The buzz: Spasso has been rebranding its space since last year, but with 31 years of history tied to the name and the place, changing the food was never going to be enough. So, with more hard work, Spasso is dead, long live Gaston—a cooler, hipper French bistro in the basement of Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok.

 

The vibe: You’ll find more color and fun decorations, bringing a livelier atmosphere. Forget what you know about formal hotel dining, Gaston has a casual, inviting vibe and sometimes the smiley chef David Senia walks around the restaurant to make sure everyone is having a good time.

 

The food: The menu isn’t complicated. You’ll be able to find all the casual French bistro favorites here, and that’s exactly what Bangkok needs; mostly restaurants aiming for European cuisine go for the fine dining and luxury aspect. Find casual and easy-to-understand French dishes like the steak frites set (B1,890 / shared between 3 people) where you can choose between Australian black angus ribeye, Australian lamb chop, grilled tiger prawns, and seared sea bass filet—every order comes with unlimited fries. Other French favorites include duck foie gras de canard au torchon served with fig chutney and brioche (B720). The previous menu at Spasso before the new name didn’t have onion soup and we’re glad to see it on the new menu this time (B420). For dessert, you can’t go wrong with the crepes suzette served with Grand Marnier, orange, and vanilla ice cream (B310).

 

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 drinks. This brand-new revamp from a vaunted restaurant is a welcoming one in a city obsessed with European fine dining.