🔄 Last checked 2 Jul 2026 · details and hours can change — check the venue before you go
If you're picking the one-MICHELIN-star restaurant with the most powerful chef's story in Bangkok right now, Avant has to be on your shortlist. Chef Haikal Johari is Singaporean, trained in top-tier kitchens including L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Tokyo and the three-star Amador, before a 2015 motorcycle accident left him paralysed. Instead of stepping back from the kitchen, he stands at the head of the counter every night, personally leading service and presenting every dish himself on the 30th floor of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok. MICHELIN clearly saw it too — Avant won its first star in the 2025 guide within about a year of opening, then held onto it again in 2026. That kind of speed isn't luck. It's pure skill.
The food here is contemporary French woven seamlessly with Japanese precision and Asian sensibilities. What sets Avant apart from the city's other French restaurants is the ingredients — about 90% of the menu is seafood, most of it flown in directly from Japan at sashimi grade. The main event is the "AVANT Experience," a 9-course dinner priced at THB 5,900++ per person, served at a chef's counter with only about 10 seats, plus one private room that seats up to 10. That means only a handful of people get to eat here on any given night, and every single dish is presented to you personally by Chef Haikal — you see the hands at work, hear where the ingredients came from, get to ask questions. Very few restaurants in Bangkok deliver that kind of experience for real.
What makes Avant's story stand out from typical fine dining is the meaning built into every service. A chef whose body no longer moves the way it used to chose not to disappear behind the kitchen wall, but to sit at the counter in full view of every guest. It turns the meal into a conversation, and turns a 9-course dinner into a night you'll remember for a long time. A 4.8 rating from past diners backs that up. The location isn't difficult either — it's in the Langsuan/Soi Tonson area, about a 10-minute walk from BTS Chit Lom. Open Monday–Saturday 18:00–22:00, closed Sunday. If you're hunting for a special-occasion dinner in Bangkok that's both delicious and comes with a story worth bringing home, book this one — but book fast, because the seats really are that limited.
Avant
Budget THB 5,900++ per person for the 9-course "AVANT Experience" dinner (with service charge and tax added, expect around THB 7,000+ per head, drinks not included). Book through Chope, which shows live seat availability, or call +66 82 466 4962 / email reservation@restaurantavant.com. The key thing to know is that the restaurant is tiny — about 10 counter seats plus a private room that holds up to 10 more — so book weeks ahead, especially for Friday–Saturday nights or holiday periods. There's no walk-in queue system; without a reservation, you don't eat.
The restaurant sits on the 30th floor of Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok, in the Langsuan/Soi Tonson area, about a 10-minute walk from BTS Chit Lom, or a convenient taxi/motorbike-taxi ride straight to the hotel entrance. Open Monday–Saturday 18:00–22:00, closed Sunday (some sources list a Friday–Saturday lunch service 12:00–14:30 — confirm this when you book). It's worth booking the first seating of the evening so you can take your time through all 9 courses without rushing, and get the most out of talking with Chef Haikal at the counter.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| MICHELIN award 2026 | ⭐ One MICHELIN Star |
| Cuisine | Contemporary French × Japanese (seafood-focused) |
| Approx. price | 9-course 'AVANT Experience' dinner THB 5,900++/person |
| Booking | Chope — Book here |
| Hours | Mon-Sat 18:00-22:00; closed Sunday (some sources list Fri-Sat lunch 12:00-14:30 — confirm when booking) |
| Getting there | About a 10-minute walk from BTS Chit Lom |
| Neighbourhood | Langsuan / Soi Tonson (Pathumwan) |
Booking tips
Also bookable by phone +66 82 466 4962 or email reservation@restaurantavant.com. Roughly 10-seat chef's counter plus a private room (up to 10) — capacity is tiny, book well ahead. · No queue — it's a ~10-seat counter, so reserve as early as possible (weeks ahead); Chope shows live availability.
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