. concierge to make a reservation for a window seat at the Oriental's Lord Jim restaurant for dinner first week of March?

Also, is the 'great lunch buffet' as good as the dinner or do you recommend just the dinner?