Chocolate Ville — Restaurant in Ram Inthra Subdistrict

Chocolate Ville: Bangkok's Fairytale Photo Feast (But Don't Expect Actual Chocolate!) Overall Rating: 4/5 Stars (If you go with the right expectations!)

Chocolate Ville is one of those places that pops up on every "things to do in Bangkok" list, especially for those looking for something a bit different and incredibly Instagrammable. But let's clarify one thing right off the bat: despite its name, it has absolutely nothing to do with chocolate. It's a delightful, whimsical European-themed park and restaurant complex that is purely about ambiance and aesthetics.

What is it? Imagine stepping into a picturesque European village, complete with a charming lighthouse, quaint storefronts, cobblestone paths, canals with swan boats, rustic barns, and even a miniature train. That's Chocolate Ville. It's designed to be a "dining in a park" experience, with multiple restaurants serving a wide variety of Thai and international dishes, all set within this elaborate, fairytale-like setting.

The Atmosphere & Vibe (5/5 Stars) This is where Chocolate Ville truly shines. The attention to detail in the design is impressive. Every corner offers a new backdrop for photos, from a classic red phone booth to a gas station from a bygone era, and countless charming little cottages. As the sun sets and the fairy lights twinkle to life, the place transforms into an even more magical wonderland. It's incredibly romantic for couples, endlessly entertaining for families with kids, and a dream for anyone looking to up their social media game.

The Food & Dining Experience (3.5/5 Stars) While the setting is five-star, the food is generally good but not necessarily the main draw. You'll find a vast menu offering everything from authentic Thai curries and seafood to Western dishes like steak, pasta, and pizza. Portions are decent, and the quality is generally satisfactory, though don't expect gourmet excellence. Prices are a bit higher than your typical Bangkok local eatery, but reasonable considering the unique ambiance. Service can be efficient, though it can get a bit overwhelmed during peak hours due to the sheer volume of visitors. Many tables are outdoor, adding to the relaxed, al-fresco dining experience.

Who is it for?

Photo Enthusiasts/Instagrammers: This is your paradise. Families with Kids: There's so much to explore, and the whimsical setting keeps little ones entertained. Couples: A very romantic spot, especially in the evening. Groups of Friends: Fun for a relaxed meal and plenty of group photos. Anyone looking for a unique, themed dining experience. Pros:

Unrivaled Ambiance: Truly unique and beautifully designed. Photo Oportunities Galore: Every angle is a potential postcard. Family-Friendly: Safe and engaging for all ages. Relaxed Setting: A nice escape from the bustling city center. Free Admission: You only pay for what you eat and drink. Cons:

Location: It's quite a trek from central Bangkok (about 45 minutes to an hour by taxi/Grab/Bolt, depending on traffic). This adds to the cost and travel time. Crowds: Especially on weekends and evenings, it can get very crowded. This means waiting for tables, and popular photo spots can have queues. Food is Good, Not Great: While perfectly fine, don't expect it to be the culinary highlight of your trip. No Actual Chocolate: Just reiterating, so you're not disappointed! Practical Tips for Visiting:

Go Late Afternoon: Aim to arrive around 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM. This allows you to see the park in daylight, enjoy the sunset, and then experience the magical transformation as the lights come on in the evening. Transportation: A taxi, Grab, or Bolt is the easiest way to get there. Make sure your driver knows "Chocolate Ville" (show them the Thai name if possible for clarity). Arrange for a return taxi in advance or use a ride-sharing app, as it can be harder to flag one down immediately outside. Book Ahead: For dinner, especially on weekends, consider making a reservation to avoid long waits for a table. Bring Your Camera: And a fully charged phone! A power bank might...

We went in search of adventure in Chocolate Ville. Lol, have no fear, no chocolate was harmed in creation of this tourist extravaganza. Different - this is more of a photo opp, with food as an afterthough, a tourist trap aimed at the local populace. Parking is hard - they built the extravaganza in a Thai village. Ain't no room for those pesky cars (and this is an out of the way locale - not a whole lot of other commercial draws in the area, just a quiet 'burb. Well, not enough for the crowd today Maybe better on off-days. Paying to enter is hard - people around us struggled with the qr code. Everyone seemed to get to the same screen, and hit a "now what?!?" moment. Menus are hard. Local wifi connect failed, qr download of menu was sloooow. About 30% in English, an leetle dinky thumbnails to make your selections from. You have to wait for a table ( hence the qr code while paying to enter). 2/3 of the $5 entry fee is a food credit. You are assigned a table to simplify/automate ordering. Too bad, we were in one of the more boring buildings, not in the dramatic glass structure. Make your order online only - lol, we don't need no steenkin' wait staff. Prices are downtown Bangkok high, food was average, but drinks were good. Pretty backdrop for pictures, seasonally everything is Christmas right now, and the change the theme with the seasons. Staff is all in costume, lol, some animals, some elves, one a Halloween witch with bats. So we walked around taking photos, ate, walked around taking pictures. It built dexterity, dodging all the selfie sticks. There was an impressive waterfall, large glass structure, wine shop.... but no chocolate shop? Lol, but plenty of popcorn and ice cream for the kiddies to burn the food credits for those who did not one to dine on-premise. This was more of a photo opp, with food as an afterthought. Kids under 10 will like it. Kids over 12 will diss it. For those of you familiar with Casa Bonita and it's ilk, it's a similar idea but without the shows. Well, checked off the block for touristy sites to visit. And adults? Uh, we're good. Not worthy of a repeat visit. As a business, they have to work on the parking, getting folks checked in, silly reliance on online ordering, English throughout the menu, wifi availability. A restaurants first mission is tasty meals. All the other frills should supplement, not overwhelm that...

Drove by a few times and was super curious about this place and finally had some time to stop by. There’s a 100 baht entry fee but you can redeem it for lots of goodies including taking money off your restaurant bills. The place itself is huge and it’s perfect for photo ops. The only drawback for me was wishing there were more entertainment instead of just fake models/buildings for photos. It’s like Disneyland without the rides and games. It got boring real quick but have so much potential. All they need is to add some fair games and maybe a few rides and bamm it’s a mini amusement park.

Onto the food and this is actually why we came as I saw the extensive menu on their website. We ordered: garlic cheese bread - delicious, I wanted to order more! Three cheese pizza - it was good but wished it had more cheese and the cheese were spread more evenly as there was a big slice missing a lot of cheese; fried calamari salad - the calamari was nicely breaded and texture was perfect. We really enjoyed this dish; spicy salmon salad - raw salmon covered in Thai seafood sauce with lettuce - YUM; spaghetti carbonara - the pasta could of been more al dente (a bit too soft for me) and the sauce could of been creamier but it was still good and they provided fresh mozzarella cheese which compensated along with the sunny side up egg: the yolk added the extra creamy texture; beef lasagna, German ham hock - this was recommended to us by a worker and it’s delicious! Outside crispy and inside soft and juicy. I only wished they would prep this dish for us as it took a bit of an effort to cut the meat; and a whole bunch to Thai dishes: stir fried water mimosa, crispy fried sea bass , salty egg squid - squid was soft and flavor was just right, tom yum soup and chilli sea bass (I think). Everything was delicious as we finished all the food. We also ordered: chocolate avocado smoothie, strawberry cheese cake granola and strawberry cheesecake ice cream.

The best part was the service. Incredibly attentive and what really touched me was as we were moving from one dinning area to another it started raining hard and one of the worker saw us walking in the rain and immediately offered his umbrella to us so we wouldn’t get wet 💙

Overall: there were more items on the menu we did not try and will definitely be back again to try them...