Chesa

In this town, especially, the French and Italians get most of the credit, but this humble Swiss restaurant has quietly earned a place among Bangkok’s best. It achieves this with a kitchen that serves up consistently good food, a menu filled with traditional dishes that aren’t too ambitious but still manage to delight at times with their attention to detail, a team of well-trained and amiable servers and a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. In lesser hands, Chesa would be a fondue house, a ski chalet, a stereotype, a parody. But the red and white décor, which matches the uniforms of the waitresses, and even the cartoon cow head mounted on the wall isn’t silly or ironic—it all comes together neatly in this converted home off Soi 20. Similarly, the menu features what we think the Swiss eat every day—pungent melted raclette eaten with pickles and new potatoes, fondues of cheese or oil—but also (somewhat) lighter and more imaginative fare including trout from the Royal Projects, pastas, salads and salmon tatare. An excellent salad of nutty nuessli (mache) sprinkled with just enough crumbled hard-boiled eggs and crispy bacon to keep things interesting is both refreshing and heartily satisfying at the same time. Another seasonal item to look out for are crunchy boletus mushrooms, which the chef uses in a ravioli appetizer, among other dishes. Contemporary interpretations of traditional delicacies include leaf-wrapped dumplings, called capons, filled with lamb. One of Chesa’s most famous dishes—and deservedly so—is roasted venison (order the whole saddle when they have it) served with pears, cranberries and walnuts as well as no less than five (refillable) side dishes: tangy red cabbage, slightly browned homemade spaetzle, thick gravy, mushrooms and brussel sprouts with bacon. Our only complaint might be the sprouts, which were on the mushy side; and we would warn the salt-sensitive to speak up when they order. But these are small complaints, really. Overall the food at Chesa is as reliable as a Swiss watch.