Celebrating the year’s end with a bit of fine dining indulgence is never a bad idea. And as many restaurants switch to festive menus, and winter seasonal menus, there’s ever more reason for fervent foodies to discover what’s out there. Whether you’re in the mood for a lunch, brunch or sumptuous supper, here are four restaurants to keep in mind when making future reservations.

Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin

The renowned one-Michelin-star restaurant Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, at the Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, presents their new ‘Winter Journey’ menu, which is available until the end of March. A collaboration between Chef Henrik Yde-Andersen and Chef Chayawee Suthcharitchan, this set menu is available as a 4-, 6-, or 8-course feast (THB 1,850++/THB 2,800++/THB 3,400++), and each journey begins with the restaurant’s famous ‘street food’ nibbles. This is followed by such imaginative culinary highlights as: Thai-style ceviche of Hokkaido scallop marinated with a Thai yum dressing and presented in an Eskimo igloo dome; a “frozen” Wagyu shabu beef carpaccio marinated with basil, aioli, and served with warm ponzu sauce; and Tom Kha snow fish with wild mushrooms, flan, and black truffle, served with Thai jasmine rice from Surin province. The dramatic dessert finale of “crêpes Siam Kempinski” is inspired by traditional crêpes Suzette, but is here served with Thai coconut ice cream, mango and passion fruit sorbet, and caramelised flambé sauce. For drinks to accompany the meal, choose either the cold-pressed juice pairings, the Suwirun tea pairings, or the carefully curated fine wine pairings.

For more information, visit Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin. 

Aksorn

Having just been newly awarded a star in the 2022 edition of Thailand’s Michelin Guide, Chef David Thompson’s Aksorn restaurant is now even more worthy of a visit (provided it’s not booked solid already). Tucked away up on the fifth floor of Central: The Original Store, on Charoenkrung, the retro-rustic delicacies here are meant to take diners on journey to yesteryear. via recipes culled from old Thai cookbooks circa 1950-1970. The current set menu (THB 2,800++) begins with an hors d’oeuvres course of prawns and wild ginger wrapped in coral leaves, together with pork and salted fish wafers, which is followed swiftly by a starter of fresh rice vermicelli with blue swimmer crab meat, coconut, and chili. Highlights from the list of mains include: river tamarind salad with chili jam; clear soup with grilled pork and bamboo shoots; stir-fried gourami with pork scratchings and lotus seeds; green curry of tiger prawns with melon, Thai basil, and chili leaves; and squid braised in palm sugar and soy. From the bar, the wine list favours European and Australian labels, but be sure to peruse the creative cocktail menu as well.

For more information, visit Aksorn. 

Chim Chim

Located on the ground floor of the Siam@Siam Design Hotel, Chim Chim is a fun and funky dining spot that’s tailor-made for sunny brunches and socialising suppers. For music lovers, the recently introduced Saturday Vinyl Brunch, which runs each week from noon to 4pm, presents the restaurant’s DJ-in-residence spinning a wildly eclectic mix of LPs and 45s, which is the perfect complement to the tasty brunch menu dreamt up by Head Chef Antoine Darquin, featuring all-new vegan creations and comfort food favourites reimagined with super cool twists. There’s also a selection of sparkling wines and Champagnes available (glass or bottle) to give the afternoon that extra little kickstart. And if you can’t make it Saturday, drop in anytime this month for the cheeky “Bite Me 2021” festive season menu, where a special selection of grazing platters is priced at THB 750 for two ultra-premium “bites”: anything from creamy uni with tender king crab, to a riff on a lobster roll where the meat is placed on a confit of potato and spiked with a hint of yuzu.

For more information, visit Chim Chim. 

About Eatery

Known as the city’s epicentre when it comes to natural wine in Bangkok, About Eatery – on Sukhumvit 21, Soi 3 – is also a fine place to dine, offering guests a hip trattoria vibe and a diverse menu that champions seasonal ingredients. All this month the restaurant will be presenting its special festive season à la carte menu, where highlights include starters such as the sauté scampi with cauliflower and Italian black truffle mousseline, pastas like the beetroot tonnarelli with chive, champagne sauce and Beluga caviar, and mains such as the exquisite slow-roasted and lacquered beef tenderloin layered with Parma ham and Parmesan accompanied by black truffle and fluffy mashed potatoes. And for the truly daring there’s the poached pig trotter zampone (pork sausage encased in the skin of a pig’s foot), here served with braised lentils and chestnut purée… not something you’re likely to see on any other Christmas menu in town! Of course, no meal at About Eatery would be complete without wine, so be sure to consult with restaurant manager and sommelier Giulio Saverino before making your choice. 

For more information, visit About Eatery.