Les Nymphéas
Imperial Queens Park Hotel
Soi 22 Sukhumvit,
Bangkok
02 261-9000

As I may have said before, writing restaurant reviews is very subjective in the sense that it is all about a visit and my personal experience during that visit. Sometimes somebody says something that colours my experience, but on the whole it is my account and what happened to me. I went to Les Nymphéas a few weeks back and had a very acceptable meal. But I was nearly alone in the restaurant, so, balanced with the view that atmosphere is part of the essential ingredients that make up a good restaurant, I decided not to review it. Then I met a man in Le Bouchon (Patpong 2) and we got into discussing restaurants and he seemed to think I was being unfair to Les Nymphéas. I had no qualms about going back because I had had a good meal. So the other night I was nearby and thought I would try again.

I suspect the main problem this restaurant has is with its location on the fourth floor of this vast hotel. It is not well signed and not easy to find. On the first visit, I found several other restaurants before Nymphéas which is tucked away overlooking the pool in an odd-shaped room which would be fun if the place was busy, but really detracts now it is not. Nymphéas (The Water Lillis) name comes from the Monet painting of that name, and a vast mural bears some relationship to that painting as does the back of the menu.
The menu is well thought out even if it is not vast. In my mind it is a bit undirected in that it has offerings to both traditional French cooking as well as to modern international styles: thus there is foie gras in two out of seven starters, with yellow fin tuna and tomato and goat’s cheese bruschetta. And with the mains, there is Suzuki sea bass as well as morels risotto and confit de canard. There is no doubt there is something for everybody, but if you are a picky eater, then there will not be a great deal of choice, which, of course, is very much more like menus in Europe. But to be fair, there they tend to be more focused.
On the second visit I had 'Caeser salad with duck confit' and ‘lamb rack and loin under mustard crust with dauphine potatoes.' They were both spot on and I thought the idea of duck leg confit with a Caeser salad a wonderful idea that I am sure could travel a long way. For pud I had mixed fruit pudding with Metaxa brandy ice cream. I must admit the Greek brandy did not infuse any goodwill as I am not a brandy drinker anyway let alone Aegean variety! As to the pud it should have had brandy butter with it, because that is what I put with Christmas pud and that is surely what it was! I can say unequivocally that those three courses were absolutely first rate and exceedingly difficult to fault. As indeed had been my first meal of white bean soup with oregano and feta, and duck leg confit with Arborio risotto. The service was excellent and I could even watch the goings on in the kitchen.
However on this last visit I truly was the only customer. The excellent piano player started playing when I arrived, and the cooking brigade took up station as I settled in. I have eaten around the world and empty restaurants do not faze me. But others might not be so happy. However, the food was first class and I expect I will go back. As to why it is empty, I can only guess that this hotel seems more tourist orientated than most and top-end French restaurants are just not what tourists come to Bangkok for! That assumption and of course its hidden location!