Le Normandie
The Oriental Hotel
On the river
Tel: 02 659 9000 ext. 3380
Credit Crads accepted
Le Normandie is the Oriental’s best restaurant. So as the Oriental is often voted the best hotel in the World, the natural question must be...if Le Normandie is its best restaurant, is Le Normandie the best restaurant in the world? Well, it may just be.
Donning a jacket and tie (not something I do often in Bangkok) I ventured forth to find out if this restaurant, regularly patronised by Royalty, is as good as they say.
There is something about water and looking at it while dining. I clearly do not mean a glass full, but an expanse, preferably with a shifting scene that will gently mesmerise. Le Normandie is located on the sixth and top floor of The Oriental, and is reached by a discreet private lift. The riverside wall is of glass thus creating a constantly changing picture of the mighty Chao Phraya river below.
The seating is along the side of this tapestry or, if back from the front row, the tables are on a step up. There is nothing dramatic about the room, other than the river view, it is simply right for what it is.
Wonderful flower displays provide colour to the discrete decoration of this elegant space, and at the lift end, a pianist plies his trade with style and panache. The tables are large, the chairs comfortable and the glasses glisten on the table. Staff materialise on cue with a helpful confidence that is professional and correct rather than stuffy and intimidating. The menu is of mainly classic dishes, and my companion thought it a little limited, although I disagreed on the grounds that good menus have to be limited. Also, with a decent seafood selection and a choice of most meats, except pork and veal, there was more than enough choice for all.
There was also a menu degustation which could be partaken with, or without, a glass of selected wine with four of the main five courses. We opted for this along with the wine selection. In addition, I selected a bottle of St Veran as an aperitif wine. In any event the single glass per course was not going to be enough for the feast we were anticipating!
After making our selections we sat back and let the chef and the staff do their stuff. Below us, boats of all sizes and shapes played on the Chao Phraya.
The first course, after an amuse bouche, was foie gras in three forms. There was a single plain pan-fried slice, a classic preparation of pate de foie gras and a mouse-style layered terrine. This was served with a glass of French Pinot Gris. All very well prepared and I could find no fault.
The next course was for me the highlight. A nice firm slice of sea bass with a delicate and wonderfully-smooth lobster sauce. This was accompanied, interestingly, by baby green beans which worked very well and was perfectly complemented by a glass of Chablis.
After the bass came the ritual sorbet palate cleaner. This is a subtlety I used to dislike, but the more I have them, the more I am getting to like them.
On this occasion the rhubarb sorbet had a nice bite to it. Alas my companion had clearly been force fed rhubarb as a kid and has bad memories of this vegetable. Duck breast with endive was the next offering. The meat was pink, as it should be, and the endive, with it’s slightly better taste, was a fine contrasting vegetable. The wine was Chateau Batailley, a Grand Cru 5th class.
A cheese board followed and this was first time I’ve seen a decent one in Bangkok. It wasn’t quite up to the standard of the best you’ll find in France, but there was plenty of choice and the cheese was at the right temperature and in perfect condition to eat - no mean feat in this country. Somebody has clearly worked hard, and invested well, to get this right. There was no wine with the cheese so I had another glass of the Claret while my companion went for port. The vintage port selection was virtually non-existent. They offered a ’97, which in port terms means it is barely out of the womb.
The sommelier, with whom we were having a friendly banter, explained that they had just run out of 70’s ports. Back home we are still drinking the 60’s as the 50’s are getting very rare.
In contrast, the selection of brandies was extensive, including ten vintage Armanacs from Chateau Laubade, ranging from ’45-’90, as well as a ’69 Calvados. However, before we could hit this section, we had a pud and another sorbet to complete, as well as a glass of Champagne.
As we descended in the lift we both decided that it was a one of the best meals we had ever had. The best, we were not certain, but it was certainly up there with them. This was a definitive dining experience. All the parts of a perfect meal came together, and it was difficult to fault anything, which made the entire evening an exceptional experience. However, if you want to enjoy such experiences you have to understand what you are getting, and you certainly can’t be financially challenged! On the subject of price, may I roll out the old cliché about “if you need to ask!”

Note this review was written a couple of years ago but I doubt much has changed!