Blue by Alain Ducasse, designed by Jouin Manku, draws guests in to a world apart from the heat and intensity of Bangkok, offering an experience that plays on what is quintessentially French in the global imagination with a sensibility that avoids clichés and speaks too to the spectacular riverside setting of Thailand’s great bustling city.

From the welcoming enclosure of the wood panelled foyer, guests pass in to the restaurant’s lounge, a space of seclusion and privacy inspired by the intimate gardens, the bosquets, of the Château de Versailles. Light from above and from the encircling wall of suspended walnut and brass lamps creates the effect of the magical dappled light of fireflies. Drawn further still the guests begin to glimpse the restaurant beyond – the sparkle and texture of the pleated chandelier, the luxurious royal blue of the walls and the floors – and then the glorious expanse of the floor-toceiling views across the city.