L'éléphant — Restaurant in Chiang Mai Province

This is your sign to book a table at l'éléphant the next time you pay a visit to chiang mai! The restaurant is nestled discreetly on a small street and has an impressive collection of art pieces adorning its interior. Definitely a testament to the owner’s impeccable art taste, resulting in us having an evening with a fusion of artistry and culinary excellence. Inreally like how the layout allows for a more private atmosphere while still allowing for that sense of togetherness because the restaurant has a house-like layout.

Pictured:

— Starters Amuse-bouches Classic french onion soup, 480. A steaming bowl of rich, flavourful broth filled with caramelized onions, perfectly seasoned with herbs and spices… the aroma alone was enough to make my mouth water 🥹 The cheese creates a luscious, velvety layer which I just loooove Truffle cream soup, 680. The soup has such a velvety texture and is infused with the earthy essence of truffles... The truffle is really able to take center stage and the puff pastry complements it so well! It’s so fun how you have to break its flaky crust to get to the soup within. Angel hair crab pasta, 675. The pasta was so thin and delicate that it practically danced on its fork! Classic escargots de bourgogne, 880. Personally, i’m not the biggest fan of snails, but my mom loved them! She wasn’t able to finish her portion though so I’d probably share this with others to prevent getting tired of the dish. Salmon gravlax, 470. Interplay of different tastes and textures was really delicious and refreshing before my main course :)

— Mains Lamb shank stew, 680. Rich, hearty dish braised to perfection. Meat effortlessly falls off the bone, revealing its melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Vegetables add a delightful touch of sweetness to the dish and provided a satisfying contrast to the lamb! Beef stroganoff fettuccine, 495. Comforting and satisfying dish. Sauce adds depth and complexity Duck leg confit, 630. Not the best duck confit I’ve had but it was still delicious. Roasted pork ribs, 590. Not usually a fan of pork ribs but this was soooo good. The crust was amazing — all in all super flavourful and might be my top dish of the night! Brown rice green tea crème brûlée, 145. We loved this so much last time that we ordered two!! They changed the plating this time, and the flavour of the banana leaf wrapping did seem to transfer to the exterior of the dessert — liked last year’s variation more but would still say to try this special dish as you’re sure to not find it anywhere else! Poire à la beaujolaise (spice-poached pear in red wine), 320. Mascarpone ice cream went great with the pear. Îles flottantes, 280. Meringue was def my favourite part of this dish. Just had to give it a try because it sounded so unique!

We visited before in 2022 and again in 2023, so I’ve included pictures from...

Whenever I travel, interesting destinations and fine dining are always at the top of my wishlist! Over the years I have been fortunate to combine the two, being lucky enough to eat at some truly exceptional Michelin starred restaurants across the world - from the dynamic Australian food scene, to contemporary reinterpretations of Classic cuisine across Europe. I am therefore so blessed to be able to enjoy some of the most consistently delicious, constantly innovative and amazingly affordable fine dining that I have ever had, right on my doorstep, when I overwinter in beautiful Chiang Mai every year. Chef Oan and his discrete, professional and utterly charming team present a dining experience that can easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the Michelin starred establishments I have sampled. Mixing carefully sourced local organic produce with some of the finest quality imported ingredients, his imaginative tasting menus and special events in particular, create subtle and unique fusion flavour combinations that tantalise and challenge the palette. Beautifully presented food served in an intimate setting - whether it be a romantic meal for two; an informal dinner with friends; or a private celebratory party. Wave after wave of exquisitely crafted food appears magically infront of you, with a detailed explanation of its origins from his knowledgeable staff, or the modest and clearly passionate chef himself. It is too good value and has such a carefully considered seasonal menu to reserve for just an occasional treat! It deserves repeated visits, whether for its bargain set lunch at the weekends or its extensive a la carte menu of an evening, sharing this gem of a restaurant with as many of your friends as you can, as regularly as possible! Chiang Mai is a foodies paradise - with its diverse street food or countless specialist restaurants - but L'Elephant always delivers an experience like no other! Whether you are in town for just a few days, or have made Chiang Mai your home, a booking for a memorable meal in Chef Oan's talented...

An okay experience for my partner and I but definitely not worth the 100GBP that we spent.

The atmosphere was middling. It was December 29 and they were still playing tacky modern Christmas songs. Not something we expected from such a high end restaurant. Also, we had two small children sitting nearby who were very noisy which took away from what we expected to be a more elegant date-appropriate environment. A bit of a shame really when you see how beautiful the space is.

The food was also just okay. Definitely not bad food, everything tasted fine, but nothing tasted great which is what we expect when we spend this much in Chiang Mai.

Food took a long time to arrive. At least 30mins for the starters and another 20 at least for the mains.

Staff were friendly and reasonably attentive.

Overall, while the restaurant is beautiful and the food is good, I can't say it's anywhere near worth the price. We have had faster and tastier French food at much cheaper and more charming places...