Taste is important for any meal, but undoubtedly, exquisite surroundings also enrich the experience. Here's a list of interior masterminds behind five MICHELIN-listed restaurants where we are sure you can’t resist capturing an Insta-worthy photo.
Jouin Manku - Blue by Alain Ducasse (One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2021)
Since Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku joined forces in Paris, the duo has never stopped breaking boundaries between object, interior, and structure to create unique space design. Impressive examples include the photogenic all-white cocoon at Sur Mesure Par Thierry Marx (Two MICHELIN Stars) at Mandarin Oriental Paris and the elegant room of crystal rains at the former Three MICHELIN Starred Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athenée.
Here at the stunning Blue by Alain Ducasse, Jouin Manku transports you to a world apart from bustling Bangkok with a sensibility that has no room for cliché, synchronising with the riverside setting. The restaurant welcomes you with a wood-panelled foyer leading to the restaurant’s lounge, intentionally designed to resemble the bosquets of the Château de Versailles. The main dining room boasts a central pleated chandelier that not only catches everyone’s attention but also compliments the luxurious royal blue of the walls and the panoramic view of the Chao Phraya River via floor-to-ceiling windows.
Paradigm Shift - Cadence by Dan Bark (One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2021)
We are talking about a local design firm who believes that randomness accumulates richness in design. Paradigm Shift’s expertise in hospitality design has been seen in many talk-of-the-town openings, including the innovative Canvas (One MICHELIN Star).
Paradigm Shift paints Cadence with its trademark style, including chandeliers, gold tones, and curved banquettes. Centered between these elegant contemporary design features is a fully exposed kitchen (there is not even a half-wall partition) so that guests can have a full sight while tasting Dan Bark’s bountiful, borderless creations.
Avroko - Nan Bei (MICHELIN Plate, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2021)
New York-born Avroko’s designs always deliver an emotionally connected experience. Among the firm’s four outposts across the globe, the Bangkok studio stands out as the heart and mind behind the off-beat beauty of many restaurants, including the contemporary Chinese Nan Bei at Rosewood Bangkok.
Avroko sticks to its signature narrative-driven design at Nan Bei, making it one of the most Instagrammable spots in downtown Bangkok. Visitors are spoiled for choices, such as a seven-metre-high light installation inspired by a Chinese legend of the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd, the hand-trowelled blue walls and patterned marble floors of the corridors, the main dining room where mustard leather chairs perch atop a colourful inlaid marble floor, or the bar corner showcasing a large-scale blue rope woven chandelier.
Spin Off Co. - La Scala (MICHELIN Plate, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2021)
As a part of the Club Wing renovation a few years back, The Sukhothai Bangkok elevated La Scala’s look with help from Tokyo-based design firm Spin Off Co. The Japanese outfit tastefully sourced bronze and terracotta as a reference to the traditional regional architecture style evident in the rest of the hotel while adding touches, such as leather stools and glass cubes, to manifest the luxury of 90’s Tokyo.
Whitespace - 80/20 (One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Thailand 2021)
Whitespace’s modern approach to interior design is evident in a few MICHELIN-listed restaurants, from the vivid blue hue at La Dotta (MICHELIN Plate) to Bangkok's old town gem 80/20. Whitespace gives an avant-garde touch to the historic architecture of Charoenkrung’s shophouse where 80/20 is located. A bold contrast between a raw concrete, casual-industrial past remains and Thai-style hand-painted murals speak for the food served here — a modern reconstruction of Thai cuisine that one shouldn’t miss.
Hero image: © Blue by Alain Ducasse
