Michelin-Starred Chef Mauro Colagreco Delivers Precise Dining Experience in Bangkok

Israeli food critic Hillel Atlan visited Côte, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bangkok's Capella Hotel, led by renowned chef Mauro Colagreco. Colagreco, whose restaurant Mirazur was ranked first in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2019, offers a refined French-Mediterranean tasting menu that emphasizes seasonal ingredients, precision, and restraint. The restaurant does not provide a traditional menu; instead, guests receive a Carte Blanche tasting menu tailored to seasonal produce and dietary preferences.

Atlan praised the elegant setting overlooking the Chao Phraya River and the calm, confident service. The meal began with standout dishes such as a delicate sea urchin tart and a pumpkin tart with Taleggio cheese, showcasing balance and technique. Bread served with ginger and lemon-infused olive oil, based on Colagreco’s grandmother’s recipe, also impressed.

Throughout the meal, dishes like Denis fish crudo with caviar cream, white asparagus with pear and grapefruit, and morel mushrooms with wild garlic highlighted the kitchen’s philosophy of letting ingredients shine rather than relying on culinary tricks. However, one fish dish with capers and a sauce was less successful due to an overpowering fish flavor. The staff promptly replaced it with a perfectly cooked Denis fillet with artichoke and a foamed sauce, demonstrating exceptional hospitality.

The veal fillet with peas and river beans was expertly prepared, though less exciting than other courses. Desserts, including pear with grapefruit and jasmine sorbet and a creative strawberry dish with rhubarb and sake kasu, were described as aromatic and memorable. The meal concluded with excellent petit fours and a generous gesture of extra caramel cookies and a gift bottle of the ginger-lemon olive oil.

Atlan rated the experience 8.5 out of 10, noting that while one dish disappointed and he wished for a bolder culinary moment, the overall meal was balanced, precise, and enjoyable. The cost was approximately 950 shekels per person. He concluded that Côte’s strength lies in its confident identity rather than flashy presentations, justifying its two Michelin stars.