The buzz: Spasso opened its doors for the first time in 1991, the same as the Grand Hyatt Erawan. After 31 years, the Italian restaurant was revamped into a French bistro this past May, serving casual, easy-to-understand French dishes worth revisiting.

 

The vibe: Apart from the menu that is now completely different, you’ll still be able to enjoy the nostalgic Spasso atmosphere, and there’s a live DJ spinning French classics on the grand piano every day.

 

The food: The a la carte menu offers well-known French comfort food you’d find in any French bistro. Start with duck foie gras au torchon by Jean Larnaudie served with fig chutney (100g, B630). To cut the creaminess of the foie gras, try the Parcs de L'Imperatrice oysters that they import themselves (B390/3, B740/6, B1,440/12 pieces) and you’ll forget about the usual Fines de Claire. Moving closer to the main, the crispy French duck leg confit (B720) falls off the bone with just a light poke with your fork and is served with sautéed mushrooms. For the main, for B1,790, you get to choose between Australian Black Angus ribeye (300g); Australian white stripe lamb chop (350g); local tiger prawns (400g); or Lemon sole filet, clams, mussels, and bay scallops. The main also comes with unlimited fries and garden salad. The must-try dessert has to be the classic Baked Alaska (wild berries & pear sorbet, dark rum flambé, B250).

 

The drinks: The large wine list separates France and other countries. The highlight is one of the chef’s favorites, the Txakoli, a wine linked to the culture of the Basque people for centuries. Its character is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol (B350/glass; B1,580/bottle). Signature cocktails (B290) are easy-drinking but strong.

 

Why we’d come back: While Grand Hyatt Erawan still holds strong with that classic hotel image, the team has been working hard to revamp a lot of aspects, especially the food and the drinks, and the new Spasso is one-hundred-percent worth checking out.