Chang Live Park presents Time Out Love Bangkok Awards 2016: European

Jarrett Wrisley collaborates with Roman chef, Paolo Vitaletti and opens an Italian restaurant named Appia. Named for and inspired by the ancient road which connected Rome to the southern part of Italy, Appia combines original Roman food with southern Italian recipes. Interesting, right? Both the handmade pasta and the gnocchi are musts. The porchetta is also recommended, a mouthwatering roast pork sliced and served in the traditional Italian style. For lighter fare, try the zucchini salad with parmesan or A Caprese in Puglia, a dish that combines burrata, crispy bread and oven-dried tomatoes. My Mother’s Tiramisu nicely rounds things off.

Joel Robuchon brings the taste of Michelin stars closer to Bangkok with L’atelier de Joel Robuchon sitting on the 5th floor of Mahanakhon Cube. The space decks out with red lighting matched up with black furniture to evoke a lavish lounge vibe, while high counter is inspired from the Japanese sushi bar. Helming the kitchen is Olivier Limousin whose background includes stints of working in Paris and London’s top kitchens. The menu sees a list of decadent cuisine à la française whipped up by refined ingredients. 

There was so much hype around Bunker when it opened earlier in the year. Award-winning chef Tim Butler of Eat Me is one of the people behind it, for one. Plus, the kitchen is led by Arnie Marcella, the former head chef of The Elm and Aldea in New York (rated 4 stars by Time Out New York) and a culinary cohort of Michelin-star chefs like Michael White and Paul Liebrandt.

Café Parisien, one of the eatery outlets in Glasshouse@Sindhorn has been known as a trustworthy spot serving authentic cuisine à la francaise. Nestled in the peaceful stretch of Wireless Road, it has been a popular lunch spot for office workers who looks to enjoy refined French dishes served in a stylish setting with a wallet-friendly price. The menu carries French dishes that stay true to their roots and show a great diversity of French cooking methods.

Shanghai-founded Revolucion Cocktail has been attracting drinkers to Sathorn for over a year; now it calls out to discerning diners with Clandestino Catina, an upper-floor eatery that serves Latin American favorites with a twist. Clandestino Cantina’s interiors are casual and welcoming, translating to wooden furniture, and colorful mural and ceiling art depicting typical Mexican and Latin American representations (the sugar skull Mexican Day of the Dead and Amazonian parrots, for example).

Garnering the 23rd spot in the Asia’s 50 best restaurants list this year, Eat Me has been spicing up Silom for years with sensational dishes churned out by the New York-hailed Tim Butler. His signature includes the pan-seared scallop dish that brings the citrus note from the combination of green mango, chili, and coriander, double spicy lemongrass chicken that comes with lime, cucumber and chili and heftily-portioned Australian wagyu tomahawk.

Since last October, the new executive chef Anthony Scholtmeyer has given a new life to The Okura Prestige’s fine-dining establishment, Elements. He reinterprets traditional French cuisine with a touch of Japanese flavors and ingredients. The fact that all the dishes are available a-la-carte makes it feels more casual for diners who don’t feel like being tied to a table for three hours in order to enjoy a full course meal.

Highly influenced by international flavors but located rather far from the rest of the world, Australia has developed a cuisine that is unique in its own way. “Australian cuisine is a free-thinking kind of cuisine,” says Marcus Boyle, general manager and sommelier of Freebird, the latest hangout spot in bustling Sukhumvit. Backed by owners and co-founders Alan Barr and Benjamin Lee, Chef Dallas Cuddy injects contemporary tweaks into Australian dishes and serve them in a friendly and cozy environment.

A fancy trip to Paris used to be incomplete without a Facebook check-in at the original branch of the prestigious restaurant, La Maison de la Truffe. Now, thanks to a group of Thai business moguls, including Kamolsut Dabbaransi and Chalermchai Mahagaitsiri, Bangkok can enjoy the deluxe truffle experience at the first La Maison de la Truffe in Asia. The classic and sophisticated dining room reflects the décor at the original Paris branch: art deco interiors decked out with large mirrors and neo-classic furniture imported from France.

With a sweeping view overlooking Chao Phraya River, the historic Le Normandie of The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok has been offering rich Bangkokians with the refined touch of French cuisine for years. Steering the kitchen is chef Arnaud Dunand Sauthier who creates stunning dishes like venison tenderloin with pumpkin and chestnut and Oscietra caviar served with sea urchin, potato, and dill.

Nestled underground of Hotel Muse, Medici Kitchen and Bar evokes the mysterious vibe of a dungeon matched up with the chic neo-industrial interior defined by dark wood furnishing and steel. The menu carries a list of Italian fare whipped up by the food-passionate chef Nicollino Lalla, such as sautéed Tasmanian mussels in lemon white wine sauce and grilled Australian T-Bone steak. There are also opera singers deliver patriotic tunes all night.

Though new head chef Joost Bijster Western has turned the focus on tapas and casual dishes, regulars can still order gourmet favorites like lamb rack with walnut crust, Jerusalem artichoke purée, roasted shallot and berry jus (B1,900), and pan-roasted Tajima wagyu ribeye with black pepper crust, sautéed mushrooms, potato gratin and pepper sauce (B2,500). Save some room for the homemade berry soufflé served with berry sorbet (B300). Seeking even more stunning views? Climb up one floor to exclusive rooftop bar, Hi-So, which hosts Hi-So Ladies’ Night on Wednesdays (19:00 to 21:00), and Hi-So Gentlemen’s Night every Thursday (19:00 to 22:00).

Starting as a food truck, this beloved pizza place has upgraded into a proper sit-down restaurant on Soi Ruam Rudee. Pizza Massilia combines Italian flavors with the tastes of southern France and other Mediterranean countries.  Created by Frederic Meyer, the man behind Issaya Siamese Club, and Italian chef Luca Apino of La Bottega di Luca, the new Pizza Massilia differs from other pizzerias with interiors inspired by the love for baroque-style motifs, colorful walls and a shiny parquet floor.

Twinnies Mathias and Thomas Sühring have partnered with Gaggan Anan, the owner of Asia’s best restaurant, to elevate German cuisine. Sühring serves up a tasting menu of either nine or twelve servings, both of which modernize traditional German dishes. However, the true highlight is the Brotzeit, based on the German bread-centered staple. Homemade sourdough is topped with butter, cripsy pork skin and a pretzel with sour-and-spicy sauce before being wrapped in foil, charcoal-grilled and served with aging Black Forest ham and homemade sauerkraut. Result? One of the best breads in all of Bangkok. 

Combining the vibrant and fun atmosphere of Boston with the modern designs of New York, Toro at 72 Courtyard is a casual dining place that serves Spanish tapas with a sprinkling of local tastes. Here, you can have everything from pintxos (typical small snacks from Northern Spain) to hot or cold tapas such as the moreish hamachi crudo (B450), a raw-fish plate served with sesame crema, sea grapes, pickled burdock and cilantro.

It’s the creation of the German chef Mirco Keller that makes Water Library one of the best restaurants in Bangkok. Tucked in a shopping mall filled with a host of pocket-friendly eateries, Water Library stands out as a fine-dining venue that dishes out sophisticated plates befitting a fancy restaurant in five-star hotels. Start with an exciting app of khao tom foie gras (B490) that mixes foie gras pate, homemade tofu, leek, and bonito. Chilean seabass (B890) is perfectly pan-seared and accompanied with mushroom, bacon, and yuzu soy sauce. Finish off the meal with an Oriental-inspired treat (B290) that puts together sesame ice-cream, pear, and caramel, a perfect pairing with a hot cup of ginger tea.