Best Lunch Experience at Le Normandie

When searching ‘best French restaurant in Bangkok’ on Google, Le Normandie must be on the top-10 list. If you do the search on TripAdvisor, Le Normandie is always one of the top five restaurants in Bangkok. For decades, Le Normandie has been renowned for its splendid views of River Chaopraya, elegant dining ambience, exemplary service and outstanding menu. It has always been one of the top choices for an exceptional fine-dining experience in Bangkok. Is Le Normandie over-rated? Or is it really a must-try restaurant that you should put in your itinerary when you visit Bangkok? Let’s check it out!

Dining ambience

From the tableware and china to the eye-catching chandeliers and elegant furniture, Le Normandie earns every score for its perfect ambience of elegance and exquisite. With its wall-sized windows facing River Chapraya, Le Normandie effortlessly earns an extra score for its spectacular panorama of the river view. An advance reservation for a dining table by the windows is highly recommended to ensure the enjoyment of perfect dining ambience at Le Normandie.

Exceptional service

Unlike many other fine-dining restaurants in Bangkok, all servers at Le Normandie are male. Why? I don’t know but I find their service professional and welcoming. I was warmly greeted and received from the moment I stepped out of the elevator to the very end of my lunch. A sommelier was always ready to provide his wine-pairing recommendations throughout the meal.

Marvelous cuisine

The taste of the cuisine is always the reason why a restaurant is successful. Le Normandie, under the lead of Chef Arnaud Dunand-Sauthier, offers genuine haute cuisine. My lunch was flawless and I like every course of my lunch.

(1) Amuse-bouche
I like the amuse-bouche, which was petit enough to enjoy one whole piece in one bite and savour the magic of Chef Arnaud’s scrupulous manipulation of the tastes and textures of the ingredients used. I especially like the amuse-bouche spoons which exploded finest tastes on my palate.

(2) House-made bread
Warm house-made bread was served throughout the lunch. Each kind of bread, soft or hard, was different in textures but was buttery and fluffy. I, a hard-core bread lover, wasn’t able to control my hankering for their bread and ended up savouring five pieces of bread.

(3) Appetiser
I picked Red Tuna, Smoke Haddock and Beetroot as my appetiser. No word could accurately describe how delightful my palate was. The sauce and pieces of veggie sides enhance the taste of the fish, which was cooked to its perfection to keep its original juice and flavour. A really lovely appetiser.

(4) Main course
For the main course, I chose Wild Boar from Alsace, Potato, and Black Trumpet. I did not pick the lamb leg and Challans duck because I wished to try Chef Arnaud’s culinary skills. Wild boar is never easy to cook but Chef Arnaud made this dish very unforgettable in term of taste. This dish is flavoursome with shredded wild boar inside; each bite is meaty but smooth in texture! Not bad!

(4) Dessert
I went for the traditional dessert – Crepe Suzette Flambeed at Your Table with Vanilla Ice-cream. This is one of the most popular desserts at Le Normandie. For camera-moment lovers, this dish allows you to have live video of how this dessert is prepared.

(5) Petit Fours
A set of complimentary petit fours was served to us as a surprising end to our lunch. Personally, I like these little sweets more than my Suzette, which I found a bit too sweet.

Is Le Normandie over-rated?

After my dining experience at Le Normandie, I think it is not over-rated at all, especially after considering the service, dining ambience and the authenticity of haute cuisine served there.

Will Gourmet Bangkok recommend Le Normandie?

Le Normandie is undoubtedly a fine-dining restaurant in Bangkok. I highly recommend Le Normandie to you all. If you do not want to burn a big hole in your wallet, go for their lunch menu (THB 1,450++ for an appetiser, a main and a dessert; or THB 1,850++ for two appetisers, a main and a dessert). It is also a perfect venue for a romantic dinner with your love.

Who in Gourmet Bangkok team reviewed Le Normandie?

Chelsea Chan ~ A food lover, golfer, fun lover, and adventurer
Chelsea was born in Hong Kong and is a genuine food lover. Her palate is especially sharp on Cantonese food, delicacies from Hong Kong and meat (especially beef, chicken and lamb). She is able to taste how the food is cooked and prepared. Besides, she is also a pro buffet gourmet because of her unlimited appetite. When she says ‘too sweet’, it may not be sweet for you as her preference for chocolate is 72++ dark chocolate.

Where is Le Normandie?

Le Normandie
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Bangkok
Address: 48 Oriental Avenue, Bang Rak, Bangkok, 10500 Thailand
Phone: +662 659 9000
Website: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/fine-dining/le-normandie/

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