St. Germain Des Pres

[Ulysses G.]

If you like French or gourmet cuisine, but think that in Chiang Mai it is vastly overpriced for the quality available, try St. Germain des Pres which is almost across the street from the original Mike's Hamburgers (4/1 Ratwithi Road, behind the bank on Moon Muang Road where the gas station was a long time ago).

They offer a choice of several set items on a menu that changes completely once a month and if you want a starter, main course and desert, it works out to just below 500 baht.

I've eaten there twice and everything that I had ranged from good to excellent.

Personally, I will skip The House and Mi Casa for food that is just as good, but about 1/2 to 1/3 the price!

[Flatouthruthefog]

If you like French or gourmet cuisine, but think that in Chiang Mai it is vastly overpriced for the quality available, try St. Germain des Pres which is almost across the street from the original Mike's Hamburgers (4/1 Ratwithi Road, behind the bank on Moon Muang Road where the gas station was a long time ago).

They offer a choice of several set items on a menu that changes completely once a month and if you want a starter, main course and desert, it works out to just below 500 baht.

I've eaten there twice and everything that I had ranged from good to excellent.

Personally, I will skip The House and Mi Casa for food that is just as good, but about 1/2 to 1/3 the price!

Bang on the money as usual, U.

St.Germain has a French chef, a French manageress and a Thai owner who ran restaurants in France for years.

Their aim is a sophisticated restaurant with Bistro pricing and they have got it right first time. These people REALLY know what they are doing and the value for money is exceptional.

Not just the usual items, either.

Don't miss the bread, the cheese and the Cabernet Sauvignon house red!

Just a LITTLE more salt in the potatoes next time, please.

[Ulysses G.]

Don't miss the bread

It has a PERFECT French crust which is amost impossible to find in Thailand!

[sabaijai]

Will have to try it. How does it compare with Cote Jardin?

And have you actually tried Mi Casa, UG? It ain't French .... and you're paying for ambiance as much as the food (and most dishes are original recipes, another cost benefit). Agree about The House, however, very overpriced considering the quality of the food.

[Sledge71]

Does anyone know if it's open for lunch ? Sounds like a visit is in order..

[Nienke]

Sounds very good! Definitely will try it out soon. Thank for letting us know, UG.

BTW, when i see your initials I always need to think of the American Indians saying UCH-UCH (pronounced with the harsh Dutch G sound) around the camp fire with the feather on their heads and the axes in their hands, ready for the hunt. Sorry, can't help it

Nienke

[Ulysses G.]

Will have to try it. How does it compare with Cote Jardin?

And have you actually tried Mi Casa, UG? It ain't French .... and you're paying for ambiance as much as the food (and most dishes are original recipes, another cost benefit). Agree about The House, however, very overpriced considering the quality of the food.

Yes, I tried Mi Casa and I agree that the atmosphere is really nice and the food isn't bad either, but IMHO over-priced considering the quantity and quality of many dishes. For example, in a tasters plate, I got what seemed to be in total about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin soup - which is quite easy to find in Chiang Mai - and the taste was only mediocre compared to a restaurant like JJs where is is much cheaper for a whole bowl. I just couldn't see any excuse for such a minute portion. On top of that we got 3 deserts of about the same size - two mouthfuls - but we had to share them with another customer, so about one spoonful of each desert. Besides that, that charged some members of our party 100 baht each for extra bread without advising them of the extra charge.

In general, I liked much of the food - what little we got of it - but we all walked out still hungry and no one in our party felt satisfied. I had spent over 1,000 baht and to me, that is taking the piss!

By the way, St. Germain Des Pres is open for lunch - the same menu as night time - and I have left there every time pleasantly full for under 500 baht. The portions are also a little small there, but the whole meal together is enough to feel satisfied.

[Ulysses G.]

Sounds very good! Definitely will try it out soon. Thank for letting us know, UG.

BTW, when i see your initials I always need to think of the American Indians saying UCH-UCH (pronounced with the harsh Dutch G sound) around the camp fire with the feather on their heads and the axes in their hands, ready for the hunt. Sorry, can't help it

Nienke

Me too!

Ug, ug!

[sceadugenga]

Funny: for me it was always Sam Grant, General in Chief at the end of the civil war and 18th president of the US of A.

[Thaihog]

Take note, the restaurant is closed on Mondays as I found out to my peril earlier this evening.

[mcgriffith]

Bummer, dude. Actually Monday is a civilized day for a restaurant to be closed, IMHO. I know that a lot of places seem to be closed on Sunday here in CM; I could never understand why, when it is the weekend, Sunday Walking Street day, etc. Monday is a good day for a restaurant owner to shop needed supplies, replenish fresh produce at the markets, etc. I will try St. Germaine very soon, probably in the next day or so.

[Thaihog]

Bummer, dude. Actually Monday is a civilized day for a restaurant to be closed, IMHO. I know that a lot of places seem to be closed on Sunday here in CM; I could never understand why, when it is the weekend, Sunday Walking Street day, etc. Monday is a good day for a restaurant owner to shop needed supplies, replenish fresh produce at the markets, etc. I will try St. Germaine very soon, probably in the next day or so.

I couldn't believe my luck tonight. I picked up some friends at their hotel and headed for ToNobody (closed), then went to Miguels (closed) then went to St Germain (closed), finally ended up at the Queen Vic, thankfully there were only 2 people in the place so at least we got our food quickly after all the running about. LOL...

[TaiKai]

Due to the recommendations in this thread we went to St. Germain de Prés the other night. Unfortunately, it did not turn out to be such a great place for us as we hoped it would be.

• I have ordered a dry Martini. The Martini served was sweet. I blamed it to a communication problem.
  
• The starters were satisfactory regarding its quality and presentation.
  
• The main platters consisted of mainly previously prepared sauces and low-quality meat. The meat (beef and duck) was served cold (fridge-temperature), problably it was just taken out of the fridge and not sufficiently heated in a microwave. After asking the waitress to heat up the meal, she returned the plate two minutes later completely de-arranged with the sauce widely spread over the plate and without the vegetables and decoration.
  
• There are only three wines offered: white, rose and red wine; all of the them are of the same brand which did not reveal neither its winery, grape or any detail regarding its origins or year. Our choice, the rose wine, tasted after stalled vinegar
  

I don't know if the price of 1425 Baht was high or low. I just know I will not return.

[uptheos]

Due to the recommendations in this thread we went to St. Germain de Prés the other night. Unfortunately, it did not turn out to be such a great place for us as we hoped it would be.

• I have ordered a dry Martini. The Martini served was sweet. I blamed it to a communication problem.
  
• The starters were satisfactory regarding its quality and presentation.
  
• The main platters consisted of mainly previously prepared sauces and low-quality meat. The meat (beef and duck) was served cold (fridge-temperature), problably it was just taken out of the fridge and not sufficiently heated in a microwave. After asking the waitress to heat up the meal, she returned the plate two minutes later completely de-arranged with the sauce widely spread over the plate and without the vegetables and decoration.
  
• There are only three wines offered: white, rose and red wine; all of the them are of the same brand which did not reveal neither its winery, grape or any detail regarding its origins or year. Our choice, the rose wine, tasted after stalled vinegar
  

I don't know if the price of 1425 Baht was high or low. I just know I will not return.

Sounds like an objective assessment, complete with bill. Can't say its a place I now fancy trying - Thanks for the info.

[chanchao]

Yeah, thanks for that.

I'll stick to The House for special occasions.

[Ulysses G.]

Sounds like an objective assessment, complete with bill. Can't say its a place I now fancy trying - Thanks for the info.

You can have a bad experience at any restaurant, especially if you only try it once, however, I have eaten at St. Germain Des Pres - as have a good number of friends - several times since it opened and have been quite satisfied for under 500 baht without any of the screwups listed here.

Sounds like they need to do something about the wine selection however.

I have eaten at the House numerous times and have been dissapointed as often as pleased - and for a lot more money - however, because we have a limited choice of this kind of restaurant, I still go there every once in a while.

[FolkGuitar]

Sounds like an objective assessment, complete with bill. Can't say its a place I now fancy trying - Thanks for the info.

You can have a bad experience at any restaurant, especially if you only try it once, however, I have eaten at St. Germain Des Pres - as have a good number of friends - several times since it opened and have been quite satisfied for under 500 baht without any of the screwups listed here.

Sounds like they need to do something about the wine selection however.

I have eaten at the House numerous times and have been dissapointed as often as pleased - and for a lot more money - however, because we have a limited choice of this kind of restaurant, I still go there every once in a while.

Most everything I hear reminds me of a song.....

Just to put an nice ambiance to it;

One night along the river at St. Germain des Pres, I first met my beloved at a small sidewalk café.

We walked along the river, the shadows passing by but we only saw each other, the shining water and the sky.

Chorus:

The Seine, the Seine, when will I again meet her there, greet her there on the moonlit banks of the Seine?

Standing there across the river, mid sound of horn and tram, in all her quiet beauty, the cathedral Notre Dame,

And as we passed beside her, I said a little prayer that when this dream was over, I'd awake and find you there.

(Chorus)

We walked along the river, 'till dawn was coming nigh. Beneath the Eiffel Tower we said our last good-bye.

There on that splendid morning, I saw you all in tears and the beauty of that hour will shine within my through the years

(Chorus)

The Seine, the Seine, when will I again meet her there............ on the Seine?

-------------------------

That's why I play guitar.....

[JoshMyPickle]

My pals + I weren't all that impressed with this backpacker-gone-louis vuitton bistro -- the salmon steak was overcooked, the ratatouille (sp?) was underwhelming, the baked potato was tasteless and dehydrated, and the chicken liver (??) salad looked absolutely nauseating. The duck breast was ok, but the best part was the /minuscule/ portion of onion jam. The apple tart dessert was not the ideal way to conclude an overpriced set meal either. The eclair was amazing even if it was a bit stale, however.

...but we'll be back once the upstairs bar opens.

...still waiting for a bottomless sunday brunch in chiang mai.

...speaking of, this place /really/ needs a sunday brunch.

[Ulysses G.]

the salmon steak was overcooked,

I'll agree with you on this, but I've never had salmon in Thailand that was anything more than mediocre (other than salmon teriyaki in Japanese restaraunts). Why this is, I don't know as I ate lots of delicious salmon in Vietnam and it was quite inexpensive.