TRAVEL CRITERIA
DURATION:
FEW HOURS
ACTIVE:
N/A
CULTURAL:
RECOMMENDED::
NOT SURE
PHOTOGRAPHY:
COST:
Looking out across Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River from the Lebua State Tower’s Sirocco Restaurant.
Intro: On our third night in Bangkok, we decided to treat ourselves to an indulgent meal at the famous Sirocco Restaurant, located at the top of the Lebua State Tower. But with sky-high prices and food that didn’t really impress, we left feeling a bit disappointed.
After a day exploring Ayutthaya and cruising back to Bangkok on the River Sun Cruise, we had reservations for an indulgent dinner at Bangkok’s Sirocco Restaurant, renowned for its Mediterranean food. It’s situated within the rooftop of the Lebua State Tower and has earned the title of the world’s tallest alfresco restaurant.
The Sirocco Restaurant is one of those iconic dining experiences that we really wanted to try (particularly after seeing it featured in “The Hangover Part II”), but after our wonderful experience at Nahm Restaurant the night before, it was a bit of a disappointment.
The iconic golden domed rooftop of the Lebua State Tower where we dined at the Sirocco Restaurant.
It all started out quite well, with professionally dressed staff greeting us at the base of the Lebua State Tower to escort us up to the 63rd floor where the Sirocco Restaurant is located. The views when you step out are pretty outstanding, with the night lights of Bangkok sparkling below and the Chao Phraya River snaking along one side.
At the reception desk the woman knew who we were as we had already made a reservation, held with our credit card. This is mandatory if you want to make a reservation at Sirocco Restaurant and they will charge you $100USD if you don’t show up. But seeing as it gets quite busy, we wanted to make sure we had a table and a sweet hostess sat us down immediately. The ambiance was really nice, with refreshing breezes, candlelit tables, jazz music in the background, and the views of Bangkok’s skyscrapers surrounding us!
The menu at Sirocco Restaurant featured a choice of starters and mains, or a Chef’s Tasting Menu which offered a little bit of everything.
The wait staff were very attentive and we received our menus immediately, but when we opened them we were quite overwhelmed by the prices. We knew that Sirocco was going to be expensive by Bangkok standards, but it was ridiculously overpriced (one oyster cost $9USD!). Like Nahm Restaurant where we had dined the previous night, they had a chef’s tasting menu with some fantastic sounding food (created by their French chef), but it was almost double the price at 4500THB!
The foie gras duo we selected for entree at the Lebua State Tower’s Sirocco Restaurant.
To be honest, we felt quite pressured by the wait staff to order the chef’s tasting menu and caviar, and didn’t enjoy being put in that situation. In the end, we opted for the ocean prawn tartare and foie gras duo for starters, with Henry choosing the duck and me the lamb for our main courses.
The smoked and grilled mallard duck that Henry selected for mains at the Sirocco Restaurant.
While they were plated to perfection and all tasted good, there was nothing exceptional about the meals we had at Sirocco Restaurant and I felt a bit disappointed by the experience. Really you are paying for the views and the gorgeous atmosphere, but when it came to the food, we thought that Nahm was much better.
Looking out across the night cityscape of Bangkok from the Lebua State Tower’s Sirocco Restaurant.
It might sound harsh compared to other Sirocco Restaurant reviews, but if you want to experience the views and atmosphere, we would recommend just going to the Lebua State Tower’s Sky Bar located just next door (but it will cost you about $20USD for a drink!).
TOP THREE TIPS
- If you want to make reservations, know that you’ll have to leave your credit card information.
- For those with a limited budget, consider visiting the Sky Bar instead of dining at one of the restaurants at Lebua State Tower.
- Don’t feel pressured to order the tasting menu if that is not what you are in the mood for.