Villa Frantzén opened its doors on 4th June as one of most anticipated openings in Bangkok this year. This coincides beautifully with the rapid re-opening of Thailand to the world, breathing new life to the F&B industry which had been ravaged by the pandemic for more than 2 years.
The concept of Villa Frantzén has been succinctly described as casual luxury, and from how the menu is structured (3-4 options in each of its 5-course menu), it’s clear that Villa Frantzén focuses on returning guests, giving them the potential to build a completely different taste journey every time. Its price point, at 3,500++THB, is also accessible relative to its powerhouse sister restaurants, Frantzén in Stockholm and Zén in Singapore.
However, our main recommendation to you will be to pencil in a visit to its adjoined cocktail bar before or/and after dinner (or without dinner, as the bar accepts walk-ins) to fully complete the experience.
Bar Manager Gabriel Valdés
Bar manager Gabriel Valdés concocts a series of taste-forward Nordic-style cocktails that cannot be found anywhere in this city, with his use of whey, fermented vegetables, fruits and different types of vinegars in place of the usual lemon/lime for acidity. Furthermore, you can also order the 63.4C Oyster – in our opinion their absolute signature here.
Rhubarb and Meadowsweet
63.4C Oyster
One can’t help but be impressed by the dining hall, which houses one of the biggest open kitchens you will find in Thailand. The stylish yet homey wooden furniture, in tandem with a surprisingly-lively Swedish/English good vibes mix, creates exactly the casual luxury they want guests to enjoy. Björn Frantzén calls this the most Nordic restaurant in the entire Frantzén group with good reason.
There were many courses we enjoyed, including the Kavring, a traditional Swedish dark rye bread, served with salted Bordier butter – a combination so good you can and will be asking for more throughout dinner.
Kavring, Swedish Dark Rye Bread with Bordier Butter
We also loved the cured salmon, cauliflower chawanmushi and of course the hearty main course of Challans duck, widely-renowned to be the best duck species of them all.
Cured Norwegian Salmon and Beer-poached King Crab
Cauliflower Chawanmushi and Morels
Duck and Foie Gras
All the dishes are carefully crafted by Executive Chef Martin Enström and Executive Sous Chef Nilas Corneliussen, who had both spent much of their adult years in Thailand, love the culture and speak the language, together with the R&D team of Frantzén Group. It will be fascinating to see the evolution of the menu in the next few months.
Head Chef Martin Enström
Villa Frantzén has all the tools to become one of the most important restaurants in Thailand, it’s all but a matter of time. Meanwhile, if you can’t get a seat, or if it’s weeks away, rock into the cocktail bar, they are open everyday!
[Bangkok] Villa Frantzén
This was an invited media tasting. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own.
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