The buzz: The original home of Bangkok French fine dining (open for business since 1958) has soared back into every top-tier foodie conversation under chef Arnaud Dunand-Sauthier. Adding legitimacy to what Le Normandie diners already knew, his food won two Michelin stars, two years in a row.

The food: Every great chef needs a dish that defines them. Dunand-Sauthier's signature: his Oscietra caviar with sea urchin and potato (see top left), an elegant soup of rich and salty seafood indulgence. Other courses are equally as subtle, graceful and driven by the best produce at hand. Choose between a tasting menu or concise a la carte of contemporary but unabashedly French courses. Whatever way you go, flawless consistency is guaranteed—as is demanded by the clientele of high-rolling Le Normandie regulars.

The place: No local restaurant does old-school glamour as well as Le Normandie. The billowing gold fabrics, the gold upholstered chairs, the gold carpet, the chandeliers—we’d call it tacky if it didn’t feel so special. Crepes suzette gets flambeed tableside and a maitre’d regales you the minutiae of every course in a hushed and precise whisper. When's the last time you ate somewhere that jackets were "compulsory for gentlemen"?