The Athenee Hotel

You can expect refined elegance and exemplary service when you stay at The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok. The coherent blend of European and Thai styles are ever present, paying homage to the royal heritage of this luxury property. The hotel was built within the grounds of Kandhavas, the royal palace and home of Princess Valaya Alongkorn who was the daughter of King Rama V. Many design elements throughout the property are directly drawn from the Princess and her palace, ensuring that the illustrious and imperial history lives on in both style and name. Event spaces include Kandhavas Place and the Princess Valaya Alongkorn Drawing Room, whilst guests can enjoy a Royal Dining Experience and access to The Royal Club Lounge during their stay. The 374 rooms and suites are equally as sophisticated. Alongside the finest bedding, luxury amenities and modern tech solutions, you will find stylish local art and original antiques to complete the classic ambiance during your stay at this upscale hotel.

When it comes to leisure time, the lagoon style pool offers the perfect retreat after a busy day at work or exploring Bangkok. Set within a tropical rooftop garden it provides a true oasis with a selection of seating and beds for relaxation, including plenty of shade for those that wish to escape the relentless midday sun. If you want something a little more high octane then the 24 hour gym complete with state of the art TechnoGym equipment is for you. If the gym isn’t ‘your thing’ then perhaps you can be enticed by the Athenee Spa which has an extensive menu of treatments that will provide peace and tranquilty for your mind and body.

The Vegan Food

We enjoyed our breakfast at The Rain Tree Cafe which commenced with iced ‘Tom Yam’ shots made from coconut, lemongrass, kaffir lime and chilli. With our taste buds awake, we perused the buffet deciding what we might ask to be adapted for vegans only to be spotted by the Chef who told us he had already prepared us a selection of vegan dishes. It’s service like this that always puts our minds at rest. Whilst eagerly awaiting our ‘chef’s special’ vegan breakfast we selected fresh juices from the juice bar (a whole rainbow of fresh fruit and vegetables to be juiced on request), young coconuts (sweet and toasty served with a planet friendly paper straw) and created a healthy platter from the salad bar. Homemade carrot, cucumber and shallot pickles, hummus, fresh crunchy vegetables, leaves and a vast selection of oils and vinegars including pumpkin, hazelnut and pistachio oils. A veritable vegan bounty!

As promised, chef then presented a trio of vegan dishes including a green curry which offered the perfect balance of spiciness and sweetness. The spice packed curry paste, rich and sweet coconut milk and fresh vegetables combined to deliver a bowl of perfection. Next, from the Green Monday menu which is available at The Rain Tree Cafe, a classic Pad Krapao made with the game changing Omnimeat. Stir fried Omnimeat with holy basil and chilli spice, full of umami and meat like texture but made entirely from plants. Finally, cubes of deep fried firm tofu coated in a tangy, salty, rich, sticky and sweet soy and tamarind sauce then topped with crispy fried shallots and roasted red chillies. Wow, we were in vegan breakfast heaven…

The following day was equally as impressive with both vegan sushi and vegan dim sum (two varieties) being available from the buffet. These are some of our favourite vegan breakfast options so the day was starting well. Things moved to the next level with a delIcious Indian thali selection that was brought to our table. Some of these dishes were also on the buffet but a couple needed to be prepared without butter ghee which was not a problem for the uber helpful staff team. We adore Indian food and the mango chutney, mixed vegetable paratha, onion bhaji, rava upma (OMG this was amazing) and aloo chana masala certainly hit the spot. Just when we thought things couldn’t get any better we discovered vegan sorbet. Not just one flavour of vegan sorbet but lemon, mango, rasberry and tamarind to choose from. We selected lemon and rasberry which we sprinkled with toasted coconut shavings and once again, we were in vegan breakfast heaven at The Rain Tree Cafe.

Head to the 3rd floor for a fine dining adventure that will take you to Japan, China, France or Thailand. Our lunch reservation was at The House of Smooth Curry where there are a number of Thai vegetarian dishes that can be easily veganised upon request. However, The Allium Bangkok boasts a plant based menu which was very exciting to discover. We made time to visit before lunch and enjoy a couple of innocuous sounding dishes called ‘Chiang Mai Tomato Salad’ and ‘Cucumber, Celery with Cucumber Broth’.  Wow. They were exceptional. Chef Roxanne is recreating modern French cuisine with the finest ingredients and impeccable attention to detail. Don’t be fooled by the simple descriptions, this is food of the highest standard. Sundried tomato salad, tomato gaspacho ice cream, sweet tomato merangue, crunchy tomato chips and a tomato soup sphere which created an explosion of flavour as it burst in your mouth. Yes the tomatoes may have originated in Chiang Mai but they had been on a culinary journey of pure wizardry before they arrived at our table. The cucumber dish was no different. Extraordinary flavours and textures with exceptional plating and presentation. Cucumber and celery ribbons, tiny sunflower crackers, plant based sour cream and watermelon orbs with pine nuts in a light and zingy cucumber broth. Safe to say, we will be returning to The Allium Bangkok at the earliest opportunity to work our way throught the multi course, plant based menu that is on offer. Outstanding.

The House of Smooth Curry serves authentic Royal Thai cuisine with dishes from the four regions of Thailand using local and organic ingredients wherever possible. Recently refurbished (as with all restaurants on the 3rd floor) the space is both refined and classic creating a feeling of dining in Kandhavas Palace circa 1920. With the ambaince created it was now time to discover what Chef Monti had prepared for us. Safe to say it was very good indeed with classic Thai dishes elevated to lofty levels, yet retaining their authenticity. A mushroom tom yam that was packed with both straw mushrooms and king oyster mushrooms (oh, how very royal) in a clear and fragrant broth. The yum som o (pomelo salad, and one of our favourites) was fresh and delightful with delicate edible flower garnishes.

Our main course was a flavourful vegetable red curry and stir fried lotus stem with fermented soy beans served with a vibrant purple, Riceberry rice which is a new superfood, high in antioxidants and minerals. What better way to end our lunch (which was in fact our last dish before leaving Thailand) with a dish that is so typically Thai. Mango sticky rice is served up and down the country everywhere from street stalls to fine dining restaurants. When done well it is unrivalled and this version was right up there with the best. The sweetest and freshest of mangoes served with a side of coconut milk and a duo of sticky rice balls, one was infused with pandan and both were sprinkled with salty and crunchy, roasted mung beans. The perfect end to a perfect meal at The House of Smooth Curry.

The Vegan Essentials

When it comes to the amenities for both our room and the spa it was extremely pleasing to discover two of our favourite cruelty free brands. The bathroom amenities were from Thai based company, THANN and Athenee Spa uses Comfort Zone products from Italy. Neither test on animals or use any animal derived ingredients making us very happy indeed. As part of their sustainability programme at The Athenee Hotel Bangkok, guests will find all tea, rice and many other food products sourced locally and organic. Marriott International properties have already stopped using plastic straws and it was great to also find glass water bottles in our room. December 2020 will see the company remove all single use bathroom toiletries replacing them with refillable, pump dispensers. These are all positive, planet saving initiatives that we applaud.

The Vegan Food Quest Verdict

Check in to The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok and enjoy first rate service and unrivalled atttention to detail. Let us give you an example. We stood at reception behind another guest who was being served. Despite the short wait, we decided to head to our room and return to reception later. Upon arrival in our room the phone was ringing with a member of staff apologising for our wait and offering to assist. We loved this ‘going above and beyond’ approach that we experienced during our stay. And of course we also loved the vegan food. Their partnership with Green Monday and the inclusion of veggie and vegan dishes throughout the hotel made us very happy indeed. We would highly recommend this vegan friendly luxury hotel in Bangkok.

We were guests of The Athenee Hotel but please rest assured that their generosity in hosting us didn’t influence our views.

The Athenee Hotel
61 Wireless Rd
Lumphini
Bangkok

Telephone: +66 2 650 8800
Email: bc.theathenee@luxurycollection.com
Cost From: £125 / $165 (February 2020)