After arriving in Bangkok after a luxurious stay at The Four Seasons Koh Samui , The Banyan Tree had a lot to live up to, since our experience at the Four Seasons was so amazing. It’s about a 45-minute drive from the airport without traffic and we arrived at the hotel midafternoon.
For more details on how to navigate from the Bangkok Airport to the Banyan Tree Hotel click here. Hotel address: 21/100 South Sathorn Road, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand |
The Room
I love the pillow menu options!
After settling in, we headed up to the iconic rooftop to have dinner and check out the views. The most Instagrammable location at the hotel is definitely this corner below!
The Vertigo – Rooftop Restaurant
We had dinner at The Vertigo restaurant, sampling their set menu
Here’s what I enjoyed:
- Appetizer: Smoked Salmon
- Appetizer: Hot and Toasty Bread
- Virgin Cocktail: Some kind of Passion Fruit Deliciousness
- Soup: Rotisserie Chicken and Potato Chowder
- Main: Line Caught Sea Bass
What was especially amazing about the restaurant was the fact that the table had several lights that were perfectly calibrated to light your food for photos, which is why my food looks so well lit, because it was quite dark up on the deck!
Saffron Restaurant
We were able to sample some delicious and beautifully made Thai desserts at Saffron, the Thai restaurant on site. The restaurant has a great set menu.
What we had:
- Mango Sticky Rice
- Thai Sweet Dumpling in Coconut Milk
- Thai Tea Ice Cream
Banyan Tree Bangkok – Breakfast Buffet
The buffet at the Banyan Tree had all the fixings, there was nothing missing from this buffet! It is held in the Romsai restaurant and is an international buffet.
The Banyan Tree Bangkok breakfast buffet price is $43
Here’s the a la carte menu
There were all the usually fixing, westernized pastries, juices, bread, yogurts, granola, eggs, bacon, charcuterie, etc. There’s an egg station with cute photos showing any egg that you could want for breakfast.
For Asian food, there was everything from Indian to Thai to Chinese dishes, including my beloved Chinese steamed egg and a freshly made morning noodle station. It’s also the first time I’ve seen any kind of sushi options at a breakfast buffet and I love it!
Cooking Class
We were so excited to partake in the Banyan Tree Cooking Class! I’ve taken many a cooking class and this was the first where I got my own individual station! I asked if they had set it up special just for us but I was told that all Banyan Tree Cooking Classes include individual stations for the participants!
The cooking class was one of the best that I’ve ever been to. Our teacher was passionate and engaging and the food that we made was SO delicious! During class, we made a killer Yum Pla Salmon and a stellar shrimp Pad Thai.
Check out the complete Yum Pla Salmon Recipe and Photos
Essential Oils Making Class
The Banyan Tree Bangkok offers many fun activities on-site including the cooking class and we also experienced the Essential Oil and Body Scrub making, class. It was a fun little activity and each of us went home with a custom oil or scrub. I choose to make a bergamot and lavender-infused essential oil designed for relaxation and sleep!
Banyan Tree Bangkok Club Lounge
I was pleasantly surprised by the Banyan Tree Bangkok Club Lounge. It had the most generous amounts of food as any other hotel lounge that I had been in. I came right at the beginning of the lounge opening and pretty much had it all to myself for 30 minutes or so.
Here’s what the had for food options:
- Vanilla eclairs
- Mushroom Quiche
- Tuna Sandwich
- Avocado Salsa Sandwich
- Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse
- Pandan Custard
- Ham Cheese Sandwich
- Chicken Sausage Roll
- An assortment of baked goods
- Juices, beer, wine, and sodas
Aspara Dinner Cruise
When visiting Bangkok for the first time, one of the things that you must do is to go on a dinner cruise of the Chao Phraya River which passes the Wat Arun and Wat Pho temples, lit up beautifully against the evening sky.
The Aspara Cruise is upscale as compared to the other “party” type cruises with hundreds of people aboard. This cruise only seats about 30 people so its more of an intimate experience
Here’s what’s on the menu:
Starters
- Steamed Chicken Dumpling
- Minced Scallop in Golden Cup
- Pork Satay
- Banana Blossom with Prawn Salad
- Galangal-Coconut Broth, Scallop, Kaffir Lime Leaf Soup
Shared Mains
- Chicken Green Curry, Coconut Shoots, Sweet Basil Leaves
- Crispy Fish and Salted Egg Shrimp Dip Relish with Carved Fresh Vegetables
- Crispy Sea Bass Fillet, Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Stir-Fried Assorted Asian Vegetables in Oyster Sauce
Dessert
- Mango Sticky Rice Sago with
- Cantaloupe in Coconut Milk
- Mixed Fruits
One standout thing about this particular dinner cruise is the fact that it stops right in front of the temple and each table is invited to take a photo in front of the temple and there is an in-house photographer to shoot the photos for you. Afterward, each table receives a photo of the experience.
Banyan Tree Bangkok High Tea
The High Tea takes place on weekends at the Vertigo TOO restaurant. It’s totally Instagrammable!
Here is the pricing and the menu!
HIGH TEA SET (Choose 1 item) 1,250 (Thai Baht)
- 1 Pot of Tea
- 1 Glass of Floral Cocktail
- 1 Glass of Floral Mocktail
Add 1 Glass of Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial 1,499
S A V O R I E S
Crab and Cucumber Sandwich (G)
Ibérico Ham, Cream Cheese and Onion Jam Sandwich (G)(D)
Quail Egg Sandwich (G)
Prawn and Avocado Mousse on Crostini (G)
Smoked Salmon in Bamboo Cone (G)(D)
S C O N E S
Traditional Scone
Served with English Clotted Cream and Homemade Strawberry Jam
S W E E T S
Berries Panna Cotta with Cotton Candy (D)
Chocolate Tartlet and Strawberry (G)(D)
Crispy Feuilletine Flake Tart (G)(D)(N)
Sweet Purple Potato, Coconut and Sticky Rice (G)
Strawberry Éclair (G)(D)
(G) – Contains Gluten (D) – Contains Dairy Product (N) – Contain Nuts or Soybean Oil