Villa Frantzen Bangkok Review: Experience at the 3-Star Michelin Nordic Restaurant from Sweden

I would today like to talk to you about “Villa Frantzen” that was opened in June 2022.

The restaurant was on my mind for a quite some time.

I often walk through Yenakart Soi 3 where Villa Frantzen is located

where a single standing house was still under construction.

It was under construction for at least 7 years I think.

This single standing house is a land house

and I was wondering what is coming there

and I found out that there came a marvelous restaurant.

The restaurant is very difficult to book a table but we’ve succeeded in making our reservation.

Origin and Legacy of Villa Frantzen – A Swedish Nordic Culinary Gem

Villa Frantzen was opened by a Sweden,

Chef BJÖRN FRANTZÉN in June 2022 on Yenakart Rd in Bangkok.

Its head restaurant Frantzen was opened in 2008 in Stockholm Sweden.

The restaurant in Sweden is awarded with 3 Michelin Stars.

In 2013, Chef Frantzén was appointed “The chef of all chefs”, by Sweden’s top gastronomic critics.

And the Swedish Chef MARTIN ENSTRÖM is the one who is responsible

for running Villa Frantzen the one opened in Bangkok.

Villa Frantzen is a restaurant that stands in a beautifully made garden park as its name Villa suggests. 

And their interiors were designed by 3 Swedish ladies who are working for a designing company Joyn Studio.

As people say “Nordic meets Asian influence”,

the restaurant is fitting into the bustle of Bangkok just like that.

We can see chef’s much respect to Asia

and Thailand in between chef’s strong commitment to his cooking.     

Ok enough with the introduction,

let’s go inside and taste some of their dishes as I am already hungry.

In-depth Review: The 3-Star Michelin Experience at Villa Frantzen, Bangkok’s Swedish Nordic Restaurant

The Ambience at Villa Frantzen, Bangkok: A Nordic Aesthetic

As I’ve mentioned earlier, it is a Villa as its name suggests

and the moment we enter the gate, there stands a beautiful chalky green colored villa.   

On entering the building there on the right is the restaurant and a Bar on the left.

There is a large parking area on the far end. 

We’ve made our reservation at 17:30 but as we got there bit early,

we’ve waited in the Bar until our reservation time.

The ceiling is designed high so as to collect natural light inside.

A simple but functional and well organized space is very comfortable to be in.

The colors they use is not glittering but very quiet

and the space has a relaxing atmosphere.

The bar is nice place to sit and wait until the time.

And is also nice to have a drink or two after the meal.

Ok its time for us to go to our table.

The staff will lead you the way and the first thing we saw was open-kitchen.

You can see the kitchen from your table where you can enjoy

watching many dishes are being created while you are dining.

Villa Frantzen is really particular about Nordic but especially that of Sweden.

From the design of the restaurant to interiors and tableware,

they are all Sweden made.

Thais are familiar with Swedish furniture as there now is IKEA in the country

but looking at the dining tables and chairs in Villa Frantzen,

it is simple yet they are also well refined. I like them.

The plates where the meals are coming on are the works of Swedish potter Calle Forsburg.

The warmth of the earth and the heavy glazing

somewhat makes me image of Japanese tea ceremony items.

I know that it is out of my table manner

but I couldn’t help turning the plates to check under to see the original name of the ware. 

Well cleaned glasses had not a spot and were really shining clean. 

And the spoons and knives that they provide also were so beautiful that we were impressed with.

We’ve chosen meat dish for our main

and we were able to choose the knives that we wanted to use for cutting our meat.

These knives were also manufactured by a Swedish knife manufacturer MoraKniv

proudly started the business in 1891.

You can also find the knives in outdoor activity shops or LAZADA here in Thailand.

The Swedish “beauty with function” was what we saw in the products.

When in Villa Frantzen, do as Swedes do. Enjoy one night of Swedish life.

I will talk about the dishes later but when you are in Villa Frantzen,

you should enjoy not only their wonderful foods but the experience of being there.

Exploring Villa Frantzen’s Menu: The Nordic Gastronomic Journey in Bangkok

We were there at the dinner time.

Lunches are served only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Dinner is consisted from course menu and is 6 item menu.

You can also order oysters or caviars as an appetizer separately from the course.

From item 1 to item 5 are dinner menu which you can choose 1 from 2 different menus.

And the 6^th item which is a dessert, there are 3 choices that you can choose 1 from.

Dinners are also served in course with 6 dishes.

6 glasses of wine pairing are also available with the dinner.

For those of you who are not good in enjoying alcohol, they have non-alcohol pairing of 5 glasses.

Bread is served before dishes.

The bread they serve is called “Kavring” which is traditional bread from southern Sweden.

The bread is using yeast fermented with brewer yeast which has a slight sweetness in its taste.

I am not sure if it is me or not but I tasted black sugar bread in it. 

While we were busy with enjoying the Kavring,

it seems that we got our first dish.

The 1^st dish that both I and my hubby ordered was “Cured Norwegian salmon & beer poached king crab”.

It was so beautiful that we imaged Japanese Chirashi-Sushi.

The colors are almost like that of a jewelry box.

Salmon is the first thing that comes across our mind when we hear Nordic countries

and this is our chance to taste them.

As it was the 1^st dish, it was lightly seasoned.

Saltiness, sweetness, and sourness, the balance is very good with wasabi and dill as an accent.

“Trout roe”, a bit small in size compared to salmon roe.

Popping texture is quite enjoyable.  

Pairing wine is German Riesling wine.

German wines are often sweet wines

and this Riesling wine is also on the sweet side.

As a matter of fact, it is on the sweet side

but it also has a bit of bitterness which will bring out

the goodness of each other when consuming with salmon.

I am not very good in enjoying alcohol that much therefore;

I had only a glass of sparkling wine.

My hubby ordered “Cauliflower chawanmushi” for his 2^nd dish.

Chawanmushi as you may know, is a Japanese dish.

Its looks was quite far from Japanese Chawanmushi,

however the taste was just as what “Chawanmushi” tastes

and he was caught by surprise as he was tasting the dish.

Chawanmushi in Japan, for your information, looks like this.

I had “Jerusalem artichoke & vendace roe”.

Refreshing acidity and light texture of artichoke was quite nice. 

Cream will reduce the acidity taste.

Pairing wine was a French wine.

Wine from this year is said to have higher evaluation compared from that of the other years.

It is a white wine that fruity taste spreads richly in the mouth.

The 3^rd dish was “Grilled scallops & fermented parsnips” for my hubby.

It tasted somewhat close to that of Japanese dish.

It is probably because they are using soy sauce.

The pairing wine was Japanese sake from Kyoto!

I think they got it quite right.

Japanese sake goes very well with this dish better than wine we thought.

Dry sake and saltiness of scallop, soy sauce flavor matches well.

I went for “Cold poached lobster & rhubarb”.

When we dine at “Blue by Alain Ducasse”, I also had “rhubarb”.

So this is the 2^nd time that I’ve had rhubarb.

The sweet taste and salty taste of lobster and texture

and flavor of almond mixed with sourness of tomato and rhubarb,

brings out the taste of lobster to its maximum.

With faintly taste of vanilla water somewhere in the flavor,

it was quite tasty experience.

Now comes the main dish.

My hubby and I, we both have chosen “Duck & foie gras”.

We are quite experienced with Duck & foie gras,

we’ve noticed in most of the restaurants they serve the dish with very sweet sauce.

But in Villa Frantzen, the sweet taste of the sauce was to its minimum

and for person who is not found of sweet dishes like myself, it was a quite nice dish.

While I was enjoying the dish I was thinking that the way of

grilling the duck & foie gras is so exquisite that the heat is controlled to where

the tastes of all the ingredients balance and come out well.   

Pairing wine was Portuguese red.

It was full bodied wine with unique aroma of earth and oak.

But the wine wasn’t too heavy taste at all.

Every dish that they serve was simply enjoyable with minimum saltiness,

and every plate had their own characters and was very enjoyable dinner. 

The final is dessert.

My hubby has sweet teeth thus chosen “Smoked ice cream 2.0”.

My hubby has sweet teeth thus chosen “Smoked ice cream 2.0”.

My sweet teeth hubby said, “it is a dessert, but its salty”….  

Pairing wine is Spanish white wine.

With fruity flavor that makes you image citrus fruits or tropical fruits.

It goes well with bitterness and saltiness of cacao.

It neutralizes the tongue.

I ordered “Blood orange sorbet”.

It was very refreshing.

This dish also had some salty taste.

There was carpet of pomelo under the orange sorbet.

It was quite uniquely flavored with sourness, sweetness, and saltiness mixed.  

The course all in all was lightly seasoned.

All of the dishes were with the just right amount

and balance that you will not get tired of with feeling that

“I think I want some more of this…”

It was perfect I thought.

And on completing our dinner, we were served with raspberry taste petit fours.

We had a wonderful Swedish evening with a taste of Thailand

to leave the restaurant Villa Frantzen with contented heart.

Villa Frantzen Dress Code: What to Wear for your Michelin-Star Experience

The dress-code is smart casual with long trousers

and covered shoes required for gentlemen.

Understanding the Costs: Dining at Villa Frantzen, Bangkok

Prices of the set menu are as the following. 

They have lunch menus and dinner menus.

The menus and prices are as the following.

They are;

Service charge and VAT 7% is charged separately.

Villa Frantzen: Key Advantages and Drawbacks

Key Advantages of Dining at Villa Frantzen

You are in Bangkok and you can enjoy all the Swedish taste.

A restaurant that suddenly appears in a residential area. It’s almost a hideout.

Dishes are very unique.

Very casual atmosphere and relaxing.

Their interiors and decorations are must see once experience.

Energetic atmosphere as there are many fellow dines there.

Possible Drawbacks of Villa Frantzen: A Balanced View

Wine pairing comes with 6 glasses of wines therefore if you are not a good drinker, it may be bit too much. 

Very difficult to make reservation.

The restaurant is accessible only by car. (Far MRT or BTS station )

Vital Information for Your Visit to Villa Frantzen, Bangkok

Place: No.7 Yen Akat Soi 3, Chongnonsi, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120